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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,074 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,873 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,672 in Tainan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 32% more expensive than Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Tainan is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$6.12 NT$193

-41.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$26.69 NT$841

22.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$5.11 NT$161

-3.13%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$3.50 NT$110

-22.57%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.12 NT$35.27

19.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.79 NT$24.77

-11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$3.30 NT$104

-11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$3.35 NT$105

18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$3.15 NT$99.3

-42.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.92 NT$60.4

31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$3.02 NT$95.0

-61.59%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.85 NT$89.7

-13.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$19.81 NT$624

-25.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$9.98 NT$315

-56.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$20.31 NT$640

-40.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$4.33 NT$137

-11.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$2.82 NT$88.8

-44.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$2.87 NT$90.3

-1.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$4.27 NT$135

-45.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$2.87 NT$90.4

-33.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$2.21 NT$69.5

-0.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.68 NT$52.8

-39.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$1.06 NT$33.30

-26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$4.16 NT$131

-20.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$13.93 NT$439

70.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.74 NT$54.8

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$2.40 NT$75.7

19.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.62 NT$19.56

-56.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$21.71 NT$684

-63.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$2.83 NT$89.0

-83.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.78 NT$24.63

-42.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$10.36 NT$326

-41.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.02 NT$32.08

-22.55%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$37.7K NT$1.2M

-30.64%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$26.5K NT$836.1K

21.02%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$86.7 NT$2,732

-7.80%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$18.57 NT$585

-78.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$22.99 NT$724

2.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$39.82 NT$1,254

147.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$15.42 NT$486

-57.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$11.93 NT$376

-65.21%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$269 NT$8,479

12.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$6,829 NT$215.1K

-3.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$59.5 NT$1,874

-6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$30.34 NT$956

26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$92.2 NT$2,905

-3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$122 NT$3,848

-36.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$328 NT$10.3K

206.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$195 NT$6,157

245.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$684 NT$21.5K

403.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$712 NT$22.4K

186.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$3,183 NT$100.3K

-10.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$3,153 NT$99.3K

-28.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,368 NT$43.1K

-87.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

1.83

625.68%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $328 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 728% 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 $27.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $390, 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 Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Tainan differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $1,074 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Tainan earns 728% 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 $328 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tainan – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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 Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.