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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $899 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,651 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,404 in Miaoli.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 58% more expensive than Miaoli, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Miaoli is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$3.49 NT$110

2.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$25.88 NT$815

26.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$5.03 NT$158

-1.59%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.84 NT$89.3

-4.58%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$1.11 NT$34.88

20.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.69 NT$21.86

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.71 NT$53.7

70.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.59 NT$81.4

52.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$3.10 NT$97.5

-41.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.45 NT$45.58

73.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$2.52 NT$79.4

-53.97%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.29 NT$71.9

7.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$9.25 NT$291

59.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$8.14 NT$256

-46.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$20.58 NT$648

-41.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$3.33 NT$105

15.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.04 NT$32.67

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.71 NT$85.2

4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$3.05 NT$95.9

-23.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$2.39 NT$75.4

-20.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.90 NT$59.7

15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$2.87 NT$90.4

-64.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.93 NT$29.16

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$6.46 NT$203

-48.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$11.19 NT$352

112.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.85 NT$58.3

50.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$2.37 NT$74.5

20.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.87 NT$27.54

-68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$39.63 NT$1,247

-79.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$3.00 NT$94.3

-84.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.73 NT$22.84

-38.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$8.25 NT$260

-26.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.07 NT$33.64

-26.17%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$36.6K NT$1.2M

-28.55%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$26.2K NT$823.6K

22.76%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$64.4 NT$2,027

24.13%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$28.45 NT$895

-85.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$18.94 NT$596

24.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$36.89 NT$1,161

167.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$15.01 NT$473

-55.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$10.21 NT$321

-59.35%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$566 NT$17.8K

-46.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$30.4K NT$958.1K

-78.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$31.72 NT$999

75.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$23.77 NT$748

61.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$68.8 NT$2,166

28.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$103 NT$3,233

-24.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$345 NT$10.9K

191.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$168 NT$5,279

302.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$1,039 NT$32.7K

231.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$730 NT$23.0K

179.31%

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

$2,471 NT$77.8K

-93.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

564.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $345 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 1395% 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 $26.00 in Miaoli. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $314, with Ubud, Bali 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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Miaoli differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $899 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Miaoli earns 1395% 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 $345 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Miaoli 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.