Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puntarenas and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Puntarenas: $1,019 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Puntarenas
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Puntarenas Living Index
65

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

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Puntarenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,019

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in Puntarenas versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Puntarenas $1,019
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,582 in Puntarenas versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Puntarenas $1,582
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,145 in Puntarenas versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Puntarenas $2,145
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Puntarenas costs roughly 24% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.14 ₡3,671

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

145.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.71 ₡17.9K

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

11.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 ₡4,363

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

74.86%

Cappuccino

$4.42 ₡1,995

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

62.50%

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

$2.61 ₡1,177

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

53.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡841

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

144.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,464

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

22.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,039

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

3.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₡919

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

36.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 ₡1,435

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

39.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ₡872

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

62.18%

Eggs

$2.92 ₡1,317

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.13 ₡2,767

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

-65.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.48 ₡3,376

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

88.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.50 ₡5,639

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

2.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,752

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

6.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 ₡672

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

-1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₡1,064

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,099

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

23.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,102

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

31.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,084

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

-0.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ₡404

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

-10.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₡1,246

$0.51 Rp 9,332

441.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₡2,227

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

122.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 ₡3,723

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

-62.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₡798

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

-21.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₡1,039

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

-22.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₡464

$0.25 Rp 4,562

312.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ₡998

$0.44 Rp 7,989

402.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₡508

$0.43 Rp 7,817

162.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.49 ₡3,832

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

56.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡687

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

85.37%

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

$34.2K ₡15.4M

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

43.52%

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

$18.6K ₡8.4M

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

-41.26%

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

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-31.01%

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

$27.98 ₡12.6K

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

333.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.15 ₡18.6K

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

121.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 ₡11.8K

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

-47.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ₡3,489

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

81.03%

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

$1,002 ₡451.9K

$491 Rp 8.9M

104.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.9M

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

206.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.17 ₡11.8K

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

-41.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.89 ₡8,074

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

-48.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

60.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 ₡24.1K

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-32.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₡161.7K

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-68.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 ₡115.6K

$671 Rp 12.2M

-61.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 ₡239.2K

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

-85.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₡186.6K

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

-76.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$986 ₡445.1K

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

-63.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$661 ₡298.3K

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

-71.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$862 ₡389.1K

$164 Rp 3.0M

426.25%

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 Puntarenas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Puntarenas

$294 28.8%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 1.8% $5.1

Accommodation & Living

Puntarenas

$256 25.1%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 162% $415

Eating Out

Puntarenas

$190 18.7%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 43.4% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puntarenas

$124 12.1%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 15.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Puntarenas

$102 10%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 5.8% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Puntarenas

$42 4.1%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 39.6% $16

Getting Around

Puntarenas

$12 * 1.2%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 4.5% $0.5

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 $358 in Puntarenas and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puntarenas pays about 5.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40 in Puntarenas vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $288 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Puntarenas

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

16:19 4:19 PM

14 h ahead of Puntarenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,000

74,800

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,282 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puntarenas Ubud, Bali 17,800 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Puntarenas
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

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

Puntarenas wins on cost – living expenses run 24% 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 in Puntarenas is about 5.3 times higher, 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: $358 in Puntarenas versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,019 per month in Puntarenas versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Puntarenas is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36 versus $40 in Puntarenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Puntarenas is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.