Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Recife and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Recife: $924 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Recife
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Recife Living Index
67

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

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Recife

🇧🇷 Brazil

$924

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $924 per month in Recife vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Recife $924
Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $1,523 per month in Recife vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Recife $1,523
Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $2,121 per month in Recife vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Recife $2,121
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Recife is about 32% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Recife sits 32% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 R$27.99

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

65.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.47 R$195

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

9.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 R$50.4

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

71.21%

Cappuccino

$2.58 R$13.08

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-5.49%

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

$1.10 R$5.56

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-32.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.21

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-24.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 R$8.31

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-39.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 R$15.99

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-26.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R$7.00

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.63

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 R$8.51

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

42.37%

Eggs

$1.91 R$9.68

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

-10.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 R$36.01

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-59.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R$23.73

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

16.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.08 R$40.97

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-33.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.22

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.02

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.11

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-63.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.23

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

-36.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.50

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-21.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.50

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-52.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 R$2.65

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

-47.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.59

$0.53 Rp 9,475

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 R$8.94

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

-22.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 R$41.80

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-64.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.02

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 R$7.65

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

-48.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.45

$0.24 Rp 4,315

266.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.02 R$193

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

331.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.50

$0.48 Rp 8,684

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R$3.74

$0.46 Rp 8,233

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 R$18.42

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

-33.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 R$6.91

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

54.55%

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

$23.7K R$120.1K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

-3.55%

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

$33.2K R$168.2K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

6.37%

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

$117 R$596

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

41.54%

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

$13.49 R$68.4

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

109.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 R$88.8

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

-5.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 R$110

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-60.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.68 R$176

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

91.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.54 R$43.28

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

94.98%

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

$282 R$1,432

$493 Rp 8.9M

-42.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$60.9K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

108.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.34 R$235

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 R$259

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

44.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 R$383

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-4.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 R$413

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 R$2,578

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-55.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 R$1,345

$676 Rp 12.2M

-60.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$887 R$4,495

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-74.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 R$3,233

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-62.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 R$10.2K

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

-27.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,070 R$5,425

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-52.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$437 R$2,214

$165 Rp 3.0M

165.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.75

13.78

-14.73%

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

Last update for Recife: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Recife

$265 28.7%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 155% $410

Groceries & Markets

Recife

$184 19.9%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 57.9% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Recife

$148 16.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 27.2% $40

Eating Out

Recife

$126 13.7%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 13.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Recife

$115 12.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 6.1% $7

Getting Around

Recife

$47 5%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 73% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Recife

$39 4.2%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 66.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $509 in Recife versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 165% higher in Recife, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Recife versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $184 in Recife vs $290 in Ubud, Bali – so Recife wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Recife

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

11:14 11:14 AM

11 h ahead of Recife

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,488,920

74,800

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Recife Ubud, Bali 16,230 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Recife
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

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

Ubud, Bali costs about 48% more than Recife, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,386 per month in Recife and $2,051 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Recife, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $282 per month in Recife and $493 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Recife, where all-in costs run around $924, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Recife it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Recife costs $924 versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Recife. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.