Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $639 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Santa Cruz
🇧🇴 Bolivia
$639
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $639 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Santa Cruz $639
  • Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Santa Cruz vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Santa Cruz $1,172
  • Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $1,704 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Santa Cruz $1,704
  • Ubud, Bali $3,260

Santa Cruz is about 53% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Cruz sits 53% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santa Cruz
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.00 BOB 23.19
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
-39.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.80 BOB 195
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
-52.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.10 BOB 59.2
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
-12.07%
Cappuccino
$1.77 BOB 20.52
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
-35.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 BOB 5.72
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
-70.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 BOB 4.97
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
-48.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.86 BOB 9.97
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
-68.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24 BOB 14.35
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
-71.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santa Cruz
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.71 BOB 8.23
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
-52.67%
White Bread (500g)
$0.94 BOB 10.88
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
-59.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 BOB 11.93
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
-12.71%
Eggs
$1.06 BOB 12.27
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
-50.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.15 BOB 36.56
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
-81.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.58 BOB 29.92
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
-35.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.98 BOB 57.8
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
-59.28%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 BOB 21.12
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
-48.73%
Banana (1kg)
$0.62 BOB 7.24
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
-60.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.76 BOB 8.81
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
-66.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.73 BOB 8.48
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
-62.18%
Potato (1kg)
$0.74 BOB 8.55
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
-60.64%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 BOB 7.75
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
-70.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 BOB 6.66
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
-42.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 BOB 7.36
$0.53 Rp 9,475
18.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.92 BOB 22.25
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
-15.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.32 BOB 50.2
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
-81.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 BOB 11.86
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
-56.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 BOB 19.01
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
-43.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Santa Cruz
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 BOB 2.78
$0.24 Rp 4,315
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.48 BOB 261
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
154.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.64 BOB 19.05
$0.48 Rp 8,684
241.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.91 BOB 10.58
$0.46 Rp 8,233
97.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.31 BOB 73.3
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
15.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.57 BOB 6.59
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
-35.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$14.1K BOB 163.3K
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
-42.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.3K BOB 223.6K
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
-38.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Cruz
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$34.84 BOB 405
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
-58.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.67 BOB 228
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
204.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.53 BOB 204
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
-5.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santa Cruz
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.56 BOB 227
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
-64.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.84 BOB 149
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
-29.10%
Cinema Ticket
$5.86 BOB 68.1
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
33.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santa Cruz
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$112 BOB 1,303
$493 Rp 8.9M
-77.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,950 BOB 34.2K
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
-48.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santa Cruz
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.21 BOB 316
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
-41.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.79 BOB 416
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
1.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.3 BOB 769
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
-16.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.3 BOB 677
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
-25.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santa Cruz
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$267 BOB 3,105
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
-76.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$247 BOB 2,869
$676 Rp 12.2M
-63.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$909 BOB 10.6K
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
-74.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$830 BOB 9,630
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
-51.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,299 BOB 15.1K
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
-53.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$737 BOB 8,551
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-67.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santa Cruz
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$276 BOB 3,204
$165 Rp 3.0M
67.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.17
13.78
-55.22%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Santa Cruz
$247
Ubud, Bali
$676 173% $429
Groceries & Markets
Santa Cruz
$112
Ubud, Bali
$290 159% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Santa Cruz
$84
Ubud, Bali
$108 27.4% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Cruz
$72
Ubud, Bali
$108 49.9% $36
Eating Out
Santa Cruz
$63
Ubud, Bali
$109 72.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Santa Cruz
$31
Ubud, Bali
$65 107% $33
Getting Around
Santa Cruz
$30
Ubud, Bali
$13 57.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Santa Cruz 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 68% higher in Santa Cruz, 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 $17.00 in Santa Cruz versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $112 vs $290 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇴 Santa Cruz
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
08:44 8:44 AM
20:44 8:44 PM
12 h ahead of Santa Cruz
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,800,000
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to BOB – Bolivian Boliviano Converter

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 11.61 BOB (100 BOB = 8.61 USD). 1 EUR = 13.05 BOB (100 BOB = 7.66 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Santa Cruz Ubud, Bali 17,090 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Santa Cruz
  • 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
Santa Cruz vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ubud, Bali cheaper than Santa Cruz?
Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $959 per month in Santa Cruz and $2,051 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Santa Cruz and in Ubud, Bali?
Groceries cost about 159% 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.
Is eating out cheaper in Santa Cruz or in Ubud, Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Santa Cruz and $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Santa Cruz or in Ubud, Bali?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $639, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Santa Cruz or Ubud, Bali more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Santa Cruz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Santa Cruz or Ubud, Bali?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz. 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.

Santa Cruz vs other spots: cost of living compared

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