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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $676 in Shaoxing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,078 in Shaoxing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,480 in Shaoxing.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 108% more expensive than in Shaoxing, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Shaoxing is 49% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Shaoxing
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.45 Rp 62.1K
$2.83 ¥19.13
21.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.34 Rp 581.1K
$21.26 ¥144
52.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.84 Rp 87.1K
$4.29 ¥29.00
12.82%
Cappuccino
$2.75 Rp 49.4K
$2.81 ¥18.98
-2.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 Rp 24.9K
$0.44 ¥2.97
213.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 Rp 13.5K
$0.26 ¥1.77
188.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.99 Rp 53.8K
$0.68 ¥4.61
339.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.85 Rp 69.2K
$1.65 ¥11.17
133.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Shaoxing
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 Rp 31.2K
$2.26 ¥15.27
-23.01%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 Rp 44.2K
$2.12 ¥14.33
16.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.17 Rp 21.0K
$0.77 ¥5.17
51.95%
Eggs
$2.43 Rp 43.7K
$1.53 ¥10.34
58.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.50 Rp 260.6K
$7.71 ¥52.1
88.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.35 Rp 78.2K
$2.82 ¥19.04
54.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.98 Rp 215.3K
$8.96 ¥60.5
33.71%
Apples (1kg)
$3.72 Rp 66.8K
$1.89 ¥12.76
96.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 Rp 29.2K
$1.38 ¥9.36
18.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.74 Rp 49.3K
$1.59 ¥10.77
72.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
$1.17 ¥7.90
91.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 Rp 34.5K
$0.94 ¥6.33
104.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.28 Rp 40.9K
$0.97 ¥6.54
135.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.06 Rp 19.1K
$0.76 ¥5.16
39.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 Rp 12.9K
$0.61 ¥4.13
18.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.29 Rp 59.0K
$3.43 ¥23.18
-4.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.19 Rp 416.8K
$10.21 ¥69.0
127.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 Rp 49.9K
$0.74 ¥5.02
275.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$1.49 ¥10.08
83.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Shaoxing
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,786
$0.27 ¥1.81
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.11 Rp 145.7K
$16.86 ¥114
-51.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,675
$1.52 ¥10.25
-68.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,545
$0.39 ¥2.61
7.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.22 Rp 111.8K
$8.42 ¥56.9
-26.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$1.18 ¥7.95
-31.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.6K Rp 478.2M
$17.3K ¥117.2K
53.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K Rp 578.5M
$14.2K ¥96.3K
125.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Shaoxing
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$42.53 ¥287
84.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.07 Rp 73.1K
$10.97 ¥74.1
-62.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.33 Rp 437.1K
$10.95 ¥74.0
122.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Shaoxing
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$98.6 Rp 1.8M
$41.03 ¥277
140.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.34 Rp 113.9K
$14.12 ¥95.4
-55.10%
Cinema Ticket
$3.99 Rp 71.6K
$5.64 ¥38.13
-29.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Shaoxing
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$305 Rp 5.5M
$407 ¥2,753
-25.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,642 Rp 119.4M
$18.5K ¥124.8K
-64.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Shaoxing
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.1 Rp 972.9K
$42.88 ¥290
26.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.81 Rp 679.4K
$30.15 ¥204
25.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.8 Rp 1.6M
$69.5 ¥469
25.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.4 Rp 1.4M
$65.5 ¥442
16.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Shaoxing
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$992 Rp 17.8M
$277 ¥1,871
258.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$187 ¥1,267
258.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,375 Rp 60.7M
$602 ¥4,069
460.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,050 Rp 36.8M
$364 ¥2,460
463.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,805 Rp 50.4M
$3,105 ¥21.0K
-9.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,227 Rp 40.0M
$1,850 ¥12.5K
20.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Shaoxing
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$167 Rp 3.0M
$916 ¥6,191
-81.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.28
3.87
243.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $277 in Shaoxing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaoxing pays 449% 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 $21.00 in Shaoxing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $189 per month, with Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Shaoxing?
Ubud, Bali and Shaoxing differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $676 including rent). Shaoxing is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 449% lower in Shaoxing. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Shaoxing?
Rent for a central apartment: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $277 in Shaoxing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Shaoxing?
Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $407 in Shaoxing. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $676 in Shaoxing versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shaoxing but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Shaoxing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Shaoxing?
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.
Is Ubud, Bali or Shaoxing safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Shaoxing are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Ubud, Bali or Shaoxing?
Expats usually find Shaoxing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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