Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,131 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

55

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaohsiung and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kaohsiung and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,131 in Kaohsiung versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Kaohsiung $1,131
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,838 in Kaohsiung versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Kaohsiung $1,838
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,544 in Kaohsiung versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Kaohsiung $2,544
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 17% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 16% below, Ubud, Bali is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 NT$183

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

69.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.36 NT$1,017

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-10.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 NT$151

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

-19.83%

Cappuccino

$2.78 NT$90.1

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

1.83%

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

$1.08 NT$34.99

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-34.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.40

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 NT$49.14

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-43.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 NT$80.7

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-42.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$100

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

106.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NT$70.7

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-5.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 NT$95.3

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

149.15%

Eggs

$2.68 NT$86.9

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.81 NT$513

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-9.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 NT$263

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

101.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 NT$504

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

27.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.60 NT$214

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

85.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 NT$88.5

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

73.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 NT$82.2

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

13.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$102

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

62.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 NT$90.2

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

47.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 NT$64.9

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-12.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 NT$78.7

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

145.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 NT$33.12

$0.53 Rp 9,475

92.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 NT$144

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

95.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 NT$504

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 NT$51.0

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-32.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NT$71.5

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

-24.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 NT$23.13

$0.24 Rp 4,315

195.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 NT$410

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

43.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$87.6

$0.48 Rp 8,684

462.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.34

$0.46 Rp 8,233

63.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 NT$178

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

0.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.97

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

19.32%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

36.93%

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

$23.6K NT$765.3K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-24.33%

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

$85.5 NT$2,773

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

3.00%

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

$17.29 NT$561

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

168.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 NT$856

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

42.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.61 NT$1,317

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-27.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.33 NT$335

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-42.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 NT$361

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

154.11%

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

$473 NT$15.3K

$493 Rp 8.9M

-4.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K NT$456.9K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

144.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 NT$3,013

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

101.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.16 NT$1,011

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

-11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 NT$2,855

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

11.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NT$3,310

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

30.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.2K

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-61.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 NT$9,746

$676 Rp 12.2M

-55.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 NT$32.6K

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-71.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$22.1K

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-59.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,523 NT$146.7K

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

62.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,193 NT$103.5K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

42.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,471 NT$47.7K

$165 Rp 3.0M

793.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

13.78

-81.42%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kaohsiung

$363 32.1%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 19.9% $72

Accommodation & Living

Kaohsiung

$301 26.6%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 125% $375

Clothing & Footwear

Kaohsiung

$141 12.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 23.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaohsiung

$129 11.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 16.4% $21

Eating Out

Kaohsiung

$112 9.9%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 2.8% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kaohsiung

$63 5.6%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 2.7% $1.7

Getting Around

Kaohsiung

$22 1.9%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 42.9% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Kaohsiung and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 794% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kaohsiung vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $290, with Ubud, Bali cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

Same time as Kaohsiung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,777,873

74,800

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kaohsiung Ubud, Bali 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Kaohsiung
Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Kaohsiung and Ubud, Bali differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,131 vs $1,368 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 794% higher in Kaohsiung, 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 Kaohsiung versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $473 in Kaohsiung versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,131 in Kaohsiung versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.