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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $756 in Zhangjiagang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,236 in Zhangjiagang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,716 in Zhangjiagang.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 86% more expensive than in Zhangjiagang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Zhangjiagang is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$3.44 ¥23.25

0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$25.97 ¥176

24.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.72 ¥31.93

2.54%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$3.42 ¥23.10

-19.59%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.48 ¥3.23

187.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.27 ¥1.80

177.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.10 ¥7.43

171.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$1.63 ¥11.04

136.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$2.00 ¥13.49

-13.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.89 ¥12.77

30.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.93 ¥6.29

25.81%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.81 ¥12.25

34.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$17.39 ¥118

-16.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$2.64 ¥17.83

64.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$9.81 ¥66.3

22.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.02 ¥13.66

84.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.80 ¥12.15

-9.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.60 ¥10.82

71.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.26 ¥8.51

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.79 ¥5.32

143.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.98 ¥6.59

132.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.66 ¥4.46

60.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.53 ¥3.56

35.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$4.13 ¥27.89

-20.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$13.29 ¥89.8

74.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.71 ¥4.79

291.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.70 ¥11.47

60.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.29 ¥1.99

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$16.93 ¥114

-52.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.79 ¥12.11

-73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.28 ¥1.91

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$6.21 ¥41.95

0.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.17 ¥7.92

-30.77%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$19.5K ¥131.6K

36.69%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$16.7K ¥113.0K

92.45%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$43.95 ¥297

78.27%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$11.37 ¥76.8

-64.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$11.76 ¥79.5

106.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$42.03 ¥284

134.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$14.18 ¥95.8

-55.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.21 ¥41.99

-35.75%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$446 ¥3,012

-31.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$16.8K ¥113.5K

-60.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$56.6 ¥382

-4.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$35.28 ¥238

7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$72.3 ¥489

20.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$91.2 ¥616

-16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$282 ¥1,907

251.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$187 ¥1,261

260.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$589 ¥3,980

473.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$361 ¥2,442

467.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$3,334 ¥22.5K

-15.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,681 ¥11.4K

32.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.83

246.74%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $282 in Zhangjiagang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $26.00 in Zhangjiagang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $225 per month, with Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhangjiagang wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhangjiagang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,134 in Zhangjiagang 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $282 in Zhangjiagang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $446 in Zhangjiagang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $756 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhangjiagang but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangjiagang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhangjiagang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $756 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhangjiagang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zhangjiagang 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 Zhangjiagang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.