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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $614 in Urumqi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $950 in Urumqi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,285 in Urumqi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 127% more expensive than in Urumqi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Urumqi is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$3.41 ¥22.83

-1.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

$17.86 ¥120

116.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$5.31 ¥35.58

3.95%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$2.83 ¥18.98

-6.71%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$0.43 ¥2.88

288.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.26 ¥1.76

196.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$1.12 ¥7.53

134.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$1.81 ¥12.14

136.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.21 ¥8.10

28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$0.86 ¥5.74

158.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$0.66 ¥4.41

71.21%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$1.60 ¥10.73

30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.6K

$6.09 ¥40.82

185.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$2.40 ¥16.11

61.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.2K

$9.84 ¥65.9

27.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$2.00 ¥13.40

81.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.22 ¥8.16

27.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$1.83 ¥12.24

28.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$0.72 ¥4.79

186.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$0.50 ¥3.32

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.60 ¥4.04

290.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.50 ¥3.37

106.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,779

$0.46 ¥3.08

19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$3.01 ¥20.18

-25.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

$10.21 ¥68.4

133.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$1.13 ¥7.59

104.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$1.46 ¥9.77

91.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,802

$0.31 ¥2.10

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$18.14 ¥122

-52.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,489

$1.45 ¥9.72

-66.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.31 ¥2.09

45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$7.47 ¥50.1

-23.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.19 ¥7.98

-36.13%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.6M

$18.0K ¥121.0K

35.65%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

$14.1K ¥94.2K

128.59%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$66.5 ¥445

25.70%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$5.32 ¥35.67

21.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.8K

$11.00 ¥73.7

72.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 986.8K

$22.56 ¥151

148.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

$9.47 ¥63.4

96.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$6.00 ¥40.20

-28.67%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$162 ¥1,086

200.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

$8,774 ¥58.8K

-33.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

$52.0 ¥348

-12.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

$21.91 ¥147

66.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$102 ¥683

-19.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$44.17 ¥296

82.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$264 ¥1,769

323.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$117 ¥787

496.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$411 ¥2,755

760.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$246 ¥1,647

617.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$1,830 ¥12.3K

54.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$1,150 ¥7,707

99.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$1,129 ¥7,565

-84.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.39

306.49%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Urumqi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $264 in Urumqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urumqi pays 565% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $18.00 in Urumqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $157 per month, with Urumqi 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 Urumqi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urumqi wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Urumqi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 565% lower in Urumqi. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $264 in Urumqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $162 in Urumqi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $614 in Urumqi versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Urumqi but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Urumqi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Urumqi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $614 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Urumqi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Urumqi 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 Urumqi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.