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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,236 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,976 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,717 in Shanghai.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 11% more expensive than in Shanghai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Shanghai is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$4.56 ¥30.52

-26.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$29.50 ¥198

21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$5.37 ¥35.98

4.84%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$3.21 ¥21.49

-12.15%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.61 ¥4.06

186.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.38 ¥2.56

110.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$1.21 ¥8.13

151.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$2.71 ¥18.15

58.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.96 ¥13.13

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.85 ¥12.37

22.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.04 ¥6.96

12.50%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.57 ¥10.49

38.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$17.49 ¥117

0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$3.32 ¥22.23

21.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$13.58 ¥91.0

-10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.12 ¥14.20

70.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.77 ¥11.84

-7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.99 ¥13.33

16.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.77 ¥11.84

10.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.81 ¥5.44

127.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.01 ¥6.78

134.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.70 ¥4.68

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.66 ¥4.44

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.80 ¥25.46

-39.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$10.30 ¥69.0

124.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.94 ¥6.27

148.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$1.58 ¥10.58

94.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.59 ¥3.92

-57.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$29.87 ¥200

-68.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$2.21 ¥14.83

-77.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.47 ¥3.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$8.95 ¥60.0

-37.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.28 ¥8.54

-36.72%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$19.6K ¥131.0K

27.83%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$19.0K ¥127.1K

63.68%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$59.3 ¥397

39.42%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$8.62 ¥57.7

-24.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$9.90 ¥66.3

89.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$65.6 ¥439

-15.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$16.45 ¥110

10.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$9.09 ¥60.9

-52.70%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$1,439 ¥9,638

-65.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$25.8K ¥172.6K

-77.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$53.1 ¥355

-12.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$37.80 ¥253

-3.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$74.3 ¥497

8.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$107 ¥720

-26.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$1,007 ¥6,743

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$565 ¥3,781

22.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$2,406 ¥16.1K

51.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$1,212 ¥8,120

41.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$13.8K ¥92.5K

-80.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$6,147 ¥41.2K

-62.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$1,734 ¥11.6K

-90.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.36

310.12%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $1,007 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 938% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $29.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $240 per month, with Shanghai 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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Shanghai differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,378 vs $1,236 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 938% lower in Shanghai. 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,007 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,439 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,236 in Shanghai versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Shanghai 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.