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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $629 in Taiyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,018 in Taiyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,406 in Taiyuan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 125% more expensive than Taiyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Taiyuan is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$2.15 ¥14.53

65.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$21.14 ¥143

54.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$4.30 ¥29.11

15.12%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.38 ¥16.14

13.87%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.54 ¥3.66

148.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.32 ¥2.20

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$1.27 ¥8.62

129.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.15 ¥14.55

84.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.37 ¥9.26

32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$2.85 ¥19.26

-11.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$0.70 ¥4.77

65.71%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.93 ¥6.33

164.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$14.09 ¥95.4

4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$2.84 ¥19.25

52.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$10.94 ¥74.1

10.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.14 ¥14.51

79.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.32 ¥8.90

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$0.83 ¥5.61

240.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$1.09 ¥7.36

113.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.49 ¥3.33

289.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.40 ¥2.71

450.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.44 ¥2.97

129.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.41 ¥2.76

90.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$2.11 ¥14.27

57.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$7.29 ¥49.34

225.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$0.72 ¥4.85

287.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.36 ¥9.21

110.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.29 ¥1.97

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$12.36 ¥83.7

-35.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.08 ¥7.34

-57.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.21 ¥1.42

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$3.44 ¥23.31

77.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.10 ¥7.43

-28.18%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$23.0K ¥155.9K

13.50%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$20.4K ¥138.2K

57.35%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$69.0 ¥467

15.91%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$9.73 ¥65.9

-58.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$12.08 ¥81.7

94.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$41.84 ¥283

135.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$8.45 ¥57.2

-21.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$5.59 ¥37.82

-25.76%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$417 ¥2,822

-27.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$4,244 ¥28.7K

55.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$23.85 ¥161

132.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$48.81 ¥330

-21.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$68.5 ¥463

29.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$65.8 ¥445

18.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$208 ¥1,410

383.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$106 ¥715

539.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$502 ¥3,399

585.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$247 ¥1,672

725.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$2,663 ¥18.0K

6.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$1,226 ¥8,296

84.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$925 ¥6,258

-82.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.83

246.74%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taiyuan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $208 in Taiyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taiyuan pays 460% 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 $21.00 in Taiyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $195 per month, with Taiyuan cheaper across the board.

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 Taiyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiyuan wins on cost – living expenses run 125% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taiyuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Taiyuan earns 460% 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 $208 in Taiyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taiyuan runs roughly 54% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $417 in Taiyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $629 in Taiyuan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taiyuan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Taiyuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taiyuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $629 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taiyuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.