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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,077 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,884 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,690 in Tainan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 31% more expensive than in Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Tainan is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$6.08 NT$196

-43.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$27.21 NT$878

18.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.94 NT$159

-2.02%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$3.48 NT$112

-20.98%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.13 NT$36.34

22.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.75 NT$24.16

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$3.36 NT$109

-11.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.45 NT$111

11.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$3.21 NT$104

-45.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.88 NT$60.5

30.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.87 NT$92.5

-59.23%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.78 NT$89.7

-12.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$19.96 NT$644

-27.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$10.11 NT$326

-56.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$20.25 NT$654

-40.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$4.30 NT$139

-13.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.93 NT$94.7

-44.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.90 NT$93.6

-5.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$4.16 NT$134

-46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$2.92 NT$94.3

-34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$2.28 NT$73.6

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.70 NT$54.9

-37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.07 NT$34.51

-32.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$4.05 NT$131

-18.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$13.52 NT$436

71.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.75 NT$56.6

58.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.35 NT$75.9

16.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.59 NT$18.88

-54.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$21.97 NT$709

-63.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$2.90 NT$93.5

-83.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.79 NT$25.54

-46.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$10.32 NT$333

-39.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.01 NT$32.65

-19.80%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$38.6K NT$1.2M

-31.06%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$26.4K NT$853.7K

21.70%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$84.6 NT$2,730

-7.39%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$18.51 NT$597

-78.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$23.10 NT$746

5.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$40.10 NT$1,294

145.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$15.06 NT$486

-57.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$11.73 NT$379

-65.98%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$273 NT$8,810

11.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$6,899 NT$222.7K

-3.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$57.6 NT$1,858

-5.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$30.71 NT$991

23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$92.6 NT$2,989

-6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$121 NT$3,917

-37.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$331 NT$10.7K

199.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$194 NT$6,257

247.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$695 NT$22.4K

385.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$731 NT$23.6K

180.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$3,050 NT$98.5K

-8.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$3,037 NT$98.0K

-26.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$1,352 NT$43.6K

-87.65%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Tainan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $331 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 710% 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 $27.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $1,077 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 710% lower in Tainan. 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 $331 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 31% 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,408 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 31% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.