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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $695 in Zhengzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,098 in Zhengzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,501 in Zhengzhou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 98% more expensive than in Zhengzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Zhengzhou is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$2.21 ¥14.78

50.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$16.07 ¥108

122.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$4.42 ¥29.62

27.38%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.50 ¥16.78

12.80%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.53 ¥3.56

230.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.26 ¥1.74

207.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$0.93 ¥6.21

226.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$1.65 ¥11.07

160.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.72 ¥11.54

-6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.68 ¥11.23

35.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$0.86 ¥5.76

36.05%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$0.89 ¥5.98

143.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$8.49 ¥56.8

107.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$3.28 ¥21.99

23.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$10.59 ¥70.9

15.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$1.47 ¥9.81

146.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$0.99 ¥6.65

65.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.09 ¥7.31

111.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.23 ¥8.21

59.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.65 ¥4.36

183.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$0.68 ¥4.58

248.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.67 ¥4.51

56.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.76 ¥5.10

-28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.34 ¥22.34

-31.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$15.08 ¥101

53.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.94 ¥6.29

148.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.01 ¥13.45

52.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.14 ¥0.93

78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$14.51 ¥97.2

-35.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$1.52 ¥10.15

-67.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.29 ¥1.92

62.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$3.60 ¥24.08

55.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.24 ¥8.33

-34.68%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$19.3K ¥129.6K

29.29%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$17.1K ¥114.4K

81.82%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$69.0 ¥462

19.95%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$7.22 ¥48.36

-10.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$10.53 ¥70.5

78.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$41.78 ¥280

32.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$13.44 ¥90.0

35.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$6.08 ¥40.71

-29.28%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$307 ¥2,054

61.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$22.8K ¥152.7K

-74.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$53.2 ¥356

-12.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$31.48 ¥211

15.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$72.2 ¥484

11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$71.9 ¥481

9.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$208 ¥1,395

434.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$164 ¥1,096

323.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$567 ¥3,798

541.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$361 ¥2,417

374.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$2,976 ¥19.9K

-7.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$1,540 ¥10.3K

48.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$903 ¥6,048

-81.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.29

318.84%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Zhengzhou: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $208 in Zhengzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhengzhou pays 440% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $16.00 in Zhengzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $192 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 98% 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 440% 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $208 in Zhengzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $307 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 $695 in Zhengzhou versus $1,378 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 $695 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 98% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.