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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,196 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,072 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,948 in Tainan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 14% more expensive than in Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Tainan is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$4.84 NT$154

-28.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$25.47 NT$811

42.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$4.70 NT$149

21.49%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$3.23 NT$103

-17.34%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.43 NT$45.46

22.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.92 NT$29.20

-5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$3.06 NT$97.5

-3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.45 NT$110

31.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$3.19 NT$101

-49.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.80 NT$57.3

29.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$2.89 NT$91.8

-61.59%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$3.15 NT$100

-30.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$22.97 NT$731

-22.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$13.16 NT$419

-68.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$21.04 NT$670

-42.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$5.59 NT$178

-33.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$2.83 NT$90.2

-43.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$4.92 NT$157

-53.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$7.40 NT$236

-73.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$4.66 NT$148

-59.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$4.58 NT$146

-49.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$3.02 NT$96.1

-66.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$1.44 NT$45.85

-61.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$3.88 NT$123

-42.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$12.06 NT$384

91.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$2.03 NT$64.8

19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.24 NT$71.4

33.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.61 NT$19.46

-55.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$33.67 NT$1,072

-73.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$2.65 NT$84.2

-81.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.99 NT$31.43

-56.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$5.74 NT$183

-1.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.07 NT$34.11

-25.23%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$35.9K NT$1.1M

-30.47%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$24.8K NT$790.1K

27.76%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$89.0 NT$2,833

-8.48%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$17.02 NT$542

-61.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$21.62 NT$688

-13.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$46.57 NT$1,482

22.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$11.08 NT$353

-59.03%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$431 NT$13.7K

11.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$5,448 NT$173.4K

4.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$93.5 NT$2,975

-51.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$45.90 NT$1,461

-21.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$118 NT$3,759

-31.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$123 NT$3,923

-36.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$313 NT$9,975

255.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$200 NT$6,378

248.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$840 NT$26.7K

333.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$721 NT$22.9K

141.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$4,192 NT$133.5K

-33.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$3,052 NT$97.2K

-24.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,357 NT$43.2K

-87.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

2.5

451.20%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tainan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $313 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 708% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $465, 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,196 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 708% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $313 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 58% 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 $25.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,196 in Tainan versus $1,368 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 14% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.