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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,119 in Zhubei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,029 in Zhubei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,940 in Zhubei City.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 27% more expensive than Zhubei City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Zhubei City is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$4.96 NT$156

-28.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$34.24 NT$1,079

-4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$5.67 NT$179

-12.70%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$3.70 NT$117

-26.76%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.98 NT$30.98

36.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.63 NT$19.84

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$2.26 NT$71.3

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.69 NT$84.9

47.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$3.25 NT$102

-44.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.99 NT$62.8

26.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$4.34 NT$137

-73.27%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$3.02 NT$95.0

-18.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$13.73 NT$433

7.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$8.74 NT$275

-50.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$27.81 NT$876

-56.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$4.38 NT$138

-12.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$2.58 NT$81.2

-39.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$2.78 NT$87.5

1.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$3.95 NT$124

-41.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$4.02 NT$127

-52.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$2.53 NT$79.9

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$2.65 NT$83.4

-61.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$1.39 NT$43.65

-43.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$4.17 NT$131

-20.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$9.15 NT$288

159.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.57 NT$49.58

77.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$2.70 NT$85.0

5.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.65 NT$20.40

-58.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$38.26 NT$1,205

-79.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$3.40 NT$107

-86.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.63 NT$19.78

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$10.19 NT$321

-40.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.03 NT$32.42

-23.30%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$41.8K NT$1.3M

-37.50%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$27.2K NT$856.5K

18.15%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$93.0 NT$2,930

-14.04%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$33.79 NT$1,064

-87.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$24.60 NT$775

-4.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$34.24 NT$1,079

188.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$15.27 NT$481

-56.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$11.76 NT$370

-64.71%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$690 NT$21.7K

-55.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$15.2K NT$479.7K

-56.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$85.4 NT$2,690

-34.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$47.83 NT$1,507

-19.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$99.9 NT$3,147

-11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$115 NT$3,617

-32.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$427 NT$13.4K

135.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$212 NT$6,690

218.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$1,180 NT$37.2K

191.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$863 NT$27.2K

136.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$16.8K NT$528.0K

-83.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$9,937 NT$313.1K

-77.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$2,432 NT$76.6K

-93.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

2.4

453.33%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zhubei City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $427 in Zhubei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 1372% 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 $34.00 in Zhubei City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $394 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Zhubei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhubei City wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhubei City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Zhubei City earns 1372% 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 $427 in Zhubei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $690 in Zhubei City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,119 in Zhubei City versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhubei City but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zhubei City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zhubei City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,119 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zhubei City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zhubei 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 Zhubei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.