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: $1,056 in Sao Paulo versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Sao Paulo versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,307 in Sao Paulo versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 26% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 21% below, Ubud, Bali is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.36 R$38.05

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

106.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.91 R$201

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 R$37.61

$4.95 Rp 89.3K

46.87%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$10.88

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

-22.51%

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

$1.21 R$6.25

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

-9.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.27

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

18.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 R$11.29

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

-25.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$15.27

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

-25.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.47

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

-41.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 R$9.10

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

-30.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.82

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

13.79%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.63

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

-0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 R$58.3

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

-23.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 R$22.71

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$47.44

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

-24.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 R$14.00

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

-29.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 R$9.92

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R$8.71

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

-40.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.18

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-23.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.44

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

-24.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.75

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

-40.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 R$5.22

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.84

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

-5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.87

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 R$52.8

$23.74 Rp 428.1K

-56.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R$6.76

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

-53.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.40

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

-16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 R$4.46

$0.27 Rp 4,848

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.69 R$236

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

468.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.49

$0.46 Rp 8,231

130.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.92

$0.45 Rp 8,117

68.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.23 R$47.72

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

51.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.70

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

39.24%

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

$21.9K R$113.3K

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

-16.23%

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

$28.0K R$144.6K

$32.1K Rp 579.3M

-12.92%

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

$54.6 R$282

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-31.70%

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

$13.23 R$68.4

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

225.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.26 R$105

$23.52 Rp 424.2K

-13.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 R$154

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-69.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.42 R$183

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

434.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.02 R$41.48

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

93.25%

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

$504 R$2,606

$304 Rp 5.5M

65.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K R$78.4K

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

129.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 R$265

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

-7.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.64 R$220

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

11.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 R$406

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

-11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.2 R$378

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

-6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 R$3,396

$1,006 Rp 18.2M

-34.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 R$2,124

$675 Rp 12.2M

-39.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 R$6,536

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

-63.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 R$3,921

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

-62.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 R$14.4K

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

-1.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,036 R$10.5K

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

-10.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$855 R$4,420

$165 Rp 3.0M

417.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

13.28

-12.95%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Sao Paulo and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 417% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Sao Paulo vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $302, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sao Paulo pays 417% 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: $657 in Sao Paulo versus $1,006 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 469% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $504 in Sao Paulo versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,056 in Sao Paulo versus $1,419 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 34% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.