Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,120 in Hua-lien versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Hua-lien versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,597 in Hua-lien versus $3,763 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Hua-lien costs roughly 20% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hua-lien is 16% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 NT$134

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

20.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.92 NT$1,096

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

4.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 NT$151

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

-3.31%

Cappuccino

$3.55 NT$115

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

29.09%

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

$0.97 NT$31.42

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

-29.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 NT$20.71

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

-14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 NT$41.33

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

-57.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 NT$63.6

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

-48.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$105

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

87.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 NT$59.1

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

-25.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 NT$146

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

287.18%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$82.0

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 NT$454

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

-3.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 NT$153

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

8.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 NT$510

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

31.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 NT$144

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

19.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NT$78.8

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

49.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 NT$139

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

56.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 NT$127

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 NT$148

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

139.06%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 NT$135

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

82.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 NT$84.9

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

148.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$42.82

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

84.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 NT$159

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

49.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 NT$457

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

-38.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$72.8

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

-19.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NT$93.2

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$27.01

$0.27 Rp 4,778

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 NT$1,270

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

384.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 NT$111

$0.48 Rp 8,659

612.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.64

$0.42 Rp 7,532

88.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.61 NT$407

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

102.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.35

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

30.86%

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

$42.3K NT$1.4M

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

58.91%

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

$28.7K NT$927.3K

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

-10.84%

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

$76.1 NT$2,458

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-2.92%

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

$33.70 NT$1,089

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

728.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.26 NT$816

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.01 NT$1,196

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-62.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.46 NT$500

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

143.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 NT$293

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

127.07%

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

$787 NT$25.4K

$305 Rp 5.5M

158.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NT$506.1K

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

135.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 NT$871

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

-50.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.29 NT$1,528

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 NT$2,275

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

-18.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NT$4,089

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

65.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$992 Rp 17.8M

-55.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 NT$9,159

$673 Rp 12.1M

-57.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 NT$33.0K

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

-69.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 NT$23.5K

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-64.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,897 NT$93.6K

$167 Rp 3.0M

1635.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.57

13.28

-88.18%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Hua-lien and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 1635% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Hua-lien vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $297 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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

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

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1635% higher in Hua-lien, 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: $437 in Hua-lien versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,120 in Hua-lien versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hua-lien delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,120 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hua-lien hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.