Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taos, NM and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $2,740 in Taos, NM, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Taos, NM
🇺🇸 United States
$2,740
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taos, NM 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 Taos, NM and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,740 in Taos, NM versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Taos, NM $2,740
  • Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,135 in Taos, NM versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Taos, NM $4,135
  • Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,529 in Taos, NM versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Taos, NM $5,529
  • Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Taos, NM is roughly 103% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taos, NM 102% above, Ubud, Bali 0% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Taos, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.77 $16.77
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
419.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 $68.1
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
95.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 $9.53
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
67.19%
Cappuccino
$4.04 $4.04
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
54.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
29.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
180.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.87 $4.87
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
83.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.65 $5.65
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
29.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taos, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 $0.89
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
-43.31%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 $3.05
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
39.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
270.34%
Eggs
$3.92 $3.92
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
81.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.65 $11.65
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
-33.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.37 $9.37
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
147.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.11 $11.11
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
-7.03%
Apples (1kg)
$4.65 $4.65
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
29.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
-7.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.29 $4.29
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
85.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.19 $5.19
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
171.73%
Potato (1kg)
$3.12 $3.12
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
75.28%
Onion (1kg)
$3.36 $3.36
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
44.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
106.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 $2.56
$0.53 Rp 9,509
383.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.77 $10.77
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
370.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.21 $14.21
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
-35.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
7.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 $3.17
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
6.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Taos, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.23 Rp 4,112
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.68 $3.68
$0.47 Rp 8,466
682.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.03 $2.03
$0.43 Rp 7,737
372.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.52 $32.52
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
494.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
12.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K $29.9K
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
25.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
-21.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taos, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$159 $159
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
98.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.9 $63.9
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
874.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.0 $63.0
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
238.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taos, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$95.5 $95.5
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
76.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.10 $9.10
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
114.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taos, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,471 $1,471
$493 Rp 8.9M
198.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.1K $25.1K
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
347.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taos, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.2 $55.2
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
21.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.99 $43.99
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
25.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 $103
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
32.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 $117
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
49.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taos, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,775 $1,775
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
56.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,553 $1,553
$673 Rp 12.1M
130.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,580 $3,580
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
-0.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,903 $2,903
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
70.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,784 $3,784
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
39.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,780 $3,780
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
68.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taos, NM
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,698 $2,698
$166 Rp 3.0M
1521.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.3
13.78
-54.28%

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

Last update for Taos, NM: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Taos, NM
$1.6K
Ubud, Bali
$673 56.7% $880
Groceries & Markets
Taos, NM
$365
Ubud, Bali
$287 21.4% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taos, NM
$286
Ubud, Bali
$105 63.2% $181
Eating Out
Taos, NM
$265
Ubud, Bali
$106 59.8% $158
Clothing & Footwear
Taos, NM
$144
Ubud, Bali
$107 25.9% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Taos, NM
$114
Ubud, Bali
$63 44.9% $51
Getting Around
Taos, NM
$14 *
Ubud, Bali
$12 10.3% $1.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Taos, NM and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taos, NM pays 1521% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Taos, NM vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $287 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Taos, NM
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
04:53 4:53 AM
18:53 6:53 PM
14 h ahead of Taos, NM
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,000
74,800
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Taos, NM Ubud, Bali 14,860 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Taos, NM
  • 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
Taos, NM vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Taos, NM or Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Taos, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Taos, NM or in Ubud, Bali?
Average pay runs 1521% higher in Taos, NM, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Taos, NM compared to Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Taos, NM versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Taos, NM or in Ubud, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Taos, NM. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Taos, NM compared to Ubud, Bali?
All in, you'll spend $2,740 per month in Taos, NM versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Taos, NM or in Ubud, Bali?
At $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,740 in Taos, NM, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Taos, NM. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Taos, NM or Ubud, Bali?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,353 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.
How safe is Taos, NM compared to Ubud, Bali?
Safety-wise, Taos, NM 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Taos, NM. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Taos, NM vs other spots: cost of living compared

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