Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: $707 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
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Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $707 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $707

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,185 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,185

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,663 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,663

Ubud, Bali costs about 93% more than Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$3.83 ¥25.64

-13.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$26.02 ¥174

35.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$4.57 ¥30.57

26.91%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$3.17 ¥21.20

-13.88%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$0.48 ¥3.22

241.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.31 ¥2.04

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$0.93 ¥6.22

190.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$1.47 ¥9.80

192.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.79 ¥11.98

-16.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$1.18 ¥7.90

94.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.87 ¥5.85

35.63%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$2.07 ¥13.85

3.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$19.53 ¥131

-10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$3.69 ¥24.69

9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$6.16 ¥41.16

98.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$2.33 ¥15.56

52.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.38 ¥9.25

13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.47 ¥9.81

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$1.31 ¥8.74

47.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$0.87 ¥5.79

116.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$0.86 ¥5.77

166.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$0.62 ¥4.18

59.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$0.54 ¥3.59

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$3.57 ¥23.89

-36.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$13.36 ¥89.3

72.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$0.75 ¥5.01

212.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$1.45 ¥9.68

100.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$0.31 ¥2.08

-22.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

$19.88 ¥133

-55.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$1.97 ¥13.20

-75.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$0.38 ¥2.55

21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$7.03 ¥46.99

-22.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$1.21 ¥8.12

-27.27%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$18.1K ¥121.2K

35.53%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$17.9K ¥119.7K

74.22%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$18.76 ¥125

342.48%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$10.11 ¥67.6

-36.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$11.07 ¥74.0

67.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$60.8 ¥407

-8.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$16.34 ¥109

10.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$7.45 ¥49.79

-41.21%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$301 ¥2,015

63.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$17.8K ¥118.8K

-67.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$45.01 ¥301

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$41.36 ¥277

-14.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$60.5 ¥404

30.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$58.6 ¥392

33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$256 ¥1,715

345.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$165 ¥1,104

309.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$631 ¥4,216

455.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$379 ¥2,534

348.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$2,912 ¥19.5K

-4.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,953 ¥13.1K

14.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.5

293.71%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$165 23.4% 75.6% $510

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$216 30.5% 25.6% $74

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$93 13.2% 14.3% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$40 5.7% 63% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$92 13.1% 14% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$76 10.7% 17.2% $11

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

$25 3.5% 99.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $256 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $26.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $216 – making Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇨🇳 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

831,113

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,061 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali and $707 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. That's a gap of about 93%.

Public transport costs about 125% less in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.