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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $746 in Zhoukou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,182 in Zhoukou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,618 in Zhoukou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 83% more expensive than in Zhoukou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Zhoukou is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.6K

$3.92 ¥26.26

-12.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 640.2K

$22.66 ¥152

60.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 100.6K

$4.95 ¥33.16

15.35%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.1K

$3.31 ¥22.17

-19.34%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.9K

$0.49 ¥3.29

257.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.36 ¥2.40

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.1K

$1.06 ¥7.07

178.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 79.7K

$2.20 ¥14.72

105.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.5K

$1.80 ¥12.04

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.1K

$1.66 ¥11.13

40.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.5K

$1.01 ¥6.79

9.90%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 38.8K

$1.57 ¥10.51

40.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 311.9K

$13.06 ¥87.5

35.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.2K

$3.42 ¥22.93

19.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.7K

$11.33 ¥75.9

7.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.4K

$1.90 ¥12.74

95.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.0K

$1.31 ¥8.79

21.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.2K

$1.60 ¥10.71

42.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.4K

$1.12 ¥7.51

74.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.6K

$0.74 ¥4.93

158.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.1K

$0.95 ¥6.39

145.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.59 ¥3.93

71.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,730

$0.56 ¥3.77

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.4K

$4.26 ¥28.51

-47.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 406.8K

$11.23 ¥75.2

105.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.6K

$0.78 ¥5.24

210.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 52.8K

$1.43 ¥9.56

109.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,793

$0.31 ¥2.09

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 158.4K

$18.13 ¥121

-50.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,529

$1.46 ¥9.76

-67.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,645

$0.32 ¥2.17

34.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.5K

$7.16 ¥47.94

-21.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.22 ¥8.20

-34.43%

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

$24.9K Rp 439.8M

$20.8K ¥139.3K

19.92%

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

$31.7K Rp 559.1M

$16.4K ¥110.0K

93.15%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$56.3 ¥377

44.79%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.5K

$9.77 ¥65.5

-33.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 330.9K

$11.02 ¥73.8

70.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$44.06 ¥295

29.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 330.2K

$13.57 ¥90.9

38.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.0K

$5.88 ¥39.39

-22.79%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$413 ¥2,765

16.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 100.7M

$14.5K ¥97.0K

-60.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 802.5K

$42.45 ¥284

7.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 632.6K

$29.74 ¥199

20.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$75.9 ¥508

5.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$64.5 ¥432

21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.6M

$293 ¥1,965

279.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.3M

$182 ¥1,221

282.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.1M

$562 ¥3,767

546.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.6M

$376 ¥2,517

362.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.1M

$3,415 ¥22.9K

-18.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.4M

$1,939 ¥13.0K

18.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.38

307.69%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Zhoukou: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $293 in Zhoukou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Zhoukou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $207 per month, with Zhoukou 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 Zhoukou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhoukou wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhoukou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,052 in Ubud, Bali and $1,119 in Zhoukou 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $293 in Zhoukou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $413 in Zhoukou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Zhoukou versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhoukou but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zhoukou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhoukou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $746 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhoukou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zhoukou 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 Zhoukou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.