Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $597 in San Juan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $986 in San Juan versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,376 in San Juan versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 58% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 55% below, Ubud, Bali is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 ARS 8,357

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

64.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.78 ARS 42.5K

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

-9.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 ARS 11.7K

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

66.26%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ARS 2,142

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

-44.65%

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

$0.97 ARS 1,384

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

-27.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ARS 1,226

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 ARS 2,828

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

-32.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,179

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

-26.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ARS 1,022

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

-60.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ARS 1,016

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

-71.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ARS 1,736

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

5.17%

Eggs

$1.67 ARS 2,378

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

-32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.45 ARS 4,928

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

-76.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ARS 5,080

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

-17.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.90 ARS 5,560

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

-67.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,157

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

-60.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,095

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,123

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

-47.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ARS 2,974

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

-10.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ARS 891

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

-67.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ARS 945

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

-70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ARS 593

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

-58.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ARS 1,222

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 ARS 2,430

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

-48.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ARS 7,295

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

-78.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,198

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ARS 2,619

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

-35.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ARS 410

$0.27 Rp 4,800

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.95 ARS 7,066

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

-38.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 ARS 587

$0.46 Rp 8,150

-10.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,456

$0.45 Rp 8,037

126.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 ARS 7,187

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

-17.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ARS 1,557

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

37.97%

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

$32.1K ARS 45.8M

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

22.73%

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

$21.3K ARS 30.4M

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

-33.73%

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

$76.8 ARS 109.6K

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-3.92%

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

$4.97 ARS 7,083

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

22.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 ARS 14.5K

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

-56.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.15 ARS 25.9K

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-81.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ARS 8,398

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

-11.16%

Cinema Ticket

$2.01 ARS 2,873

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

-51.57%

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

$104 ARS 147.8K

$304 Rp 5.4M

-65.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,153 ARS 3.1M

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

-67.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.46 ARS 70.6K

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

-10.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.96 ARS 71.3K

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

30.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ARS 143.1K

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ARS 167.8K

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

51.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ARS 211.7K

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

-85.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.6 ARS 127.7K

$675 Rp 12.1M

-86.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 ARS 352.9K

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

-92.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 ARS 281.2K

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

-90.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,548 ARS 3.6M

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

-10.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 ARS 3.0M

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

-6.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 ARS 1.0M

$165 Rp 3.0M

331.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

494.88%

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

Last update for San Juan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $148 in San Juan and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 332% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in San Juan vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $302 per month, with San Juan 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

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

San Juan wins on cost – living expenses run 138% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Juan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

San Juan pays 332% more on average, 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: $148 in San Juan versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $104 in San Juan versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $597 in San Juan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Juan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $597 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Juan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Juan 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 San Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.