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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $523 in Tarlac City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $814 in Tarlac City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,104 in Tarlac City.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 161% more expensive than in Tarlac City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Tarlac City is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$1.94 ₱122

77.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$7.78 ₱488

366.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$2.72 ₱171

109.93%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$1.79 ₱112

49.16%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.49 ₱30.77

257.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.30 ₱18.95

190.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.02 ₱64.2

189.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$1.56 ₱97.7

189.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.61 ₱101

0.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.15 ₱71.9

102.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.02 ₱63.9

8.82%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.88 ₱118

17.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$4.94 ₱310

258.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$2.66 ₱167

54.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$6.11 ₱383

99.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.62 ₱101

129.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.59 ₱99.8

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.95 ₱123

16.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.04 ₱65.2

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.74 ₱109

9.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.21 ₱76.1

92.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.61 ₱38.25

65.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.50 ₱31.31

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$2.87 ₱180

-22.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$3.81 ₱239

505.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$0.96 ₱60.3

152.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$1.53 ₱96.1

96.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.25 ₱15.73

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$8.21 ₱515

9.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$0.75 ₱47.32

-36.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.25 ₱15.70

72.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$1.31 ₱82.4

330.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.08 ₱68.0

-25.93%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

16.47%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

64.44%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$88.2 ₱5,534

-7.68%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$5.44 ₱341

19.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$23.40 ₱1,468

-19.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$40.11 ₱2,516

41.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$16.16 ₱1,014

15.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$5.08 ₱319

-10.63%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$131 ₱8,205

267.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$10.5K ₱661.4K

-45.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$28.77 ₱1,804

58.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$19.79 ₱1,242

81.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$63.1 ₱3,955

27.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$47.80 ₱2,998

64.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$87.7 ₱5,503

1170.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$71.1 ₱4,460

881.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$250 ₱15.6K

1357.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$167 ₱10.4K

943.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$376 ₱23.6K

641.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$290 ₱18.2K

690.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$215 ₱13.5K

-21.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.75

104.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $87.7 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: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $8.00 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $148 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 161% 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, salaries run 28% lower in Tarlac City. 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 $87.7 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 $8.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $523 in Tarlac City – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $523 in Tarlac City versus $1,368 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 $523 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 161% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.