Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arenal and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $1,673 in Arenal, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. The total is higher in Arenal despite lower rent and utilities.

84

Cost of Living Index in Arenal
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Arenal Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Arenal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arenal and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arenal and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,673 in Arenal versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Arenal $1,673
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,631 in Arenal versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Arenal $2,631
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,589 in Arenal versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Arenal $3,589
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Arenal is roughly 22% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arenal 24% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.02 ₡5,402

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

260.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.3K

$35.18 Rp 629.4K

72.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,277

$5.80 Rp 103.8K

102.41%

Cappuccino

$4.53 ₡2,034

$2.73 Rp 48.8K

65.93%

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

$2.75 ₡1,235

$1.64 Rp 29.4K

67.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡870

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

133.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,500

$2.70 Rp 48.3K

23.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₡1,951

$4.30 Rp 76.9K

0.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₡1,037

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

54.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₡1,411

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

36.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

111.86%

Eggs

$3.46 ₡1,554

$2.14 Rp 38.4K

61.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,753

$17.48 Rp 312.7K

-39.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,600

$4.03 Rp 72.1K

154.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,337

$12.23 Rp 218.8K

15.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,317

$3.55 Rp 63.5K

45.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡718

$1.57 Rp 28.1K

1.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 ₡2,076

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

106.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,702

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

96.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,724

$1.88 Rp 33.7K

104.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,669

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

62.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡486

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₡1,424

$0.53 Rp 9,419

498.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 ₡2,616

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

155.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.68 ₡8,841

$23.01 Rp 411.7K

-14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,257

$2.34 Rp 41.9K

19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ₡1,628

$2.91 Rp 52.1K

24.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ₡627

$0.24 Rp 4,289

483.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 157.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$0.48 Rp 8,632

420.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.46 Rp 8,184

241.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 ₡3,812

$5.45 Rp 97.6K

55.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡708

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

79.55%

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

$22.1K ₡9.9M

$24.6K Rp 439.6M

-9.96%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$31.2K Rp 558.0M

14.22%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

13.56%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.45 Rp 115.3K

456.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡26.6K

$18.57 Rp 332.2K

219.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.2 ₡35.2K

$55.8 Rp 998.7K

40.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 324.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ₡3,373

$4.38 Rp 78.4K

71.46%

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

$989 ₡444.4K

$493 Rp 8.8M

100.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$5,754 Rp 102.9M

193.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.3K

$46.19 Rp 826.5K

55.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 ₡25.6K

$35.33 Rp 632.2K

61.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

65.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

67.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 ₡357.7K

$1,142 Rp 20.4M

-30.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ₡256.2K

$676 Rp 12.1M

-15.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 ₡736.2K

$3,503 Rp 62.7M

-53.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 ₡490.3K

$1,700 Rp 30.4M

-35.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.78

-37.45%

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

Last update for Arenal: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arenal

$570 34.1%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 18.5% $106

Groceries & Markets

Arenal

$398 23.8%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 27.1% $108

Eating Out

Arenal

$230 13.7%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 52.7% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arenal

$189 11.3%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 43% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Arenal

$176 10.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 38.9% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Arenal

$93 5.6%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 30.7% $29

Getting Around

Arenal

$16 * 1%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 21.4% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Arenal and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Arenal vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Arenal

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

02:58 2:58 AM

16:58 4:58 PM

14 h ahead of Arenal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,300

74,800

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 17,893 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,037 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Arenal Ubud, Bali 17,820 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Arenal
Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Arenal vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,509 in Arenal and $2,051 in Ubud, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $796 in Arenal versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $989 in Arenal versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $61.0 in Arenal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,673 in Arenal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Arenal. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ubud, Bali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arenal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arenal and Ubud, Bali 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Arenal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.