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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $689 in Zhongshan versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,093 in Zhongshan versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,497 in Zhongshan versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Zhongshan costs roughly 51% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zhongshan is 50% below, Ubud, Bali is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ¥19.73

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

-12.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.60 ¥158

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

-38.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 ¥30.50

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

-17.57%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥19.79

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

11.74%

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

$0.44 ¥2.92

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

-73.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

-62.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.15

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

-70.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥12.17

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

-57.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥10.52

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.37

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

-23.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.69

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

-38.05%

Eggs

$1.19 ¥7.97

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

-43.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.28 ¥149

$17.39 Rp 306.6K

28.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ¥18.73

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

-27.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 ¥90.1

$12.55 Rp 221.2K

7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ¥13.86

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

-42.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.07

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

-32.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

-70.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.40

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

-32.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

-70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.76

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

-69.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ¥2.83

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

-59.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.56

$0.55 Rp 9,779

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ¥19.34

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

28.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.59 ¥84.4

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

-47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ¥4.59

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

-70.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥12.34

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

-34.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.27 Rp 4,802

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.59 ¥97.8

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

68.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ¥10.12

$0.48 Rp 8,489

214.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.73

$0.45 Rp 7,863

-8.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.17 ¥48.03

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

25.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥8.03

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

57.89%

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

$19.7K ¥131.9K

$24.5K Rp 431.6M

-19.58%

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

$18.0K ¥120.7K

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

-43.93%

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

$40.98 ¥275

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

-50.95%

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

$9.96 ¥66.7

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

54.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.77 ¥85.6

$18.99 Rp 334.8K

-32.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 ¥448

$56.0 Rp 986.8K

19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.29 ¥48.86

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

-60.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 ¥40.58

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

41.59%

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

$314 ¥2,106

$487 Rp 8.6M

-35.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥90.6K

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

130.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.55 ¥319

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

4.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ¥267

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

9.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 ¥396

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

-27.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 ¥500

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

-7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 ¥1,397

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

-81.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ¥839

$701 Rp 12.4M

-82.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥2,525

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

-89.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 ¥1,403

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

-88.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,486 ¥16.7K

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

-12.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,495 ¥10.0K

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

-34.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 ¥6,463

$170 Rp 3.0M

468.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

13.78

-75.33%

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

Last update for Zhongshan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Zhongshan and $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 468% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Zhongshan vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $293 per month, with Zhongshan 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

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

Zhongshan wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhongshan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 468% higher in Zhongshan, 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: $209 in Zhongshan versus $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Zhongshan 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 27% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $689 in Zhongshan versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhongshan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $689 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhongshan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.