Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $857 in Sao Luis versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,298 in Sao Luis versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,739 in Sao Luis versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Sao Luis costs roughly 39% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Luis is 38% below, Ubud, Bali is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 R$32.63

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

89.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.07 R$194

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

-1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 R$34.54

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

22.64%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R$11.08

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

-17.80%

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

$1.23 R$6.28

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

-26.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.40

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

-12.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 R$9.77

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

-27.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R$11.85

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

-45.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.42

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

-31.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.37

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

-17.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.40

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

-6.19%

Eggs

$2.07 R$10.57

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

-0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 R$50.1

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

-43.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 R$21.09

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

6.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 R$37.74

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

-41.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.31

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

-44.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.77

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

-14.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.92

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

-50.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.29

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

-20.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.82

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

-29.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

-46.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 R$4.32

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

-17.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.52

$0.55 Rp 9,809

25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 R$11.90

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

3.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 R$41.02

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

-66.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.34

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

-46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.01

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

-22.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$3.93

$0.27 Rp 4,816

185.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.05 R$194

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

339.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.75

$0.48 Rp 8,515

93.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.61

$0.45 Rp 7,887

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.98

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

53.95%

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

$23.2K R$118.2K

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

-5.30%

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

$29.0K R$148.1K

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

-9.61%

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

$93.1 R$475

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

11.37%

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

$16.90 R$86.2

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

161.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 R$105

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

8.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.76 R$101

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

-64.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 R$74.0

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

-22.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 R$38.48

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

76.40%

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

$222 R$1,135

$487 Rp 8.6M

-54.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,659 R$23.8K

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

-20.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.59 R$243

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

4.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 R$257

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

38.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.7 R$289

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

-30.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.1 R$291

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

-28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,749

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

-69.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,138

$701 Rp 12.4M

-68.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 R$2,769

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

-84.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 R$1,614

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

-82.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,474 R$7,519

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

-47.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 R$3,529

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

-69.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 R$1,911

$170 Rp 3.0M

120.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Sao Luis: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Sao Luis and $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Luis pays 121% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Sao Luis vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $293 per month, with Sao Luis 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

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

Sao Luis and Ubud, Bali differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($857 vs $1,396 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 121% higher in Sao Luis, 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: $343 in Sao Luis versus $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Luis – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $857 in Sao Luis versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.