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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $524 in Putian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $853 in Putian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,183 in Putian.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 167% more expensive than in Putian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Putian is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$2.25 ¥15.11

49.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.4K

$23.31 ¥156

65.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$5.36 ¥35.89

2.99%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$2.53 ¥16.98

4.35%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$0.44 ¥2.92

279.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.31 ¥2.09

148.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$0.76 ¥5.08

246.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$2.93 ¥19.65

46.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.53 ¥10.24

1.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$2.26 ¥15.16

-1.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$0.99 ¥6.65

14.14%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$1.62 ¥10.85

29.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.7K

$11.91 ¥79.8

46.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$2.44 ¥16.35

58.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.3K

$12.06 ¥80.8

4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$2.61 ¥17.50

38.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.43 ¥9.58

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$1.66 ¥11.14

41.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$2.02 ¥13.53

1.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$0.94 ¥6.32

102.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.84 ¥12.33

27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.87 ¥5.86

18.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,781

$0.54 ¥3.60

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$3.05 ¥20.41

-26.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.8K

$10.96 ¥73.5

117.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$0.84 ¥5.64

175.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$1.71 ¥11.48

63.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,803

$0.72 ¥4.85

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$21.92 ¥147

-60.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,490

$1.46 ¥9.81

-67.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,865

$0.31 ¥2.08

45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$6.93 ¥46.46

-17.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.27 ¥8.52

-40.16%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.7M

$19.1K ¥127.9K

28.23%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.4M

$17.2K ¥115.3K

86.71%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$43.23 ¥290

93.27%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$8.56 ¥57.4

-24.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.9K

$10.20 ¥68.4

86.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 987.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$10.15 ¥68.0

-57.83%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$481 ¥3,221

1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.3M

$23.9K ¥159.9K

-75.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.3K

$39.04 ¥262

16.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.5K

$29.01 ¥194

25.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$105 ¥702

-21.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$86.9 ¥582

-7.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$2,607 ¥17.5K

8.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$1,136 ¥7,615

101.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$477 ¥3,194

-64.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.46

298.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Putian: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Putian pays 181% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Putian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $217 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 181% 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.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $481 in Putian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $524 in Putian versus $1,396 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 167% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.