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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,209 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,979 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,749 in Shanghai.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 17% more expensive than Shanghai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Shanghai is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$4.90 ¥33.21

-27.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$36.30 ¥246

-9.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

$5.59 ¥37.88

-11.45%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$3.55 ¥24.06

-23.66%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.57 ¥3.88

135.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.36 ¥2.46

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$1.43 ¥9.67

104.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$2.85 ¥19.27

38.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$2.16 ¥14.62

-16.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$1.78 ¥12.04

41.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$1.10 ¥7.43

5.45%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$1.69 ¥11.45

45.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$15.30 ¥104

-3.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$3.12 ¥21.15

38.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$10.76 ¥72.9

12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$2.26 ¥15.31

69.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.67 ¥11.33

-6.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.80 ¥12.18

57.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.53 ¥10.36

52.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$0.81 ¥5.47

135.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.11 ¥7.53

98.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.68 ¥4.62

48.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.56 ¥3.76

39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$2.84 ¥19.22

16.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

$11.60 ¥78.6

104.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.79 ¥5.32

253.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$1.64 ¥11.08

74.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.43 ¥2.94

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$34.41 ¥233

-76.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,230

$2.21 ¥14.94

-79.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,116

$0.38 ¥2.56

18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$8.38 ¥56.7

-27.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.14 ¥7.72

-30.70%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$19.5K ¥132.3K

33.83%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

$18.1K ¥122.9K

76.97%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$52.8 ¥358

51.37%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$8.53 ¥57.8

-52.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

$13.84 ¥93.7

69.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$47.02 ¥318

109.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$19.81 ¥134

-66.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$8.46 ¥57.3

-50.95%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$1,303 ¥8,823

-76.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$31.6K ¥213.8K

-79.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$59.6 ¥404

-6.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$38.09 ¥258

0.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$78.8 ¥534

12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$99.3 ¥672

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

$933 ¥6,317

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$570 ¥3,861

18.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$2,490 ¥16.9K

38.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$1,192 ¥8,075

71.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$14.0K ¥94.7K

-79.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$6,729 ¥45.6K

-66.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,689 ¥11.4K

-90.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.58

270.95%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $933 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 922% 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 $36.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $225, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $1,209 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shanghai earns 922% 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 $933 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,303 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,209 in Shanghai versus $1,419 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 17% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.