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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $723 in Zhengzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,133 in Zhengzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,543 in Zhengzhou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 93% more expensive than in Zhengzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Zhengzhou is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

$2.07 ¥13.97

72.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

$16.54 ¥112

95.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

$4.22 ¥28.50

18.72%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

$2.54 ¥17.18

11.02%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.42 ¥2.84

221.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.24 ¥1.61

204.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$0.82 ¥5.55

257.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

$1.65 ¥11.12

138.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$1.52 ¥10.27

17.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

$1.49 ¥10.05

64.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

$0.89 ¥5.98

29.21%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$0.98 ¥6.59

145.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

$13.98 ¥94.4

2.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

$2.20 ¥14.83

90.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

$11.54 ¥78.0

4.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

$1.09 ¥7.33

233.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.03 ¥6.96

52.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

$0.82 ¥5.51

240.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.10 ¥7.45

103.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

$0.55 ¥3.73

260.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$0.57 ¥3.85

300.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$0.45 ¥3.01

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.64 ¥4.33

23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

$3.00 ¥20.29

6.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

$15.03 ¥102

56.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

$0.72 ¥4.88

302.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

$1.82 ¥12.33

51.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

$0.15 ¥1.00

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

$13.47 ¥91.0

-37.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,180

$1.38 ¥9.32

-67.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,311

$0.26 ¥1.75

76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

$3.42 ¥23.11

77.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.15 ¥7.77

-25.22%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

$19.1K ¥128.7K

39.50%

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

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

$16.9K ¥114.2K

92.58%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$71.5 ¥483

10.52%

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

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

$8.85 ¥59.8

-53.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

$10.04 ¥67.8

137.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$92.7 ¥626

6.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

$9.25 ¥62.5

-31.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

$5.10 ¥34.47

-21.37%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$258 ¥1,743

15.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

$19.5K ¥131.5K

-66.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

$46.48 ¥314

14.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

$33.49 ¥226

13.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$77.5 ¥523

14.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$66.9 ¥452

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$198 ¥1,338

414.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$139 ¥942

387.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

$448 ¥3,025

674.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

$300 ¥2,029

595.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$3,016 ¥20.4K

-9.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

$1,553 ¥10.5K

47.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$890 ¥6,010

-81.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.86

173.25%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Zhengzhou: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $198 in Zhengzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhengzhou pays 444% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $17.00 in Zhengzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $195 per month, with Zhengzhou 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 Zhengzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhengzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhengzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 444% lower in Zhengzhou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $198 in Zhengzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $258 in Zhengzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Zhengzhou versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhengzhou but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zhengzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhengzhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $723 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhengzhou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zhengzhou 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 Zhengzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.