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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,187 in Formosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,967 in Formosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,747 in Formosa.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 16% more expensive than in Formosa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Formosa is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.4K

$15.52 ARS 23.5K

-78.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 628.0K

$53.1 ARS 80.2K

-32.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 98.7K

$13.19 ARS 20.0K

-57.32%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.5K

$3.74 ARS 5,664

-24.60%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.6K

$2.13 ARS 3,221

-17.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$1.66 ARS 2,508

-51.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.4K

$3.72 ARS 5,619

-18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.3K

$3.75 ARS 5,678

14.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.2K

$1.34 ARS 2,021

20.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.8K

$2.12 ARS 3,213

7.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.5K

$1.58 ARS 2,396

-25.95%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.0K

$2.39 ARS 3,620

-9.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 309.1K

$10.02 ARS 15.2K

75.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.1K

$6.45 ARS 9,763

-37.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 213.6K

$11.74 ARS 17.8K

3.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.4K

$2.35 ARS 3,554

54.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.7K

$2.24 ARS 3,395

-26.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.4K

$1.39 ARS 2,096

66.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.3K

$2.12 ARS 3,202

-7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.3K

$1.05 ARS 1,587

75.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.6K

$0.98 ARS 1,487

141.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.4K

$1.58 ARS 2,384

-33.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,519

$1.73 ARS 2,618

-68.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.4K

$3.27 ARS 4,951

-29.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 404.6K

$5.10 ARS 7,717

352.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.0K

$2.07 ARS 3,125

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 53.8K

$2.82 ARS 4,261

8.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,346

$0.99 ARS 1,494

-74.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,594

$1.57 ARS 2,376

-68.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,314

$1.01 ARS 1,531

-53.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.2K

$7.28 ARS 11.0K

-23.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.1K

$1.15 ARS 1,745

-29.57%

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

$25.0K Rp 438.5M

$27.4K ARS 41.4M

-8.57%

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

$31.1K Rp 544.6M

$33.9K ARS 51.3M

-8.40%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$84.7 ARS 128.1K

-2.33%

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

$6.49 Rp 113.7K

$16.82 ARS 25.4K

-61.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 329.4K

$27.20 ARS 41.1K

-30.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 968.5K

$29.86 ARS 45.2K

85.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 319.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.3K

$8.43 ARS 12.7K

-48.99%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$304 ARS 459.4K

62.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 103.7M

$4,251 ARS 6.4M

39.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 811.4K

$106 ARS 161.1K

-56.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 638.9K

$74.7 ARS 113.0K

-51.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$118 ARS 178.7K

-31.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$126 ARS 190.9K

-37.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.5M

$477 ARS 721.4K

133.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$311 ARS 470.6K

122.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 63.8M

$974 ARS 1.5M

273.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.0M

$770 ARS 1.2M

122.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.4M

$2,412 ARS 3.6M

14.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

56.56

-75.64%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Formosa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $477 in Formosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $53.0 in Formosa. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $248, with Formosa 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

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

Formosa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,067 in Ubud, Bali and $1,780 in Formosa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $477 in Formosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $304 in Formosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Formosa – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,187 in Formosa versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Formosa but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Formosa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Formosa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Formosa 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 Formosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.