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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,899 in Kaohsiung versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,650 in Kaohsiung versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 14% below, Ubud, Bali is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 NT$130

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

15.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.83 NT$1,068

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

3.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 NT$172

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

7.10%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.5

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

5.65%

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

$0.97 NT$30.72

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

-27.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.88

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 NT$53.0

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

-43.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

-27.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.43 NT$108

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

97.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.1

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

-21.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

119.33%

Eggs

$3.30 NT$104

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

35.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$509

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

10.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NT$298

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

126.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 NT$554

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

47.07%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 NT$196

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

68.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$81.7

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.2

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

6.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 NT$126

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

71.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$91.9

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

52.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NT$70.3

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$61.4

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

83.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.64

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

65.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 NT$143

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

44.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 NT$493

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

-33.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.6

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

-39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$80.8

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.94

$0.29 Rp 5,010

182.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.95 NT$851

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

229.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.8

$0.45 Rp 7,834

546.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.09

$0.42 Rp 7,278

88.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 NT$193

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

-0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.46

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

22.62%

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

$34.9K NT$1.1M

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

32.94%

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

$25.6K NT$809.5K

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

-21.06%

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

$102 NT$3,231

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

30.49%

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

$25.62 NT$809

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

548.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 NT$792

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 NT$1,252

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-58.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 NT$351

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

75.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NT$315

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

147.03%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$303 Rp 5.2M

42.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$361.7K

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

75.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NT$3,075

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

80.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.83 NT$1,131

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

-5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 NT$2,781

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

1.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,268

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

31.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 NT$13.9K

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

-56.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 NT$8,821

$674 Rp 11.6M

-58.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 NT$30.3K

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

-71.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 NT$21.7K

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

-67.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 NT$146.2K

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

55.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 NT$102.5K

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

38.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 NT$48.4K

$173 Rp 3.0M

785.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

13.28

-82.68%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Kaohsiung and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 785% 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 Kaohsiung vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $298 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

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

Kaohsiung and Ubud, Bali differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,438 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 785% more on average, 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: $442 in Kaohsiung versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $303 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 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,438 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 25% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.