Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Zhangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhangzhou: $716 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Zhangzhou
🇨🇳 China
$716
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Zhangzhou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Zhangzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $716 in Zhangzhou.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Zhangzhou $716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,132 in Zhangzhou.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Zhangzhou $1,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,547 in Zhangzhou.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Zhangzhou $1,547

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 89% more expensive than in Zhangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Zhangzhou is 47% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Zhangzhou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$2.74 ¥18.35
17.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$21.73 ¥145
60.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$4.80 ¥32.11
18.75%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$3.05 ¥20.39
-14.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$0.47 ¥3.16
265.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.27 ¥1.78
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$0.90 ¥6.01
194.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$2.06 ¥13.75
112.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Zhangzhou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.81 ¥12.13
-13.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$1.59 ¥10.65
37.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$0.90 ¥6.03
31.11%
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$1.55 ¥10.35
39.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$12.58 ¥84.1
40.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
$3.15 ¥21.08
20.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
$10.14 ¥67.8
17.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$1.86 ¥12.45
93.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$1.25 ¥8.36
27.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
$1.48 ¥9.91
56.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$1.10 ¥7.38
73.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$0.73 ¥4.88
143.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
$0.91 ¥6.11
156.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
$0.55 ¥3.70
81.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
$0.56 ¥3.72
-5.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$3.06 ¥20.49
-25.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$10.62 ¥71.0
107.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$0.73 ¥4.89
221.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
$1.58 ¥10.55
88.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Zhangzhou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,112
$0.29 ¥1.95
-20.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
$16.89 ¥113
-47.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
$1.41 ¥9.43
-66.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
$0.32 ¥2.17
34.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
$6.55 ¥43.79
-16.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.12 ¥7.48
-25.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
$19.1K ¥127.9K
24.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
$17.2K ¥115.3K
90.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Zhangzhou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$45.55 ¥305
75.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
$9.74 ¥65.1
-32.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
$11.81 ¥79.0
57.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Zhangzhou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
$41.19 ¥275
31.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
$13.66 ¥91.4
33.82%
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
$5.94 ¥39.75
-28.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Zhangzhou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$337 ¥2,251
46.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
$16.7K ¥111.4K
-66.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Zhangzhou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
$43.23 ¥289
5.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
$30.11 ¥201
16.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
$71.1 ¥476
9.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$72.8 ¥487
7.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Zhangzhou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
$282 ¥1,886
301.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$196 ¥1,308
243.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
$584 ¥3,902
519.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
$361 ¥2,411
371.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
$2,977 ¥19.9K
-8.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$2,003 ¥13.4K
11.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Zhangzhou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
-
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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Zhangzhou
$196 70.9% $477
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Zhangzhou
$197 31.4% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Zhangzhou
$98 8.2% $8.8
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Zhangzhou
$85 20.6% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Zhangzhou
$67 36.2% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Zhangzhou
$53 15.2% $9.5
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Zhangzhou
$21 69.7% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $282 in Zhangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Zhangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $197 per month, with Zhangzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇳 Zhangzhou
🕒 Local time
10:27 10:27 AM
10:27 10:27 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
4,809,983
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Zhangzhou 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Zhangzhou

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zhangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Zhangzhou?
Zhangzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhangzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Zhangzhou?
You'd need roughly $2,030 in Ubud, Bali and $1,074 in Zhangzhou 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Zhangzhou?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $282 in Zhangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Zhangzhou?
Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $337 in Zhangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Zhangzhou?
Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Zhangzhou?
At $716 in Zhangzhou versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhangzhou but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Zhangzhou?
Both work as nomad bases, but Zhangzhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhangzhou hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Zhangzhou?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zhangzhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Zhangzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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