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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,085 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,808 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,532 in Zhongli City.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 30% more expensive than in Zhongli City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Zhongli City is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$5.21 NT$168

-33.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$20.70 NT$668

56.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.83 NT$156

0.21%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.44 NT$78.8

12.70%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.77 NT$24.93

79.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.56 NT$18.12

33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.47 NT$47.57

103.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$1.49 NT$48.00

158.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$3.25 NT$105

-46.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.78 NT$57.4

38.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.82 NT$91.2

-58.51%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.66 NT$85.8

-8.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$31.00 NT$1,001

-53.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$8.01 NT$259

-45.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$15.54 NT$502

-22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$4.68 NT$151

-20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.82 NT$58.8

-10.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.27 NT$73.2

20.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$2.94 NT$94.8

-23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.33 NT$42.85

44.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.95 NT$63.1

16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$2.30 NT$74.3

-53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.28 NT$41.32

-43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.97 NT$128

-17.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$15.38 NT$496

50.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.66 NT$53.7

67.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.35 NT$75.8

16.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.59 NT$19.16

-54.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$41.16 NT$1,328

-80.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$2.91 NT$94.1

-83.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.73 NT$23.43

-42.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$10.31 NT$333

-39.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.91 NT$29.46

-10.99%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$33.6K NT$1.1M

-20.77%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$26.3K NT$849.4K

22.31%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$95.3 NT$3,077

-17.81%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$13.28 NT$429

-69.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$10.00 NT$323

143.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$36.83 NT$1,189

167.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$15.26 NT$493

-58.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$9.51 NT$307

-58.04%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$355 NT$11.5K

-14.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$21.1K NT$680.9K

-68.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$61.1 NT$1,971

-11.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$20.30 NT$655

86.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$77.5 NT$2,502

12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$67.2 NT$2,170

13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$428 NT$13.8K

131.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$263 NT$8,492

155.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$1,057 NT$34.1K

219.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$744 NT$24.0K

175.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$2,280 NT$73.6K

-92.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

2.1

532.38%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $428 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 1266% 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 Zhongli City. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $386, with Ubud, Bali cheaper for home cooking.

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 Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongli City wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhongli City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1266% lower in Zhongli 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 $428 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $355 in Zhongli City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,085 in Zhongli City versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhongli City but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongli City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhongli City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,085 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhongli City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zhongli 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 Zhongli City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.