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: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $716 in Putian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,142 in Putian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,569 in Putian.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 95% more expensive than in Putian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Putian is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.4K

$2.13 ¥14.41

61.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 572.4K

$22.55 ¥153

41.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.4K

$5.61 ¥38.00

-9.98%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.73 ¥18.49

-0.73%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$0.41 ¥2.76

239.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.29 ¥1.97

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$0.67 ¥4.54

331.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 67.9K

$2.76 ¥18.72

37.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.80 ¥12.19

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$2.16 ¥14.60

16.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$0.82 ¥5.52

47.56%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$1.40 ¥9.49

69.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.4K

$10.96 ¥74.3

31.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$2.38 ¥16.10

74.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 216.9K

$10.94 ¥74.1

10.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

$2.47 ¥16.74

52.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.34 ¥9.08

21.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$1.54 ¥10.43

75.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$1.90 ¥12.87

18.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$0.91 ¥6.19

112.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$1.63 ¥11.04

34.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$0.87 ¥5.87

17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.52 ¥3.49

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

$2.83 ¥19.17

12.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 426.8K

$11.01 ¥74.6

116.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.7K

$0.80 ¥5.40

246.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$1.64 ¥11.12

67.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.27 ¥1.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 146.8K

$16.42 ¥111

-50.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,653

$1.41 ¥9.55

-65.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.26 ¥1.76

61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 107.9K

$6.77 ¥45.85

-10.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.14 ¥7.72

-28.07%

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

$26.6K Rp 475.6M

$16.4K ¥111.4K

61.50%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.6M

$17.5K ¥118.6K

83.95%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$39.35 ¥266

98.86%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.1K

$9.61 ¥65.1

-59.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.2K

$11.74 ¥79.5

103.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$42.61 ¥289

125.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 116.8K

$13.88 ¥94.0

-52.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 71.9K

$9.68 ¥65.6

-58.57%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$455 ¥3,078

-33.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.3M

$16.9K ¥114.3K

-61.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 990.4K

$43.27 ¥293

27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 686.1K

$27.35 ¥185

40.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$83.7 ¥567

5.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$79.1 ¥536

-2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.6M

$280 ¥1,898

251.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$184 ¥1,247

270.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.2M

$592 ¥4,009

477.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.1M

$365 ¥2,469

469.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$2,595 ¥17.6K

6.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$1,092 ¥7,392

105.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$461 ¥3,124

-63.43%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Putian: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $280 in Putian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putian pays 173% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Putian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $207 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 173% lower in Putian. 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $280 in Putian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $455 in Putian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $716 in Putian versus $1,397 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 95% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.