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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $745 in Wuxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,190 in Wuxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,634 in Wuxi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 84% more expensive than in Wuxi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Wuxi is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$3.61 ¥24.19

-4.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$23.62 ¥158

53.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$4.34 ¥29.09

31.57%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$3.15 ¥21.07

-15.24%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.52 ¥3.51

236.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.32 ¥2.17

171.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.52 ¥10.19

94.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.03 ¥20.32

49.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.80 ¥12.03

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$2.06 ¥13.81

13.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.04 ¥6.95

6.73%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.83 ¥12.27

20.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$13.77 ¥92.2

28.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$3.47 ¥23.26

18.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$10.98 ¥73.5

10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.67 ¥17.85

38.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.26 ¥8.44

26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.60 ¥10.75

42.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.22 ¥8.20

59.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.68 ¥4.56

180.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.81 ¥5.42

187.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.63 ¥4.22

60.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.55 ¥3.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$5.24 ¥35.12

-57.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$11.76 ¥78.8

96.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$0.87 ¥5.85

178.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.25 ¥15.08

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.44 ¥2.92

-38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$18.43 ¥123

-51.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.53 ¥10.24

-68.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.43 ¥2.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$9.05 ¥60.6

-37.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.25 ¥8.35

-36.00%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$19.4K ¥130.2K

28.37%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$19.2K ¥128.5K

65.30%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$36.19 ¥242

125.09%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$11.64 ¥77.9

-44.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$26.87 ¥180

-30.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$47.42 ¥318

19.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$6.96 ¥46.61

169.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$5.88 ¥39.41

-22.79%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$438 ¥2,931

9.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$16.5K ¥110.2K

-65.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$35.28 ¥236

29.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$21.40 ¥143

67.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$64.0 ¥428

25.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$44.16 ¥296

78.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$334 ¥2,238

233.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$204 ¥1,367

241.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$581 ¥3,891

525.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$370 ¥2,479

369.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$3,650 ¥24.5K

-23.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,951 ¥13.1K

17.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,074 ¥7,194

-84.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.13

340.26%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Wuxi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $334 in Wuxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wuxi pays 539% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $24.00 in Wuxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $220 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 84% 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 539% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $334 in Wuxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $438 in Wuxi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $745 in Wuxi versus $1,368 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 84% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.