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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $720 in Zaozhuang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,145 in Zaozhuang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,569 in Zaozhuang.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 95% more expensive than Zaozhuang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Zaozhuang is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$2.84 ¥19.18

25.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$21.08 ¥143

54.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$4.76 ¥32.20

2.10%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$3.09 ¥20.90

-11.00%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.43 ¥2.90

206.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.29 ¥1.98

141.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$0.93 ¥6.32

212.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.07 ¥14.02

83.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.78 ¥12.01

-3.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.53 ¥10.34

61.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.96 ¥6.49

25.00%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.63 ¥11.03

49.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$12.94 ¥87.5

11.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$3.12 ¥21.11

38.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$10.24 ¥69.3

19.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.80 ¥12.18

104.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.21 ¥8.21

28.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.41 ¥9.56

97.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.09 ¥7.38

113.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.67 ¥4.56

194.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.92 ¥6.19

151.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.60 ¥4.05

76.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.55 ¥3.71

32.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.22 ¥21.75

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$9.94 ¥67.2

129.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$0.79 ¥5.37

255.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.65 ¥11.18

68.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.29 ¥1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$16.78 ¥113

-51.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$1.35 ¥9.12

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.35 ¥2.39

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$6.77 ¥45.81

-7.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.13 ¥7.64

-24.78%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$19.5K ¥131.7K

33.35%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$16.7K ¥113.2K

89.12%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$45.40 ¥307

77.86%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$10.01 ¥67.7

-59.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$11.59 ¥78.3

110.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$41.71 ¥282

134.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$13.82 ¥93.4

-53.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$6.24 ¥42.17

-35.26%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$342 ¥2,310

-11.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$17.2K ¥116.1K

-61.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$43.41 ¥294

24.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$29.92 ¥202

29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$70.9 ¥480

21.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$74.6 ¥504

2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$282 ¥1,909

249.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$184 ¥1,246

257.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$603 ¥4,075

459.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$362 ¥2,449

470.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$3,633 ¥24.6K

-24.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$1,799 ¥12.2K

23.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.87

243.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Zaozhuang: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $282 in Zaozhuang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Zaozhuang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $196 per month, with Zaozhuang 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 Zaozhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaozhuang wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zaozhuang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $1,080 in Zaozhuang 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $282 in Zaozhuang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $342 in Zaozhuang. 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 $720 in Zaozhuang versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zaozhuang but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zaozhuang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zaozhuang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $720 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zaozhuang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zaozhuang 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 Zaozhuang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.