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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Xining versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,135 in Xining versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Xining versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Xining is 48% below, Ubud, Bali is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.02

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

-15.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.39 ¥143

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

-44.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 ¥33.03

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

-10.69%

Cappuccino

$3.05 ¥20.46

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

15.53%

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

$0.47 ¥3.16

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

-71.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

-62.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.82

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

-66.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥13.91

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

-51.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.18

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥10.34

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

-30.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.30

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

-16.81%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.24

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

-26.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 ¥85.3

$17.39 Rp 306.7K

-26.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥20.88

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

-19.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.06 ¥67.4

$12.55 Rp 221.3K

-19.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ¥12.58

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

-48.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

-19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.04

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

-36.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.62

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

-44.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.00

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

-60.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.39

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

-59.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.78

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

-45.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.72

$0.55 Rp 9,780

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ¥21.21

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

40.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 ¥70.9

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

-55.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.31

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

-65.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.75

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

-42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.27 Rp 4,802

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.04 ¥114

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

96.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.10

$0.48 Rp 8,489

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.17

$0.45 Rp 7,864

-28.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 ¥43.67

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

13.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.59

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

48.68%

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

$19.6K ¥131.7K

$24.5K Rp 431.7M

-19.74%

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

$17.1K ¥114.8K

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

-46.65%

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

$44.37 ¥297

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

-46.89%

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

$9.63 ¥64.6

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

49.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.60 ¥77.7

$18.99 Rp 334.9K

-38.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.28 ¥283

$56.0 Rp 986.9K

-24.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ¥91.9

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

-26.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥39.21

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

36.68%

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

$330 ¥2,209

$487 Rp 8.6M

-32.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ¥114.2K

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

191.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.21 ¥290

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

-5.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.92 ¥207

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

-15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 ¥490

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

-10.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.7 ¥474

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

-12.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥1,882

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

-74.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,271

$701 Rp 12.4M

-72.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,947

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

-83.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥2,399

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

-79.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,071 ¥20.6K

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

8.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,024 ¥13.6K

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

-11.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

13.78

-71.77%

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

Last update for Xining: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Xining and $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Xining vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $293 per month, with Xining 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

Xining vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xining wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xining the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,068 in Xining and $2,095 in Ubud, Bali 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: $281 in Xining versus $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $330 in Xining versus $487 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $712 in Xining versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Xining but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Xining the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Xining delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $712 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xining hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Xining 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 Xining gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.