Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Xi'an Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Xi'an

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $709 in Xi'an.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,099 in Xi'an.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,489 in Xi'an.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Xi'an is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$2.75 ¥18.43

25.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$17.67 ¥118

105.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$4.44 ¥29.72

28.60%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.18 ¥14.59

22.48%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.41 ¥2.73

326.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.29 ¥1.95

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.48 ¥9.88

99.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$1.46 ¥9.75

209.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.41 ¥9.42

14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.68 ¥11.25

38.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.84 ¥5.63

32.14%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.47 ¥9.87

49.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$11.39 ¥76.3

55.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$3.53 ¥23.64

16.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$10.36 ¥69.4

17.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.65 ¥11.06

124.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.15 ¥7.70

38.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.27 ¥8.51

79.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.31 ¥8.75

48.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.69 ¥4.64

176.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.76 ¥5.06

206.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.58 ¥3.90

74.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.59 ¥3.95

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$3.43 ¥22.97

-34.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$8.40 ¥56.3

174.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$0.79 ¥5.32

206.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$1.64 ¥10.98

82.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.31 ¥2.10

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$25.76 ¥173

-65.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.31 ¥8.76

-63.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.29 ¥1.94

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$4.41 ¥29.54

27.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.28 ¥8.58

-37.50%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$19.7K ¥131.8K

26.79%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$17.8K ¥119.5K

77.81%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$62.7 ¥420

29.92%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$6.21 ¥41.59

4.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$10.44 ¥69.9

79.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$29.92 ¥200

90.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$20.76 ¥139

-9.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$5.84 ¥39.11

-22.26%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$689 ¥4,618

-30.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$17.3K ¥115.9K

-67.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$38.49 ¥258

18.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$37.45 ¥251

-4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$74.4 ¥498

8.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$85.5 ¥572

-7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$316 ¥2,116

252.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$178 ¥1,191

292.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$866 ¥5,800

319.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$350 ¥2,346

396.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$2,415 ¥16.2K

15.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,649 ¥11.0K

38.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,079 ¥7,229

-84.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.35

311.34%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $316 in Xi'an. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xi'an pays 542% 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 $18.00 in Xi'an for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $187 per month, with Xi'an 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 Xi'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xi'an 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 Xi'an the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 542% lower in Xi'an. 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 $316 in Xi'an. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $689 in Xi'an. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Xi'an versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xi'an but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Xi'an the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Xi'an delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $709 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xi'an hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Xi'an 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 Xi'an 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.