Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Tarlac City Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Tarlac City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $621 in Tarlac City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $954 in Tarlac City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,286 in Tarlac City.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 128% more expensive than Tarlac City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Tarlac City is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$2.70 ₱166

31.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$14.96 ₱922

118.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$3.51 ₱216

41.03%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.57 ₱96.7

72.61%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.87 ₱53.4

54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.26 ₱15.95

169.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$0.99 ₱60.8

194.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$1.72 ₱106

130.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.66 ₱103

9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.54 ₱95.3

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$0.98 ₱60.7

18.37%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.02 ₱124

21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$9.07 ₱560

62.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.21 ₱198

34.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$5.91 ₱365

105.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.89 ₱178

32.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.62 ₱99.6

-3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.15 ₱132

31.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.52 ₱94.0

53.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.45 ₱89.2

31.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.18 ₱72.9

86.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.92 ₱56.9

9.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.90 ₱55.4

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.78 ₱171

19.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$3.76 ₱232

531.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$0.83 ₱50.9

236.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.56 ₱96.5

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.28 ₱17.30

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$7.93 ₱489

1.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.84 ₱51.7

-45.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.22 ₱13.50

104.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$2.11 ₱130

189.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.15 ₱71.0

-31.30%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$28.6K ₱1.8M

-8.63%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

63.03%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$101 ₱6,199

-20.48%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$15.85 ₱977

-74.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$26.78 ₱1,651

-12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$44.51 ₱2,745

121.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$17.48 ₱1,078

-62.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$6.27 ₱387

-33.81%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$170 ₱10.5K

78.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$14.0K ₱866.1K

-52.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$46.32 ₱2,856

19.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$26.53 ₱1,636

44.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$50.4 ₱3,109

75.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$37.32 ₱2,301

108.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$131 ₱8,057

670.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$103 ₱6,333

557.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$268 ₱16.5K

1183.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$176 ₱10.9K

1057.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$372 ₱23.0K

663.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$294 ₱18.1K

671.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$212 ₱13.1K

-22.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.17

115.24%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $131 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tarlac City pays 28% 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 $15.00 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $181 per month, with Tarlac City 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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarlac City wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tarlac City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Tarlac City earns 28% 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 $131 in Tarlac City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tarlac City – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $621 in Tarlac City – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $621 in Tarlac City versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tarlac City but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tarlac City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tarlac City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $621 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tarlac City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Tarlac City 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 Tarlac City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.