Cost of Living Comparison Between Puntarenas and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Puntarenas and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,021 in Puntarenas versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,588 in Puntarenas versus $2,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in Puntarenas versus $3,275 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Puntarenas costs roughly 26% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puntarenas is 26% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 ₡3,596

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

141.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.46 ₡18.1K

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

12.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 ₡4,320

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

71.40%

Cappuccino

$4.33 ₡1,940

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

53.55%

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

$2.50 ₡1,117

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡865

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

141.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 ₡1,473

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,021

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

5.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₡927

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₡1,406

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

38.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₡901

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

71.79%

Eggs

$2.88 ₡1,288

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

32.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.17 ₡2,762

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

-65.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 ₡3,405

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

87.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ₡5,774

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

5.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 ₡1,790

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

10.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ₡636

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

-13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ₡1,060

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 ₡1,066

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,073

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

30.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,074

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

1.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ₡436

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,211

$0.54 Rp 9,560

401.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ₡2,230

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

116.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 ₡3,696

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

-64.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₡804

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₡1,009

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

-26.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₡468

$0.25 Rp 4,365

320.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,011

$0.49 Rp 8,631

361.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ₡486

$0.47 Rp 8,349

131.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.63 ₡3,861

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

54.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡651

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

80.25%

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

$22.2K ₡9.9M

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

-11.42%

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

$19.0K ₡8.5M

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

-38.95%

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

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

-33.00%

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

$28.96 ₡13.0K

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

346.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.30 ₡18.5K

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

119.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.79 ₡12.0K

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

-51.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 ₡3,724

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

93.49%

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

$988 ₡442.4K

$494 Rp 8.7M

100.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ₡7.8M

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

192.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.33 ₡11.8K

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

-43.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.57 ₡7,863

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

-51.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.1K

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

58.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.9 ₡24.1K

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

-31.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₡162.7K

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

-67.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ₡115.8K

$693 Rp 12.2M

-62.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₡239.5K

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

-85.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ₡186.9K

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

-75.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,010 ₡451.9K

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

-63.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 ₡291.7K

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

-71.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 ₡394.2K

$167 Rp 2.9M

427.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

13.78

-36.28%

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

Last update for Puntarenas: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $364 in Puntarenas and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puntarenas pays 427% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Puntarenas vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $294 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

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

Puntarenas wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puntarenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 427% higher in Puntarenas, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $364 in Puntarenas versus $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,021 per month in Puntarenas versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,021 in Puntarenas versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puntarenas but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Puntarenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puntarenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,021 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puntarenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Puntarenas 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 Puntarenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.