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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $745 in Wuxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,194 in Wuxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,644 in Wuxi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 87% more expensive than in Wuxi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Wuxi is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$3.53 ¥23.86

1.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$28.18 ¥190

14.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$4.96 ¥33.50

1.01%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$3.31 ¥22.36

-14.80%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.43 ¥2.90

213.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.27 ¥1.81

170.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$0.80 ¥5.42

266.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.39 ¥16.13

64.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.85 ¥12.52

-3.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$1.87 ¥12.65

31.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.97 ¥6.57

18.56%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$2.15 ¥14.49

12.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$14.19 ¥95.8

0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$3.31 ¥22.32

26.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$10.85 ¥73.2

11.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$2.27 ¥15.36

60.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.11 ¥7.47

41.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.54 ¥10.42

81.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.01 ¥6.84

121.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.59 ¥4.00

235.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.69 ¥4.67

230.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.61 ¥4.10

72.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.44 ¥2.97

79.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$4.81 ¥32.50

-33.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$10.89 ¥73.5

115.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$0.71 ¥4.79

308.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$1.96 ¥13.25

40.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.29 ¥1.98

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$13.80 ¥93.1

-39.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$1.38 ¥9.29

-67.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.42 ¥2.84

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$8.46 ¥57.1

-28.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.20 ¥8.08

-28.33%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$18.0K ¥121.4K

47.82%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$20.2K ¥136.4K

61.13%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$34.90 ¥236

126.42%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$16.86 ¥114

-75.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$25.20 ¥170

-5.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$51.4 ¥347

92.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$6.72 ¥45.33

-5.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$7.82 ¥52.8

-48.72%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$427 ¥2,883

-30.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$17.4K ¥117.8K

-62.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$40.97 ¥277

30.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$26.87 ¥181

41.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$63.2 ¥427

40.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$37.94 ¥256

101.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$315 ¥2,129

223.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$207 ¥1,399

228.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$606 ¥4,089

472.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$368 ¥2,486

467.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$3,547 ¥23.9K

-23.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$1,913 ¥12.9K

19.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$1,038 ¥7,006

-84.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.02

230.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Wuxi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $315 in Wuxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wuxi pays 534% 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 Wuxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $211 per month, with Wuxi 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 Wuxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wuxi wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wuxi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 534% lower in Wuxi. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $315 in Wuxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $427 in Wuxi. 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 $745 in Wuxi versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wuxi but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Wuxi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Wuxi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $745 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wuxi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Wuxi 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 Wuxi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.