Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Zhongshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Zhongshan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $695 in Zhongshan.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Zhongshan $695

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,110 in Zhongshan.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Zhongshan $1,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,525 in Zhongshan.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Zhongshan $1,525

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 95% more expensive than in Zhongshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Zhongshan is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$3.01 ¥20.14

7.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$24.23 ¥162

43.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$4.45 ¥29.76

28.09%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$2.83 ¥18.91

-7.42%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.47 ¥3.11

265.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.29 ¥1.91

179.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$0.77 ¥5.13

244.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$1.80 ¥12.05

142.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.53 ¥10.26

2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.64 ¥10.99

33.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.68 ¥4.56

73.53%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.24 ¥8.29

74.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$20.87 ¥140

-15.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$2.80 ¥18.72

35.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$13.54 ¥90.5

-11.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.14 ¥14.34

68.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.08 ¥7.20

47.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$0.68 ¥4.56

239.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.46 ¥9.76

30.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.58 ¥3.89

206.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$0.72 ¥4.84

223.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$0.43 ¥2.86

132.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.53 ¥3.56

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$2.93 ¥19.58

-21.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$11.80 ¥78.9

87.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$0.69 ¥4.62

240.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$1.81 ¥12.12

64.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.29 ¥1.91

-20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$15.11 ¥101

-41.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$1.45 ¥9.68

-67.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.41 ¥2.75

4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$7.01 ¥46.88

-21.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.30 ¥8.70

-36.15%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$19.6K ¥131.2K

21.63%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$18.2K ¥121.6K

80.21%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$40.99 ¥274

95.15%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$10.15 ¥67.9

-35.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$12.59 ¥84.2

47.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$67.0 ¥448

-19.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$7.62 ¥50.9

139.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$5.81 ¥38.88

-26.85%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$317 ¥2,117

55.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$13.4K ¥89.4K

-58.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$48.42 ¥324

-5.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$39.64 ¥265

-11.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$59.9 ¥401

29.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$75.5 ¥505

3.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$210 ¥1,407

437.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$125 ¥834

439.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$376 ¥2,517

859.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$217 ¥1,453

683.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$2,531 ¥16.9K

7.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,509 ¥10.1K

48.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$956 ¥6,391

-82.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.35

311.34%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Zhongshan

$125 17.9% 81.5% $548

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Zhongshan

$226 32.5% 21.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Zhongshan

$101 14.5% 5.6% $6

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Zhongshan

$82 11.8% 23.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Zhongshan

$64 9.2% 39.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Zhongshan

$79 11.3% 25.6% $16

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Zhongshan

$20 2.8% 59% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $210 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 475% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $24.00 in Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $226 per month, with Zhongshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

3,209,600

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Zhongshan 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Zhongshan

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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongshan wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhongshan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 475% lower in Zhongshan. 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: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $210 in Zhongshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $317 in Zhongshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $695 in Zhongshan versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhongshan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $695 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhongshan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.