Cost of Living Comparison Between Xi'an and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Xi'an and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $707 in Xi'an versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,114 in Xi'an versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,522 in Xi'an versus $3,723 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Xi'an costs roughly 49% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 ¥18.93

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

-21.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.00 ¥122

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

-44.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 ¥37.22

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

9.98%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ¥23.61

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

24.11%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

-68.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

-64.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

-61.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.44

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

-57.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥10.50

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-12.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.93

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

-33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.92

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

-23.48%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.35

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

-30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 ¥46.20

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

-52.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.32

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

-52.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.82 ¥59.6

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

-26.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 ¥10.69

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

-56.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.67

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-27.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.65

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

-54.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.47

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

-63.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ¥4.38

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

-67.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

-75.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 ¥3.41

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

-52.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.77

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

-29.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ¥18.33

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

-15.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ¥49.50

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

-68.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥4.95

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

-74.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥11.59

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

-37.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ¥3.42

$0.27 Rp 4,813

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.25 ¥224

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

297.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ¥8.97

$0.45 Rp 8,167

195.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.46 Rp 8,298

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 ¥28.42

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

-30.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥8.02

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

38.37%

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

$20.9K ¥141.0K

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

-21.44%

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

$16.0K ¥108.0K

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

-50.85%

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

$46.13 ¥311

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

-41.62%

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

$5.80 ¥39.15

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

41.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.96 ¥80.7

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

-49.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.30 ¥292

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-56.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 ¥111

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

160.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ¥33.42

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

23.44%

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

$337 ¥2,274

$297 Rp 5.4M

13.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K ¥121.5K

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

172.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 ¥371

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.75 ¥248

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

-3.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ¥472

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-21.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 ¥475

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

-8.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ¥1,692

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

-75.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ¥1,325

$680 Rp 12.3M

-71.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 ¥3,353

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

-85.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥2,558

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

-81.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

-12.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 ¥10.7K

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

-30.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,145

$164 Rp 3.0M

546.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

13.28

-67.47%

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

Last update for Xi'an: July 28, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in Xi'an and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xi'an pays 547% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18.00 in Xi'an vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $156 vs $298 per month, with Xi'an 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

Xi'an vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xi'an 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 Xi'an the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 547% higher in Xi'an, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $251 in Xi'an versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $707 in Xi'an versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xi'an but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Xi'an the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Xi'an delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $707 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xi'an hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Xi'an and Ubud, Bali 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 Xi'an 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.