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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $610 in Taiyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,009 in Taiyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,407 in Taiyuan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 131% more expensive than in Taiyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Taiyuan is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$2.14 ¥14.50

61.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$21.30 ¥144

51.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$4.27 ¥28.86

13.35%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.35 ¥15.87

17.02%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.51 ¥3.44

170.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.30 ¥2.00

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$1.23 ¥8.29

143.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.04 ¥13.81

88.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.35 ¥9.14

28.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.74 ¥18.55

-10.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.75 ¥5.08

56.00%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$0.89 ¥6.02

173.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$14.16 ¥95.8

2.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$2.84 ¥19.25

53.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$10.80 ¥73.1

10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$2.03 ¥13.75

83.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.33 ¥9.03

22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$0.75 ¥5.08

265.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.09 ¥7.41

105.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.49 ¥3.30

291.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$0.41 ¥2.75

456.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.40 ¥2.73

165.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.44 ¥2.97

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$2.03 ¥13.73

62.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$7.45 ¥50.4

211.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$0.73 ¥4.96

280.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$1.35 ¥9.14

102.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.27 ¥1.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$12.68 ¥85.8

-36.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.13 ¥7.67

-57.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.21 ¥1.42

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$3.57 ¥24.13

74.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.10 ¥7.45

-26.36%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$23.1K ¥156.6K

15.04%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$20.0K ¥135.0K

61.33%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$69.1 ¥468

13.37%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$9.42 ¥63.7

-56.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$11.86 ¥80.3

105.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$41.69 ¥282

136.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$8.27 ¥56.0

-23.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$5.71 ¥38.62

-30.12%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$419 ¥2,839

-27.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$4,243 ¥28.7K

56.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$24.22 ¥164

123.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$49.52 ¥335

-23.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$70.0 ¥474

23.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$66.2 ¥448

15.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$207 ¥1,402

378.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$106 ¥719

533.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$518 ¥3,503

551.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$240 ¥1,621

755.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$2,639 ¥17.9K

6.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$1,221 ¥8,265

82.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$926 ¥6,265

-81.96%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Taiyuan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $207 in Taiyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taiyuan pays 454% 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 $21.00 in Taiyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $194 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 131% 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, salaries run 454% lower in Taiyuan. 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 $207 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 56% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $419 in Taiyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $610 in Taiyuan versus $1,408 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 $610 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 131% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.