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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $706 in Xiangtan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,136 in Xiangtan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,566 in Xiangtan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 101% more expensive than Xiangtan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Xiangtan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$2.87 ¥19.43

24.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$21.46 ¥145

52.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.3K

$4.91 ¥33.22

0.81%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$3.11 ¥21.03

-12.86%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.44 ¥2.97

204.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.29 ¥1.98

141.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$0.88 ¥5.93

231.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$2.06 ¥13.91

92.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.79 ¥12.10

1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$1.55 ¥10.50

62.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$0.96 ¥6.49

20.83%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$1.60 ¥10.81

53.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$13.05 ¥88.3

12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$3.16 ¥21.36

36.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$10.35 ¥70.0

17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$1.81 ¥12.24

112.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.22 ¥8.24

27.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.53 ¥10.33

84.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.09 ¥7.36

113.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$0.70 ¥4.71

172.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$0.97 ¥6.58

126.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.57 ¥3.83

77.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.51 ¥3.46

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$3.10 ¥21.00

7.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.1K

$10.67 ¥72.2

122.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.78 ¥5.31

257.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$1.59 ¥10.77

79.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.27 ¥1.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$16.69 ¥113

-51.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,231

$1.41 ¥9.56

-67.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,117

$0.33 ¥2.20

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$6.54 ¥44.24

-6.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.13 ¥7.66

-30.09%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$19.5K ¥131.8K

34.19%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.3M

$17.2K ¥116.2K

86.94%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$45.03 ¥305

77.53%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$9.93 ¥67.2

-59.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.2K

$11.63 ¥78.7

102.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$41.50 ¥281

137.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$13.78 ¥93.2

-51.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$6.00 ¥40.58

-30.83%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$334 ¥2,260

-9.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$16.6K ¥112.2K

-60.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$43.13 ¥292

28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$30.98 ¥210

23.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$71.5 ¥484

23.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$72.6 ¥491

7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.2M

$276 ¥1,869

264.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$193 ¥1,307

249.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$582 ¥3,939

491.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$365 ¥2,470

458.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$3,027 ¥20.5K

-6.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$2,018 ¥13.6K

12.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.89

241.39%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Xiangtan: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $276 in Xiangtan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Xiangtan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $198 per month, with Xiangtan 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 Xiangtan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xiangtan wins on cost – living expenses run 101% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xiangtan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,059 in Xiangtan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $276 in Xiangtan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $334 in Xiangtan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $706 in Xiangtan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xiangtan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Xiangtan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Xiangtan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $706 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xiangtan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Xiangtan 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 Xiangtan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.