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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $888 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,619 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,351 in Miaoli.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 59% more expensive than in Miaoli, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Miaoli is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$3.29 NT$106

4.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$24.96 NT$806

29.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.98 NT$161

-2.81%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.79 NT$90.0

-1.43%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.17 NT$37.67

17.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.75 NT$24.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.64 NT$52.9

82.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.59 NT$83.7

48.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$2.93 NT$94.7

-40.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.39 NT$44.88

76.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.40 NT$77.6

-51.25%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.21 NT$71.2

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.19 NT$297

57.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$8.07 NT$260

-46.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$20.70 NT$668

-42.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$3.29 NT$106

13.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.04 NT$33.52

56.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.72 NT$87.8

0.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$3.00 NT$97.0

-25.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$2.34 NT$75.6

-17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.90 NT$61.5

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$2.97 NT$96.0

-64.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.91 NT$29.48

-20.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$6.62 NT$214

-50.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$11.02 NT$356

110.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.75 NT$56.5

58.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.34 NT$75.7

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.87 NT$28.18

-68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$38.24 NT$1,234

-78.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$3.10 NT$100.0

-84.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.79 NT$25.49

-46.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$8.02 NT$259

-22.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.06 NT$34.09

-23.58%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$36.9K NT$1.2M

-27.95%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$26.8K NT$865.6K

20.02%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$64.7 NT$2,089

21.04%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$28.54 NT$921

-85.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$19.44 NT$627

25.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$37.32 NT$1,204

164.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$15.02 NT$485

-57.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$10.27 NT$332

-61.15%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$584 NT$18.8K

-47.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$30.1K NT$971.8K

-77.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$31.87 NT$1,029

69.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$24.09 NT$778

56.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$66.7 NT$2,153

30.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$101 NT$3,248

-24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$335 NT$10.8K

195.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$173 NT$5,571

289.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$1,021 NT$33.0K

230.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$740 NT$23.9K

177.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$2,442 NT$78.8K

-93.16%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Miaoli pays 1363% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Miaoli. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $309, 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $888 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1363% lower in Miaoli. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $335 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 $25.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in Miaoli versus $1,408 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 59% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.