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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $724 in Zhoukou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,153 in Zhoukou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,583 in Zhoukou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 92% more expensive than in Zhoukou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Zhoukou is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.3K

$3.69 ¥24.87

-3.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 581.4K

$20.99 ¥142

53.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.1K

$4.70 ¥31.73

6.60%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.8K

$3.09 ¥20.85

-8.74%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.3K

$0.47 ¥3.17

187.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.34 ¥2.27

114.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 52.8K

$1.01 ¥6.79

190.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 70.8K

$2.03 ¥13.70

94.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.0K

$1.78 ¥12.00

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

$1.54 ¥10.41

59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.96 ¥6.50

19.79%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$1.58 ¥10.65

52.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 257.8K

$12.77 ¥86.1

12.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.3K

$3.19 ¥21.53

31.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 216.9K

$10.19 ¥68.7

18.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.4K

$1.71 ¥11.54

112.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

$1.25 ¥8.40

25.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.1K

$1.43 ¥9.62

95.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.13 ¥7.63

98.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.6K

$0.69 ¥4.65

186.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

$0.92 ¥6.20

147.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.59 ¥4.00

77.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.51 ¥3.46

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.4K

$3.06 ¥20.64

4.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 422.6K

$11.60 ¥78.3

102.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.1K

$0.79 ¥5.32

267.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

$1.66 ¥11.22

66.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,796

$0.27 ¥1.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 150.5K

$16.65 ¥112

-49.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,138

$1.37 ¥9.23

-67.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,269

$0.33 ¥2.22

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.2K

$6.78 ¥45.70

-10.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.13 ¥7.64

-23.89%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.3M

$19.6K ¥132.1K

35.77%

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

$32.5K Rp 585.6M

$17.0K ¥114.7K

91.42%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$46.37 ¥313

70.41%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.6K

$9.53 ¥64.3

-57.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 429.0K

$11.74 ¥79.2

103.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$41.03 ¥277

140.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.3K

$14.16 ¥95.5

-55.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.1K

$6.37 ¥42.95

-37.05%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$337 ¥2,272

-11.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 118.8M

$17.2K ¥116.2K

-61.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 961.1K

$42.69 ¥288

25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 685.7K

$29.97 ¥202

27.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$71.9 ¥485

23.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$74.2 ¥500

3.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.3M

$282 ¥1,901

261.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.2M

$187 ¥1,260

264.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.4M

$583 ¥3,931

495.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.6M

$353 ¥2,384

491.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.1M

$3,085 ¥20.8K

-11.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.3M

$2,208 ¥14.9K

3.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 2.9M

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Zhoukou: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $282 in Zhoukou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Zhoukou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $199 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 92% 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 $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $1,086 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $282 in Zhoukou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $337 in Zhoukou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $724 in Zhoukou versus $1,392 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 $724 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 92% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.