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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $638 in Zhongshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,007 in Zhongshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,376 in Zhongshan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 123% more expensive than Zhongshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Zhongshan is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$2.76 ¥18.66

28.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$16.90 ¥114

93.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

$4.09 ¥27.71

21.03%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$2.73 ¥18.48

-0.73%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.41 ¥2.77

226.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.27 ¥1.82

159.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$0.72 ¥4.91

305.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$1.72 ¥11.64

130.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.82 ¥12.32

-0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$1.78 ¥12.06

41.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$0.90 ¥6.12

28.89%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$1.56 ¥10.60

57.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$12.82 ¥86.8

14.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$2.71 ¥18.32

59.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$12.55 ¥85.0

-3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$1.87 ¥12.66

105.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$0.93 ¥6.30

67.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$0.62 ¥4.18

356.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.34 ¥9.06

73.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$0.53 ¥3.59

260.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$0.71 ¥4.83

209.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.40 ¥2.68

152.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.51 ¥3.45

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$2.71 ¥18.34

22.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

$13.12 ¥88.9

80.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.60 ¥4.09

365.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$1.83 ¥12.36

56.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.29 ¥1.98

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$13.73 ¥93.0

-41.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,230

$1.26 ¥8.54

-63.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,116

$0.38 ¥2.55

18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$6.74 ¥45.65

-9.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.17 ¥7.90

-32.48%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$22.7K ¥153.7K

15.27%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

$20.4K ¥138.4K

57.23%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$38.52 ¥261

107.53%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$8.47 ¥57.4

-52.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

$11.90 ¥80.6

97.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$63.5 ¥430

55.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$7.12 ¥48.22

-6.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$5.41 ¥36.65

-23.29%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$296 ¥2,005

2.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$12.7K ¥86.1K

-47.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$44.75 ¥303

24.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$31.02 ¥210

23.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$55.1 ¥373

60.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$70.1 ¥475

11.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

$197 ¥1,332

411.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$117 ¥793

476.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$343 ¥2,320

904.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$196 ¥1,327

940.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$2,454 ¥16.6K

15.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$1,479 ¥10.0K

53.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$964 ¥6,527

-82.85%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $197 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 483% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $17.00 in Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $203 per month, with Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongshan wins on cost – living expenses run 123% 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, Zhongshan earns 483% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $197 in Zhongshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $296 in Zhongshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $638 in Zhongshan versus $1,419 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 $638 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 123% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.