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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $723 in Xiangtan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,140 in Xiangtan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,558 in Xiangtan.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Xiangtan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

$2.72 ¥18.24

23.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

$21.87 ¥147

76.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

$4.81 ¥32.27

14.76%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

$2.95 ¥19.77

-10.51%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

$0.43 ¥2.91

288.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.27 ¥1.80

185.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

$0.93 ¥6.22

182.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$2.12 ¥14.23

101.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.87 ¥12.54

-17.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

$1.61 ¥10.82

37.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

$0.90 ¥6.06

25.56%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

$1.55 ¥10.41

34.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

$12.82 ¥86.0

35.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

$3.24 ¥21.74

19.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

$10.39 ¥69.7

20.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

$1.80 ¥12.11

101.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

$1.27 ¥8.49

22.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

$1.53 ¥10.26

53.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

$1.15 ¥7.71

79.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

$0.71 ¥4.74

167.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

$0.95 ¥6.41

146.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.57 ¥3.80

80.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,809

$0.54 ¥3.65

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

$3.15 ¥21.11

-28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

$10.69 ¥71.7

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

$0.79 ¥5.30

192.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

$1.59 ¥10.66

76.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.27 ¥1.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

$16.47 ¥110

-47.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,515

$1.37 ¥9.18

-64.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,887

$0.36 ¥2.39

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

$6.71 ¥45.03

-14.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.18 ¥7.93

-35.59%

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

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

$19.4K ¥129.8K

26.51%

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

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

$17.2K ¥115.6K

86.40%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$45.56 ¥306

83.38%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

$9.97 ¥66.9

-35.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

$11.58 ¥77.7

63.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

$42.42 ¥285

31.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

$14.00 ¥94.0

33.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$6.00 ¥40.25

-28.67%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$329 ¥2,209

47.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

$16.9K ¥113.7K

-65.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

$44.22 ¥297

3.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

$29.89 ¥201

21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$72.1 ¥484

13.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$71.6 ¥480

12.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$282 ¥1,892

295.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$195 ¥1,308

259.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

$599 ¥4,019

490.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

$360 ¥2,412

390.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

$3,015 ¥20.2K

-6.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

$2,003 ¥13.4K

14.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.89

254.24%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Xiangtan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $282 in Xiangtan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Xiangtan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 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 93% 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 $2,095 in Ubud, Bali and $1,084 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $282 in Xiangtan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 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 46% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Xiangtan versus $1,396 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 $723 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 93% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.