Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,108 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,874 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,641 in Hua-lien.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 28% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Hua-lien is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$4.05 NT$127

-12.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$33.61 NT$1,058

-2.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$4.51 NT$142

9.76%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$3.40 NT$107

-20.29%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.97 NT$30.47

38.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.64 NT$20.19

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.31 NT$41.28

122.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.02 NT$63.5

96.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$3.26 NT$102

-44.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.79 NT$56.2

40.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$4.36 NT$137

-73.39%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.53 NT$79.5

-2.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$13.93 NT$439

5.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$4.77 NT$150

-9.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$16.15 NT$508

-24.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$4.38 NT$138

-12.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$2.49 NT$78.5

-37.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$4.16 NT$131

-31.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$3.87 NT$122

-39.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$4.59 NT$145

-58.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$4.03 NT$127

-45.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$2.56 NT$80.6

-60.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$1.35 NT$42.43

-42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$5.10 NT$160

-34.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$14.09 NT$443

68.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$2.13 NT$67.1

30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$2.78 NT$87.4

2.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.83 NT$26.25

-67.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$38.74 NT$1,220

-79.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$3.35 NT$106

-86.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.72 NT$22.75

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$12.74 NT$401

-52.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.02 NT$32.11

-22.55%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$41.5K NT$1.3M

-36.98%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$29.6K NT$931.0K

8.59%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$74.7 NT$2,352

6.97%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$33.24 NT$1,046

-87.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$25.19 NT$793

-6.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$37.04 NT$1,166

166.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$15.45 NT$486

-57.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$9.02 NT$284

-53.99%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$779 NT$24.5K

-60.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$15.5K NT$489.3K

-57.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$27.58 NT$868

101.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$46.63 NT$1,468

-17.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$70.3 NT$2,214

25.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$124 NT$3,908

-37.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$439 NT$13.8K

129.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$283 NT$8,904

138.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$1,021 NT$32.1K

237.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$741 NT$23.3K

175.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$2,890 NT$91.0K

-94.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

1.57

745.86%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $439 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 1649% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Hua-lien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $358 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hua-lien earns 1649% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $439 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – 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 $1,108 in Hua-lien versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hua-lien delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,108 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hua-lien hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.