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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $726 in Xining.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,144 in Xining.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,562 in Xining.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 96% more expensive than Xining, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Xining is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.8K

$2.83 ¥19.23

25.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 594.6K

$21.29 ¥144

53.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.9K

$4.95 ¥33.59

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 49.3K

$2.93 ¥19.88

-7.51%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

$0.46 ¥3.13

191.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

$0.29 ¥1.99

141.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

$0.88 ¥5.94

231.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$2.05 ¥13.91

93.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$1.78 ¥12.08

1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.7K

$1.57 ¥10.64

60.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 21.0K

$0.96 ¥6.49

20.83%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.7K

$1.61 ¥10.91

52.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 267.3K

$12.75 ¥86.5

15.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 78.4K

$3.25 ¥22.07

32.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 220.5K

$10.40 ¥70.5

16.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.8K

$1.82 ¥12.36

110.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.3K

$1.21 ¥8.21

28.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.5K

$1.47 ¥9.96

92.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$1.15 ¥7.82

102.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.8K

$0.74 ¥5.03

158.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 40.0K

$0.92 ¥6.24

139.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.4K

$0.56 ¥3.78

80.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

$0.54 ¥3.68

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

$3.22 ¥21.84

3.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 431.2K

$10.74 ¥72.9

121.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.7K

$0.74 ¥5.01

277.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 52.0K

$1.59 ¥10.79

79.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,883

$0.29 ¥1.98

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 145.9K

$16.94 ¥115

-52.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,291

$1.41 ¥9.59

-67.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,176

$0.32 ¥2.19

40.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 110.7K

$6.56 ¥44.47

-7.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

$1.13 ¥7.68

-30.09%

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

$26.1K Rp 475.0M

$19.4K ¥131.5K

34.87%

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

$32.1K Rp 583.5M

$17.3K ¥117.4K

85.50%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$44.95 ¥305

77.84%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.8K

$10.05 ¥68.2

-59.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 427.3K

$11.92 ¥80.9

97.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$42.09 ¥286

134.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 120.4K

$14.16 ¥96.0

-53.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 75.3K

$6.02 ¥40.84

-31.06%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$335 ¥2,271

-9.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 120.1M

$17.1K ¥116.3K

-61.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$44.56 ¥302

24.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 695.9K

$30.87 ¥209

24.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$70.6 ¥479

25.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$72.1 ¥489

8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.3M

$277 ¥1,879

263.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.3M

$195 ¥1,322

246.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.5M

$592 ¥4,018

481.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 37.0M

$353 ¥2,397

476.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.6M

$3,038 ¥20.6K

-6.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 41.1M

$2,030 ¥13.8K

11.53%

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 Xining: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $277 in Xining. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Xining for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $199 per month, with Xining 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 Xining: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xining wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xining the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,089 in Xining 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 $277 in Xining. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $335 in Xining. 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 $726 in Xining versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Xining but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Xining the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Xining delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $726 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xining hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Xining 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 Xining gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.