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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $968 in Formosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,567 in Formosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,166 in Formosa.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 45% more expensive than in Formosa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Formosa is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$10.62 ARS 15.7K

-67.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$34.12 ARS 50.4K

-5.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$8.97 ARS 13.3K

-46.04%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.76 ARS 4,076

-0.36%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.65 ARS 2,437

-16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.55 ARS 2,296

-51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$2.06 ARS 3,047

45.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$3.06 ARS 4,520

25.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.26 ARS 1,861

38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.56 ARS 2,303

57.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.97 ARS 2,910

-40.61%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.24 ARS 3,313

8.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$10.24 ARS 15.1K

41.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$6.11 ARS 9,026

-28.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$9.63 ARS 14.2K

24.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$2.03 ARS 3,000

83.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.05 ARS 3,030

-20.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.26 ARS 1,856

117.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.63 ARS 3,881

-14.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$1.17 ARS 1,735

64.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$1.19 ARS 1,765

91.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.31 ARS 1,938

-19.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.47 ARS 2,175

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$3.17 ARS 4,688

3.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$5.54 ARS 8,185

318.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$2.05 ARS 3,031

35.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$3.15 ARS 4,658

-13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.77 ARS 1,136

-64.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.54 ARS 2,277

-68.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.87 ARS 1,291

-51.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$5.84 ARS 8,639

6.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.10 ARS 1,630

-26.36%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$27.4K ARS 40.4M

-2.76%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$30.1K ARS 44.4M

7.07%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$67.9 ARS 100.3K

15.41%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$16.82 ARS 24.9K

-75.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$22.35 ARS 33.0K

8.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$26.31 ARS 38.9K

274.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$13.65 ARS 20.2K

-53.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$6.34 ARS 9,369

-37.07%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$223 ARS 329.5K

36.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$2,679 ARS 4.0M

147.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$74.3 ARS 109.8K

-27.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$68.5 ARS 101.3K

-44.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$116 ARS 171.0K

-24.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$113 ARS 166.4K

-32.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$335 ARS 494.6K

196.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$240 ARS 354.7K

180.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$694 ARS 1.0M

386.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$532 ARS 785.6K

285.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$2,366 ARS 3.5M

18.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$1,578 ARS 2.3M

41.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Formosa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $335 in Formosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Formosa. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $232, 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 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,452 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $335 in Formosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $223 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $968 in Formosa versus $1,408 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 45% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.