Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $1,934 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Escazu, Costa Rica
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Escazu
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,934
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Escazu 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 Escazu and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,934 in Escazu versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Escazu $1,934
  • Ubud, Bali $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,959 in Escazu versus $2,255 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Escazu $2,959
  • Ubud, Bali $2,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,984 in Escazu versus $3,180 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Escazu $3,984
  • Ubud, Bali $3,180

Living in Escazu is roughly 45% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Escazu is 43% above, Ubud, Bali is 2% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Escazu
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.06 ₡5,425
$3.38 Rp 61.2K
256.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.8 ₡27.8K
$34.65 Rp 628.6K
78.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 ₡5,290
$5.57 Rp 101.1K
111.13%
Cappuccino
$4.49 ₡2,021
$2.62 Rp 47.5K
71.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,195
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
72.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 ₡860
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
198.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.35 ₡1,505
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
25.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 ₡1,953
$4.26 Rp 77.3K
1.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Escazu
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.45 ₡1,101
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
67.81%
White Bread (500g)
$3.09 ₡1,389
$2.29 Rp 41.6K
34.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.50 ₡1,124
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
125.23%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,551
$2.10 Rp 38.1K
64.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.68 ₡4,805
$15.94 Rp 289.2K
-33.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.28 ₡4,623
$3.88 Rp 70.4K
164.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.14 ₡6,360
$11.40 Rp 206.8K
24.04%
Apples (1kg)
$5.16 ₡2,323
$3.55 Rp 64.4K
45.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 ₡704
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
1.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 ₡1,453
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
44.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.00 ₡1,351
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
52.28%
Potato (1kg)
$3.79 ₡1,702
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
103.76%
Onion (1kg)
$3.73 ₡1,676
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
54.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 ₡447
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
-2.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₡755
$0.52 Rp 9,475
223.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 ₡2,463
$2.20 Rp 39.9K
149.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.92 ₡8,509
$21.79 Rp 395.2K
-13.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₡754
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
-27.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ₡1,246
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
-6.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Escazu
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.05 ₡472
$0.25 Rp 4,542
320.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.17 Rp 148.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.05 ₡922
$0.44 Rp 7,941
365.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 ₡835
$0.47 Rp 8,489
295.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.09 ₡3,638
$5.60 Rp 101.6K
44.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₡664
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
78.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K ₡12.6M
$24.4K Rp 443.5M
14.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.6K ₡16.4M
$31.7K Rp 575.0M
15.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Escazu
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.5 ₡42.5K
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
22.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.94 ₡13.5K
$6.14 Rp 111.5K
387.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.6 ₡26.4K
$18.92 Rp 343.1K
209.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Escazu
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$105 ₡47.3K
$51.0 Rp 925.0K
106.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.81 ₡4,413
$18.25 Rp 331.0K
-46.25%
Cinema Ticket
$7.66 ₡3,446
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
74.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Escazu
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$458 ₡206.1K
$492 Rp 8.9M
-6.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.2K ₡7.7M
$12.2K Rp 221.7M
40.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Escazu
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.8 ₡32.3K
$45.16 Rp 819.2K
58.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.9 ₡24.7K
$34.89 Rp 632.9K
57.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 ₡57.4K
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
62.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₡59.6K
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
70.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Escazu
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$866 ₡389.3K
$1,078 Rp 19.5M
-19.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$848 ₡381.4K
$665 Rp 12.1M
27.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,929 ₡867.3K
$3,510 Rp 63.7M
-45.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,501 ₡675.0K
$1,671 Rp 30.3M
-10.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,404 ₡631.2K
$2,340 Rp 42.4M
-40.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$969 ₡436.0K
$2,236 Rp 40.6M
-56.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Escazu
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,792 ₡805.8K
$166 Rp 3.0M
977.21%
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 Escazu: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Escazu
$848
Ubud, Bali
$665 21.6% $183
Groceries & Markets
Escazu
$363
Ubud, Bali
$279 23% $83
Eating Out
Escazu
$229
Ubud, Bali
$106 53.9% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Escazu
$183
Ubud, Bali
$103 44% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Escazu
$174
Ubud, Bali
$106 38.9% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Escazu
$121
Ubud, Bali
$60 50.5% $61
Getting Around
Escazu
$16 *
Ubud, Bali
$12 23.1% $3.6

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 $866 in Escazu and $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Escazu vs $35 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $279 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Escazu
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
14:02 2:02 PM
04:02 4:02 AM
14 h ahead of Escazu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,984
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Escazu Ubud, Bali 17,880 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Escazu
  • 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
Escazu vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ubud, Bali cheaper than Escazu?
Ubud, Bali is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Escazu or Ubud, Bali?
Average pay in Escazu is about 11 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Escazu and Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $866 in Escazu versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Escazu and in Ubud, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Escazu and in Ubud, Bali?
All in, you’ll spend $1,934 per month in Escazu versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Escazu or in Ubud, Bali?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Escazu or in Ubud, Bali?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Escazu or Ubud, Bali?
Safety-wise, Escazu and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Escazu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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