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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,175 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,977 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,779 in Taichung.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 21% more expensive than Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Taichung is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$5.17 NT$163

-31.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$30.14 NT$949

8.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$5.48 NT$172

-9.67%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$3.03 NT$95.5

-10.56%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$1.16 NT$36.61

15.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.86 NT$27.02

-18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$2.19 NT$68.9

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.93 NT$92.4

35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$3.86 NT$122

-53.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.74 NT$54.9

44.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$2.82 NT$88.7

-58.87%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$3.27 NT$103

-24.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$31.67 NT$997

-53.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$8.26 NT$260

-47.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$16.07 NT$506

-24.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$4.64 NT$146

-17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.76 NT$55.5

-11.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.26 NT$71.0

25.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$2.97 NT$93.6

-21.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.27 NT$40.12

50.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.97 NT$62.1

11.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$2.36 NT$74.3

-57.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$1.30 NT$40.95

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$3.96 NT$125

-16.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$16.23 NT$511

46.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.71 NT$53.8

63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$2.66 NT$83.7

7.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.94 NT$29.57

-71.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$28.86 NT$908

-72.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$2.92 NT$92.1

-84.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.24 NT$38.97

-63.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$10.25 NT$323

-40.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.05 NT$33.02

-24.76%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$34.5K NT$1.1M

-24.30%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$26.0K NT$816.9K

23.76%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$96.6 NT$3,042

-17.28%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$24.51 NT$771

-83.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$22.07 NT$695

6.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$36.44 NT$1,147

170.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$10.09 NT$318

-34.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$10.52 NT$331

-60.55%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$355 NT$11.2K

-14.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$20.9K NT$656.8K

-68.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$84.1 NT$2,646

-33.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$34.06 NT$1,072

12.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$96.9 NT$3,049

-8.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$130 NT$4,092

-40.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$379 NT$11.9K

165.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$292 NT$9,184

131.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$1,056 NT$33.2K

225.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$731 NT$23.0K

179.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$7,297 NT$229.7K

-61.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$5,260 NT$165.6K

-56.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,420 NT$44.7K

-88.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

2.18

509.17%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $379 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 759% 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 $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $402, 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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taichung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Taichung earns 759% 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 $379 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Taichung – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,175 in Taichung – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taichung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,175 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taichung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.