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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $722 in Wuwei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,161 in Wuwei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,599 in Wuwei.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 93% more expensive than in Wuwei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Wuwei is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.8K

$3.03 ¥20.32

9.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 631.6K

$22.55 ¥151

58.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.3K

$5.08 ¥34.04

10.83%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.77 ¥18.58

1.81%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.46 ¥3.10

280.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.1K

$0.29 ¥1.93

175.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.7K

$1.07 ¥7.15

184.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.8K

$2.11 ¥14.11

103.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.4K

$1.82 ¥12.20

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 40.0K

$1.66 ¥11.15

36.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.01 ¥6.78

15.84%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.63 ¥10.91

33.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.9K

$13.05 ¥87.4

35.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.5K

$3.35 ¥22.46

20.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.8K

$11.07 ¥74.2

10.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$1.82 ¥12.22

98.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.30 ¥8.69

26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.61 ¥10.77

43.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.31 ¥8.79

49.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.72 ¥4.81

155.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.8K

$0.88 ¥5.87

169.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.63 ¥4.20

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,573

$0.59 ¥3.93

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.77 ¥25.24

-38.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.9K

$11.32 ¥75.8

103.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.83 ¥5.57

181.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.1K

$1.61 ¥10.79

90.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,371

$0.31 ¥2.09

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 166.1K

$18.08 ¥121

-47.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,643

$1.46 ¥9.75

-66.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,361

$0.35 ¥2.38

34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.8K

$7.11 ¥47.65

-21.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.26 ¥8.43

-35.71%

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

$25.0K Rp 441.0M

$19.2K ¥128.3K

30.58%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.7M

$17.3K ¥116.2K

79.10%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$55.0 ¥368

50.43%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.4K

$8.42 ¥56.4

-22.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 331.3K

$11.17 ¥74.9

68.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 974.0K

$41.25 ¥276

33.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 321.1K

$14.87 ¥99.6

22.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.8K

$6.42 ¥43.00

-33.02%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$413 ¥2,764

19.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.3M

$16.5K ¥110.6K

-64.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 816.0K

$42.33 ¥284

9.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 642.5K

$33.56 ¥225

8.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$73.2 ¥490

10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$74.4 ¥498

5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$291 ¥1,953

282.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$183 ¥1,224

279.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.2M

$595 ¥3,985

511.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.2M

$368 ¥2,462

365.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.7M

$3,121 ¥20.9K

-11.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$1,906 ¥12.8K

20.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$627 ¥4,203

-73.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.38

307.69%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Wuwei: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $291 in Wuwei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wuwei pays 269% 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 $23.00 in Wuwei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $208 per month, with Wuwei 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 Wuwei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wuwei wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wuwei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 269% lower in Wuwei. 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 $291 in Wuwei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $413 in Wuwei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $722 in Wuwei versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Wuwei but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Wuwei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Wuwei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $722 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wuwei hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Wuwei 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 Wuwei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.