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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $631 in Tarlac City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $948 in Tarlac City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,266 in Tarlac City.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 123% more expensive than in Tarlac City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Tarlac City is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$2.64 ₱163

30.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$15.13 ₱933

113.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$3.65 ₱225

32.60%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.63 ₱101

68.71%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.88 ₱54.1

56.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.26 ₱15.90

188.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$0.96 ₱59.2

211.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$1.76 ₱108

118.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.63 ₱101

6.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.47 ₱90.6

67.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.99 ₱61.0

18.18%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.05 ₱126

18.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.11 ₱562

59.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$3.23 ₱199

34.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$6.14 ₱379

95.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.90 ₱179

28.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.61 ₱99.1

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.10 ₱129

30.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.52 ₱94.0

47.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.37 ₱84.4

40.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.13 ₱69.4

101.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.92 ₱56.8

15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.88 ₱54.4

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.87 ₱177

14.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$3.88 ₱240

497.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.77 ₱47.24

261.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.52 ₱93.8

79.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.26 ₱15.88

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$8.14 ₱502

-0.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$0.79 ₱48.65

-39.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.24 ₱14.83

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$2.11 ₱130

194.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.17 ₱72.3

-30.77%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$28.8K ₱1.8M

-7.54%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

64.89%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$99.5 ₱6,139

-21.29%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$15.93 ₱982

-74.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$26.64 ₱1,643

-8.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$44.72 ₱2,758

120.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$17.70 ₱1,092

-64.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.28 ₱387

-36.46%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$170 ₱10.5K

79.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$14.4K ₱885.6K

-53.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$45.07 ₱2,780

20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$26.21 ₱1,617

44.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$51.8 ₱3,194

67.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$37.47 ₱2,311

103.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$128 ₱7,895

674.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$100 ₱6,180

571.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$262 ₱16.1K

1189.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$174 ₱10.7K

1078.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$375 ₱23.1K

647.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$305 ₱18.8K

631.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$213 ₱13.1K

-21.46%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $128 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tarlac City pays 27% 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 $15.00 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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 123% 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 27% 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $128 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $631 in Tarlac City – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $631 in Tarlac City versus $1,408 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 $631 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 123% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.