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: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $750 in Zhangjiagang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,239 in Zhangjiagang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,729 in Zhangjiagang.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Zhangjiagang is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$3.57 ¥24.37

-2.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

$26.64 ¥182

23.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

$4.81 ¥32.84

5.82%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$3.36 ¥22.94

-18.15%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$0.52 ¥3.57

165.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.29 ¥1.99

144.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

$1.08 ¥7.38

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

$1.63 ¥11.13

137.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$2.03 ¥13.88

-11.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

$1.93 ¥13.18

26.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$1.00 ¥6.85

21.00%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$1.79 ¥12.19

33.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

$17.19 ¥117

-14.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$2.60 ¥17.75

63.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

$9.39 ¥64.2

28.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

$1.99 ¥13.56

83.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

$1.75 ¥11.93

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$1.58 ¥10.78

72.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

$1.26 ¥8.59

80.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$0.76 ¥5.20

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$0.92 ¥6.28

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$0.67 ¥4.61

52.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

$0.53 ¥3.63

47.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

$4.07 ¥27.77

-20.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

$13.40 ¥91.5

79.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$0.70 ¥4.81

305.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$1.64 ¥11.21

70.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,610

$0.29 ¥2.00

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

$16.72 ¥114

-50.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,708

$1.76 ¥12.03

-74.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,305

$0.26 ¥1.77

65.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

$6.10 ¥41.63

-1.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$1.17 ¥8.01

-26.50%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

$19.1K ¥130.7K

36.17%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

$16.8K ¥114.7K

88.68%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$43.69 ¥298

79.31%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$11.60 ¥79.2

-65.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

$11.33 ¥77.4

114.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$41.07 ¥281

133.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

$13.85 ¥94.6

-53.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$6.14 ¥41.90

-34.69%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$442 ¥3,019

-31.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

$17.2K ¥117.3K

-61.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

$58.0 ¥396

-7.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

$34.83 ¥238

10.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$72.4 ¥495

23.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$93.3 ¥638

-15.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$275 ¥1,879

269.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$191 ¥1,305

251.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

$590 ¥4,027

471.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

$361 ¥2,466

483.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

$3,613 ¥24.7K

-16.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

$1,791 ¥12.2K

30.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiagang: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $275 in Zhangjiagang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $27 in Zhangjiagang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $223 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 $2,092 in Ubud, Bali and $1,124 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $275 in Zhangjiagang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Ubud, Bali versus $442 in Zhangjiagang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $750 in Zhangjiagang versus $1,395 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 $750 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.