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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,188 in Sao Paulo versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,960 in Sao Paulo versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,732 in Sao Paulo versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 15% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 14% below, Ubud, Bali is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.60 R$43.85

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

155.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.05 R$250

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

27.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$43.05

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

52.90%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R$12.59

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

-6.44%

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

$1.34 R$6.84

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

-19.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.37

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 R$14.68

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

9.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 R$21.89

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.76

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

-27.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 R$9.14

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

-19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.99

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

21.24%

Eggs

$2.78 R$14.20

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

33.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 R$59.4

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

-33.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 R$25.16

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

27.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 R$52.7

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

-17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$13.87

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

-24.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.17

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R$7.87

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

-34.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.21

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

-12.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.08

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

-26.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.35

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

-47.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 R$6.01

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

14.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.55 Rp 9,809

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R$14.94

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

30.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 R$48.85

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 R$8.26

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

-29.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.40

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

-6.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 R$5.34

$0.27 Rp 4,816

288.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.17 R$241

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

444.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 R$8.64

$0.48 Rp 8,515

252.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.69

$0.45 Rp 7,887

104.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 R$50.8

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

74.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.40

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

65.79%

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

$23.1K R$117.7K

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

-5.72%

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

$32.2K R$164.2K

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

0.23%

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

$103 R$524

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

22.88%

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

$15.65 R$79.8

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

142.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.86 R$112

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.14 R$179

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

-37.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.92 R$229

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

141.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 R$49.08

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

124.77%

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

$492 R$2,509

$487 Rp 8.6M

1.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K R$80.6K

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

170.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 R$309

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

33.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 R$305

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

64.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 R$469

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

12.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 R$428

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 R$3,273

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

-42.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 R$2,061

$701 Rp 12.4M

-42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 R$7,448

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

-58.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 R$4,869

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

-45.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 R$13.8K

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

-4.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,014 R$10.3K

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

-12.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$889 R$4,535

$170 Rp 3.0M

423.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.04

13.78

-12.63%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Sao Paulo and $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 424% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $293, with Sao Paulo cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 424% higher in Sao Paulo, 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: $642 in Sao Paulo versus $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 445% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $492 in Sao Paulo versus $487 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,188 in Sao Paulo versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Paulo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo 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 Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.