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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $970 in Formosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,579 in Formosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,188 in Formosa.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 46% more expensive than Formosa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Formosa is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$10.47 ARS 14.9K

-66.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$33.99 ARS 48.5K

-3.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$9.26 ARS 13.2K

-46.54%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.76 ARS 3,941

-1.81%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$1.70 ARS 2,421

-21.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$1.55 ARS 2,212

-54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$2.12 ARS 3,030

37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.91 ARS 4,153

36.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.26 ARS 1,796

43.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.63 ARS 2,326

54.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.98 ARS 2,820

-41.41%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.28 ARS 3,257

7.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$10.03 ARS 14.3K

46.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$6.25 ARS 8,913

-30.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$9.26 ARS 13.2K

31.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.01 ARS 2,861

91.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$2.06 ARS 2,936

-24.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.26 ARS 1,803

124.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$2.62 ARS 3,732

-11.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.17 ARS 1,676

63.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.25 ARS 1,780

76.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$1.26 ARS 1,797

-19.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$1.45 ARS 2,068

-46.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$3.05 ARS 4,357

8.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$4.34 ARS 6,196

447.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.97 ARS 2,812

41.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$3.17 ARS 4,521

-9.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.79 ARS 1,121

-65.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.49 ARS 2,122

-69.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.87 ARS 1,236

-48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$6.07 ARS 8,652

0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.05 ARS 1,504

-24.76%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$27.7K ARS 39.5M

-5.60%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$30.4K ARS 43.4M

5.55%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$67.3 ARS 95.9K

18.85%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$16.95 ARS 24.2K

-76.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$22.34 ARS 31.9K

5.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$25.70 ARS 36.7K

284.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$13.57 ARS 19.4K

-51.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$6.32 ARS 9,009

-34.34%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$222 ARS 316.4K

37.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$2,750 ARS 3.9M

140.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$72.7 ARS 103.8K

-23.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$68.3 ARS 97.4K

-43.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$116 ARS 165.8K

-23.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$110 ARS 157.1K

-29.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$340 ARS 484.7K

196.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$236 ARS 336.9K

185.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$677 ARS 966.1K

408.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$543 ARS 775.1K

275.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$2,317 ARS 3.3M

22.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

58.5

-77.30%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Formosa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $340 in Formosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Formosa. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $229, 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,455 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $340 in Formosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $222 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 $34.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $970 in Formosa versus $1,419 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 46% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.