Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Putian Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Putian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $709 in Putian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,135 in Putian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,562 in Putian.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 100% more expensive than Putian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Putian is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$2.06 ¥13.91

72.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$23.34 ¥158

40.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.3K

$5.41 ¥36.57

-8.50%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$2.82 ¥19.05

-3.90%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.41 ¥2.76

226.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.29 ¥1.97

141.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$0.68 ¥4.62

329.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$2.75 ¥18.59

44.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.80 ¥12.16

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$2.14 ¥14.45

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$0.78 ¥5.25

48.72%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$1.38 ¥9.35

78.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$11.32 ¥76.6

29.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$2.30 ¥15.59

87.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$11.35 ¥76.8

6.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$2.45 ¥16.57

56.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.34 ¥9.07

16.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.56 ¥10.55

81.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.91 ¥12.93

21.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$0.89 ¥6.01

114.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.71 ¥11.55

28.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.88 ¥5.92

14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.51 ¥3.47

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$2.83 ¥19.12

17.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.1K

$11.23 ¥76.0

111.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.75 ¥5.04

272.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$1.65 ¥11.15

73.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.29 ¥1.97

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$16.48 ¥111

-51.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,231

$1.42 ¥9.62

-67.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,117

$0.26 ¥1.74

73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$6.73 ¥45.50

-9.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.15 ¥7.77

-31.30%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$16.8K ¥113.3K

56.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.1K Rp 579.3M

$17.2K ¥116.4K

86.64%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$38.87 ¥263

105.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$9.56 ¥64.7

-57.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.2K

$11.65 ¥78.8

101.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$41.55 ¥281

137.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$14.14 ¥95.7

-53.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$9.32 ¥63.1

-55.47%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$304 Rp 5.5M

$456 ¥3,083

-33.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$16.9K ¥114.5K

-60.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$43.59 ¥295

27.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$26.55 ¥180

44.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$83.5 ¥565

6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$79.8 ¥540

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.2M

$279 ¥1,887

260.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$191 ¥1,290

254.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$602 ¥4,072

471.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$360 ¥2,439

465.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$2,596 ¥17.6K

9.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$1,805 ¥12.2K

25.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$463 ¥3,129

-64.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.56

273.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Putian: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $279 in Putian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putian pays 180% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Putian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $209 per month, with Putian cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ubud, Bali vs Putian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putian is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Putian earns 180% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $279 in Putian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $456 in Putian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Putian versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putian but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Putian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Putian is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Putian are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Putian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.