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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $712 in Xining.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,135 in Xining.

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

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Xining is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.8K

$2.76 ¥18.52

20.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 631.6K

$21.89 ¥147

63.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.3K

$4.82 ¥32.27

16.80%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$3.07 ¥20.56

-8.14%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.43 ¥2.89

306.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.1K

$0.27 ¥1.80

196.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.7K

$0.92 ¥6.20

230.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.8K

$2.06 ¥13.81

108.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.4K

$1.87 ¥12.56

-13.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 40.0K

$1.61 ¥10.81

40.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$0.90 ¥6.00

30.00%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.60 ¥10.73

35.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.9K

$13.04 ¥87.4

35.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.5K

$3.21 ¥21.49

26.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.8K

$10.28 ¥68.9

18.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$1.79 ¥11.98

102.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.25 ¥8.39

31.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.50 ¥10.04

54.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.15 ¥7.72

70.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.69 ¥4.60

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.8K

$0.96 ¥6.43

146.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.59 ¥3.98

77.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,573

$0.52 ¥3.45

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.09 ¥20.72

-25.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.9K

$10.62 ¥71.2

117.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.74 ¥4.99

216.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.1K

$1.64 ¥11.00

87.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,371

$0.29 ¥1.95

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 166.1K

$16.42 ¥110

-42.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,643

$1.42 ¥9.49

-65.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,361

$0.33 ¥2.19

42.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.8K

$6.84 ¥45.84

-18.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.13 ¥7.60

-28.32%

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

$25.0K Rp 441.0M

$19.4K ¥130.2K

28.74%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.7M

$17.3K ¥116.2K

79.17%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$44.85 ¥301

84.44%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.4K

$10.01 ¥67.1

-35.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 331.3K

$11.75 ¥78.7

59.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 974.0K

$41.45 ¥278

33.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 321.1K

$13.74 ¥92.1

32.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.8K

$6.03 ¥40.43

-28.69%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$330 ¥2,209

49.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.3M

$16.8K ¥112.5K

-64.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 816.0K

$44.64 ¥299

3.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 642.5K

$30.05 ¥201

21.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$70.8 ¥475

13.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$71.0 ¥476

10.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$273 ¥1,830

307.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$196 ¥1,312

254.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.2M

$603 ¥4,042

503.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.2M

$361 ¥2,421

373.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.7M

$3,059 ¥20.5K

-9.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$2,002 ¥13.4K

14.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Xining: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $281 in Xining. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Xining for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $197 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 $2,095 in Ubud, Bali and $1,068 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $281 in Xining. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $330 in Xining. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $712 in Xining versus $1,396 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 $712 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.