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: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $701 in Xiangtan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,113 in Xiangtan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,526 in Xiangtan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 99% more expensive than Xiangtan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Xiangtan is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$2.75 ¥18.80

26.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

$21.46 ¥147

53.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

$4.82 ¥32.94

5.60%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$2.94 ¥20.11

-6.46%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$0.46 ¥3.17

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.27 ¥1.82

162.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

$0.93 ¥6.38

209.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

$2.03 ¥13.88

90.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$1.79 ¥12.23

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

$1.55 ¥10.60

58.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$0.90 ¥6.12

34.44%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$1.61 ¥10.98

48.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

$12.76 ¥87.1

15.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$3.20 ¥21.87

32.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

$10.01 ¥68.4

20.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

$1.82 ¥12.41

101.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

$1.22 ¥8.32

31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$1.55 ¥10.58

75.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

$1.14 ¥7.80

99.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$0.74 ¥5.07

156.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$0.94 ¥6.45

144.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$0.55 ¥3.78

85.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

$0.55 ¥3.75

41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

$3.07 ¥20.94

5.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

$10.49 ¥71.6

129.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$0.80 ¥5.49

255.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$1.58 ¥10.80

76.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,610

$0.27 ¥1.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

$16.47 ¥112

-49.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,708

$1.38 ¥9.40

-67.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,305

$0.35 ¥2.41

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

$6.54 ¥44.69

-7.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$1.12 ¥7.67

-23.21%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

$19.8K ¥135.0K

31.82%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

$17.4K ¥118.6K

82.62%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$44.96 ¥307

74.24%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$9.54 ¥65.1

-58.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

$11.87 ¥81.1

105.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$41.02 ¥280

133.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

$13.75 ¥93.9

-53.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$5.77 ¥39.39

-30.50%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$329 ¥2,250

-8.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

$17.0K ¥115.8K

-61.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

$43.41 ¥296

23.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

$29.96 ¥205

28.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$72.2 ¥493

23.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$70.7 ¥483

11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$278 ¥1,898

265.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$191 ¥1,305

251.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

$599 ¥4,094

462.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

$366 ¥2,496

476.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

$3,007 ¥20.5K

-0.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

$2,011 ¥13.7K

16.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Xiangtan: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $278 in Xiangtan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $21 in Xiangtan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $197 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 99% 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 $2,092 in Ubud, Bali and $1,051 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $278 in Xiangtan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Ubud, Bali versus $329 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 $701 in Xiangtan versus $1,395 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 $701 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 99% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.