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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $715 in Zhoukou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,128 in Zhoukou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,542 in Zhoukou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 101% more expensive than Zhoukou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Zhoukou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$3.58 ¥24.54

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$20.78 ¥142

56.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$4.68 ¥32.09

8.33%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$3.07 ¥21.04

-7.82%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.43 ¥2.97

211.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.34 ¥2.30

102.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$0.94 ¥6.43

218.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.04 ¥13.96

88.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.83 ¥12.56

-4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.53 ¥10.45

66.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.91 ¥6.20

30.77%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.58 ¥10.85

53.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$12.95 ¥88.7

13.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.07 ¥21.06

36.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$10.13 ¥69.4

17.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.72 ¥11.76

114.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.26 ¥8.66

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.35 ¥9.27

99.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.09 ¥7.47

113.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.73 ¥5.03

161.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.98 ¥6.73

123.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.56 ¥3.85

89.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.56 ¥3.81

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$3.09 ¥21.13

1.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$10.21 ¥69.9

130.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$0.80 ¥5.48

242.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.58 ¥10.79

82.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.27 ¥1.85

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$16.69 ¥114

-51.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.43 ¥9.77

-68.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.32 ¥2.22

31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$6.75 ¥46.26

-8.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.18 ¥8.09

-28.81%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$19.1K ¥130.7K

37.52%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$16.5K ¥112.8K

97.31%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$46.29 ¥317

69.41%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$9.94 ¥68.1

-60.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$11.59 ¥79.4

110.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$41.44 ¥284

132.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$13.98 ¥95.8

-54.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$6.38 ¥43.70

-36.68%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$330 ¥2,262

-8.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$17.1K ¥117.3K

-61.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$42.59 ¥292

26.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$30.51 ¥209

24.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$72.8 ¥498

19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$75.1 ¥515

4.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$276 ¥1,887

267.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$188 ¥1,291

257.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$601 ¥4,116

464.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$366 ¥2,504

473.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$2,749 ¥18.8K

8.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,956 ¥13.4K

19.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.87

243.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Zhoukou: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $276 in Zhoukou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Zhoukou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $196 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 101% 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 $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $1,072 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $276 in Zhoukou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $330 in Zhoukou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $715 in Zhoukou versus $1,438 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 $715 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 101% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.