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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $520 in Urumqi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $833 in Urumqi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,147 in Urumqi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 173% more expensive than Urumqi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Urumqi is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$3.41 ¥23.07

4.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$19.14 ¥130

71.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$5.35 ¥36.23

-7.48%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.91 ¥19.67

-6.87%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.45 ¥3.05

197.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.22 ¥1.49

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$1.13 ¥7.65

158.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.66 ¥18.01

48.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.04 ¥7.03

74.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.86 ¥5.79

193.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$0.36 ¥2.45

222.22%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.49 ¥10.08

65.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$5.51 ¥37.32

166.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$2.05 ¥13.85

110.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$9.98 ¥67.5

21.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$1.78 ¥12.03

115.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.14 ¥7.69

36.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.40 ¥9.49

102.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$0.59 ¥3.97

294.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.41 ¥2.75

365.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.85 ¥5.78

158.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.72 ¥4.91

40.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.52 ¥3.50

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$2.26 ¥15.28

46.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$10.15 ¥68.7

133.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.03 ¥6.96

170.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.77 ¥12.01

61.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.17 ¥1.13

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$14.10 ¥95.4

-43.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.35 ¥9.13

-65.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.35 ¥2.37

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$7.56 ¥51.2

-19.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.12 ¥7.58

-29.46%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$22.7K ¥153.3K

15.42%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$19.3K ¥130.3K

66.83%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$41.24 ¥279

93.84%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$5.62 ¥38.05

-27.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$13.92 ¥94.2

68.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$14.19 ¥96.1

595.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$8.53 ¥57.7

-22.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$4.84 ¥32.77

-14.26%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$169 ¥1,146

79.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$7,680 ¥52.0K

-13.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$27.30 ¥185

103.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$13.83 ¥93.6

177.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$86.5 ¥585

2.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$27.34 ¥185

184.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$245 ¥1,662

309.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$111 ¥751

508.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$400 ¥2,706

761.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$210 ¥1,422

871.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$1,823 ¥12.3K

55.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$1,181 ¥7,991

91.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,171 ¥7,929

-85.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

342.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Urumqi: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $245 in Urumqi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urumqi pays 609% 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 $19.00 in Urumqi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $148 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 173% 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, Urumqi earns 609% 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 $245 in Urumqi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $169 in Urumqi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $520 in Urumqi versus $1,419 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 $520 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 173% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.