Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $982 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

47

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index
66

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

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Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$982

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $982 per month in Sao Carlos vs $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Sao Carlos $982
Ubud, Bali $1,353

A couple spends around $1,709 per month in Sao Carlos vs $2,297 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,709
Ubud, Bali $2,297

A family of three spends $2,436 per month in Sao Carlos vs $3,241 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Sao Carlos $2,436
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Sao Carlos is about 27% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Sao Carlos sits 27% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 R$25.25

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

54.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.05 R$203

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

14.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 R$34.33

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

18.77%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R$10.74

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

-19.08%

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

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-22.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$3.98

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 R$8.24

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

-38.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 R$14.36

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

-35.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.80

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-14.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 R$9.96

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-10.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

50.85%

Eggs

$2.95 R$14.94

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

36.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 R$63.3

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-29.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 R$26.61

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

38.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 R$46.72

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

-22.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 R$13.72

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-24.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.33

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.01

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

-22.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 R$9.95

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

2.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 R$8.84

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-2.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.88

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-41.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 R$5.14

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

1.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R$5.88

$0.53 Rp 9,509

118.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 R$16.18

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

39.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 R$42.91

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-61.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R$7.50

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-37.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 R$14.73

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-2.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.97

$0.23 Rp 4,112

326.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.86 R$121

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

168.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 R$7.48

$0.47 Rp 8,466

214.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.11

$0.43 Rp 7,737

134.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 R$18.45

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

-33.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.32

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

50.60%

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

$20.2K R$102.2K

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

-15.59%

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

$31.5K R$159.5K

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-4.04%

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

$62.4 R$316

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

-22.03%

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

$13.74 R$69.6

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

109.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.07 R$122

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

29.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.77 R$176

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-35.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.31 R$245

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

164.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.38 R$27.29

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

26.59%

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

$302 R$1,531

$493 Rp 8.9M

-38.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,032 R$15.4K

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

-45.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 R$429

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

85.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$96.7 R$490

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

176.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 R$705

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

78.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 R$826

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

107.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 R$1,377

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-75.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 R$1,197

$673 Rp 12.1M

-64.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 R$3,410

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-81.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,358

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-61.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 R$4,303

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

-68.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$730 R$3,698

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-67.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$681 R$3,453

$166 Rp 3.0M

309.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

13.78

-21.99%

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

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Carlos

$241 24.5%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 19.2% $46

Accommodation & Living

Sao Carlos

$236 24%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 185% $437

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 51% $111

Eating Out

Sao Carlos

$108 11%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 1.3% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Carlos

$100 10.2%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 5% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Carlos

$46 4.6%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 37.5% $17

Getting Around

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 63.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Sao Carlos versus $1,131 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 309% higher in Sao Carlos, 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 $40.00 in Sao Carlos versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Sao Carlos vs $287 in Ubud, Bali – so Sao Carlos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

08:18 8:18 AM

11 h ahead of Sao Carlos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

254,857

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 21, 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 21, 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

Sao Carlos Ubud, Bali 16,170 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Carlos
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

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

Ubud, Bali costs about 38% more than Sao Carlos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,474 per month in Sao Carlos and $2,030 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 19% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Sao Carlos and $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Carlos, where all-in costs run around $982, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Sao Carlos 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. Sao Carlos costs $982 versus $1,353 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 Sao Carlos. 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.