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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $831 in Xiamen.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,866 in Xiamen.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 65% more expensive than in Xiamen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Xiamen is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$2.97 ¥19.87

15.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$23.87 ¥160

52.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$5.09 ¥34.11

12.18%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.44 ¥16.37

9.43%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.45 ¥3.04

288.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.35 ¥2.36

148.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.45 ¥9.69

103.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$2.98 ¥19.97

51.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.51 ¥10.10

7.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$2.35 ¥15.76

-0.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.94 ¥6.29

18.09%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.60 ¥10.73

37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$11.83 ¥79.2

49.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$2.41 ¥16.17

70.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$11.77 ¥78.8

3.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.65 ¥17.77

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.44 ¥9.62

10.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.60 ¥10.70

42.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.98 ¥13.25

-1.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.01 ¥6.76

89.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.76 ¥11.77

32.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.92 ¥6.17

9.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.54 ¥3.59

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$3.01 ¥20.16

-25.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$11.30 ¥75.7

104.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$0.84 ¥5.61

188.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$1.77 ¥11.86

69.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.15 ¥0.98

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$12.12 ¥81.2

-25.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.47 ¥9.88

-67.35%

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

$6.98 ¥46.72

-19.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.21 ¥8.10

-33.88%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$19.1K ¥127.9K

30.66%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$17.7K ¥118.3K

79.48%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$43.59 ¥292

86.88%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$8.48 ¥56.8

-23.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$10.45 ¥70.0

79.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$47.61 ¥319

19.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$10.57 ¥70.8

77.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$10.21 ¥68.4

-55.53%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$498 ¥3,332

-3.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$23.9K ¥160.3K

-76.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$38.62 ¥259

17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$28.36 ¥190

26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$103 ¥689

-21.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$85.2 ¥571

-7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$347 ¥2,323

221.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$261 ¥1,749

167.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$817 ¥5,475

344.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$548 ¥3,671

217.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$8,370 ¥56.1K

-66.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$4,746 ¥31.8K

-51.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,157 ¥7,750

-85.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.46

298.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $347 in Xiamen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xiamen pays 589% 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 Xiamen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $217 per month, with Xiamen 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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xiamen wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xiamen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 589% lower in Xiamen. 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 $347 in Xiamen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $498 in Xiamen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $831 in Xiamen versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xiamen but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Xiamen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Xiamen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $831 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xiamen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Xiamen 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 Xiamen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.