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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $706 in Zibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,100 in Zibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,493 in Zibo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 97% more expensive than Zibo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Zibo is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$4.25 ¥28.70

-20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$16.98 ¥115

90.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$5.47 ¥36.92

-8.59%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$3.27 ¥22.11

-13.76%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.46 ¥3.12

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.29 ¥1.97

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$0.80 ¥5.44

272.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$1.97 ¥13.33

101.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$1.71 ¥11.53

4.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$0.73 ¥4.95

236.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$0.80 ¥5.42

50.00%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$1.22 ¥8.25

95.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$15.28 ¥103

-5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$1.99 ¥13.43

115.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$5.65 ¥38.20

109.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$1.09 ¥7.37

246.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$0.85 ¥5.75

91.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$0.99 ¥6.71

182.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$0.83 ¥5.60

172.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$0.40 ¥2.73

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$0.81 ¥5.50

172.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$0.44 ¥2.97

143.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.58 ¥3.92

31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$3.74 ¥25.29

-16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$13.49 ¥91.1

76.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$0.68 ¥4.61

317.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$1.38 ¥9.30

101.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$0.29 ¥1.97

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$17.02 ¥115

-50.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$1.14 ¥7.68

-60.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.34 ¥2.32

26.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$6.13 ¥41.39

-2.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.01 ¥6.86

-20.79%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$16.4K ¥111.1K

56.99%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$14.0K ¥94.4K

127.68%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$86.8 ¥586

-6.94%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$10.15 ¥68.5

-59.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$5.52 ¥37.26

336.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$42.02 ¥284

132.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$14.00 ¥94.6

-52.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$6.12 ¥41.35

-33.99%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$166 ¥1,121

79.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$18.6K ¥125.6K

-64.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$27.57 ¥186

100.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$24.82 ¥168

55.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$70.1 ¥473

22.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$68.8 ¥465

13.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$280 ¥1,894

251.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$184 ¥1,245

260.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$582 ¥3,931

492.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$356 ¥2,403

474.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$3,106 ¥21.0K

-8.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$1,564 ¥10.6K

45.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$741 ¥5,008

-77.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.62

187.45%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Zibo: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $280 in Zibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zibo pays 338% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $17.00 in Zibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $169 per month, with Zibo 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 Zibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zibo wins on cost – living expenses run 97% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zibo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Zibo earns 338% 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $280 in Zibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $166 in Zibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $706 in Zibo versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zibo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zibo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $706 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zibo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zibo 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 Zibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.