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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Tainan versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Tainan versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 24% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tainan is 20% below, Ubud, Bali is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 NT$193

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

71.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.69 NT$841

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

-18.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 NT$161

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

3.23%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NT$110

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

29.15%

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

$1.12 NT$35.27

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

-16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.77

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 NT$104

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NT$105

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

-15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.3

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

74.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$60.4

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NT$95.0

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

160.34%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$89.7

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.81 NT$624

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

34.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 NT$315

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

131.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.31 NT$640

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

67.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 NT$137

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

12.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.8

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

80.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

1.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 NT$135

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

83.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

50.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.5

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

0.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$52.8

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

66.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NT$33.30

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

35.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 NT$131

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

25.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 NT$439

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

-41.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NT$54.8

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

-37.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.7

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

-16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$19.56

$0.27 Rp 4,819

129.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.71 NT$684

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

170.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 NT$89.0

$0.46 Rp 8,181

515.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.63

$0.45 Rp 8,068

73.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$326

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

69.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.08

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

29.11%

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

$37.7K NT$1.2M

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

44.17%

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

$26.5K NT$836.1K

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

-17.37%

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

$86.7 NT$2,732

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

8.46%

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

$18.57 NT$585

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

357.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 NT$724

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

-2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 NT$1,254

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-59.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.42 NT$486

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

132.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NT$376

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

187.47%

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

$269 NT$8,479

$304 Rp 5.4M

-11.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,829 NT$215.1K

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

3.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,874

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.34 NT$956

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

-20.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 NT$2,905

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NT$3,848

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

56.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 NT$10.3K

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

-67.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 NT$6,157

$675 Rp 12.1M

-71.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 NT$21.5K

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

-80.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 NT$22.4K

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

-65.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 NT$100.3K

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

12.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,153 NT$99.3K

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

39.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,368 NT$43.1K

$165 Rp 3.0M

727.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.83

13.28

-86.22%

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

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $328 in Tainan and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 728% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Tainan vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $302, with Ubud, Bali cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Tainan and Ubud, Bali differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,074 vs $1,419 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Tainan pays 728% 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: $328 in Tainan versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tainan – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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, Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.