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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $808 in Tianjin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,270 in Tianjin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,732 in Tianjin.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 74% more expensive than in Tianjin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Tianjin is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$4.20 ¥28.43

-17.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$28.32 ¥192

14.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$5.52 ¥37.38

-12.32%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$3.21 ¥21.74

-14.33%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.43 ¥2.90

220.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.29 ¥1.98

158.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$0.85 ¥5.78

251.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.00 ¥13.54

92.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.87 ¥12.65

-6.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.82 ¥12.31

35.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.13 ¥7.62

3.54%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$1.17 ¥7.92

107.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$15.18 ¥103

-4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$2.86 ¥19.37

52.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$9.38 ¥63.5

27.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.20 ¥8.15

210.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.30 ¥8.80

25.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.37 ¥9.27

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.10 ¥7.41

103.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.84 ¥5.71

128.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$0.87 ¥5.89

162.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.71 ¥4.83

49.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.80 ¥5.44

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$3.88 ¥26.26

-15.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$13.53 ¥91.6

71.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.17 ¥7.90

137.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$2.37 ¥16.03

15.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.27 ¥1.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$11.32 ¥76.6

-28.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.44 ¥9.73

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.32 ¥2.19

31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$6.31 ¥42.72

-1.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.12 ¥7.59

-27.68%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$17.0K ¥115.1K

56.47%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$19.4K ¥131.5K

65.65%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$87.1 ¥589

-10.05%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$9.96 ¥67.4

-59.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$7.11 ¥48.11

242.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$13.79 ¥93.3

615.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$5.48 ¥37.09

15.69%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$6.09 ¥41.21

-34.48%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$561 ¥3,794

-45.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$18.9K ¥127.9K

-64.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$40.16 ¥272

34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$29.39 ¥199

28.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$75.7 ¥512

14.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$69.8 ¥473

9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$350 ¥2,368

183.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$240 ¥1,625

180.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$1,063 ¥7,193

217.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$493 ¥3,335

316.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$5,328 ¥36.1K

-47.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$2,370 ¥16.0K

-6.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$1,159 ¥7,843

-85.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.62

187.45%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Tianjin: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $350 in Tianjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tianjin pays 594% 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 $28.00 in Tianjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $213 per month, with Tianjin 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 Tianjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Tianjin differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $808 including rent). Tianjin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 594% lower in Tianjin. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $350 in Tianjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tianjin – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $808 in Tianjin versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tianjin but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tianjin 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 Tianjin 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 Tianjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.