Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Xianyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Xianyang: $617 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Xianyang
🇨🇳 China
$617
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Xianyang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Xianyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $617 in Xianyang.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Xianyang $617

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $995 in Xianyang.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Xianyang $995

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,373 in Xianyang.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Xianyang $1,373

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 119% more expensive than in Xianyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Xianyang is 54% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Xianyang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$2.25 ¥15.06
43.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$17.21 ¥115
102.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$4.46 ¥29.81
27.80%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$2.08 ¥13.93
25.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$0.39 ¥2.58
341.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.27 ¥1.80
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$0.77 ¥5.17
244.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$1.45 ¥9.71
201.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Xianyang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.44 ¥9.61
9.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$1.07 ¥7.13
104.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$0.78 ¥5.22
51.28%
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$1.41 ¥9.45
53.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$9.57 ¥64.0
84.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
$1.81 ¥12.13
108.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
$7.38 ¥49.37
61.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$1.22 ¥8.18
195.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$1.03 ¥6.86
54.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
$1.25 ¥8.36
84.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$0.63 ¥4.19
203.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$0.43 ¥2.89
313.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
$0.59 ¥3.92
294.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
$0.63 ¥4.20
58.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
$0.59 ¥3.95
-10.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$3.07 ¥20.52
-25.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$7.32 ¥48.97
201.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$0.44 ¥2.92
434.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
$1.76 ¥11.78
69.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Xianyang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,112
$0.29 ¥1.92
-20.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
$17.65 ¥118
-49.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
$1.29 ¥8.62
-63.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
$0.29 ¥1.91
48.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
$4.53 ¥30.31
20.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.20 ¥8.05
-30.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
$19.5K ¥130.5K
22.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
$11.9K ¥79.6K
175.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Xianyang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$36.81 ¥246
117.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
$6.37 ¥42.62
2.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
$10.61 ¥70.9
75.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Xianyang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
$42.47 ¥284
27.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
$15.22 ¥102
20.11%
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
$5.88 ¥39.33
-27.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Xianyang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$333 ¥2,229
47.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
$15.1K ¥101.1K
-62.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Xianyang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
$38.65 ¥258
17.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
$37.53 ¥251
-6.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
$75.6 ¥506
2.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$60.1 ¥402
30.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Xianyang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
$297 ¥1,988
280.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$180 ¥1,203
274.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
$618 ¥4,130
484.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
$381 ¥2,547
346.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
$3,456 ¥23.1K
-21.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$753 ¥5,033
197.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Xianyang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$598 ¥3,999
-72.18%
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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Xianyang: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Xianyang
$180 73.3% $493
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Xianyang
$147 49% $141
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Xianyang
$95 10.5% $11
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Xianyang
$66 38.2% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Xianyang
$54 48.8% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Xianyang
$54 13.4% $8.4
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Xianyang
$22 73% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $297 in Xianyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xianyang pays 260% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $17.00 in Xianyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $147 per month, with Xianyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇳 Xianyang
🕒 Local time
00:12 12:12 AM
00:12 12:12 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
1,324,612
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Xianyang 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Xianyang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Xianyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Xianyang?
Xianyang wins on cost – living expenses run 119% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xianyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Xianyang?
On paper, salaries run 260% lower in Xianyang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Xianyang?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $297 in Xianyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Xianyang?
Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $333 in Xianyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Xianyang?
Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Xianyang?
At $617 in Xianyang versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xianyang but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Xianyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Xianyang?
Both work as nomad bases, but Xianyang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $617 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xianyang hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Xianyang?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Xianyang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Xianyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?