Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
66

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

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Sao Paulo versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Sao Paulo versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 10% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 10% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

169.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

39.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

58.42%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

-2.67%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-21.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-24.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

25.42%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

30.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-28.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

42.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

-9.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-21.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

-30.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

6.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-46.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$0.53 Rp 9,509

84.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

31.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-21.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-15.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$0.23 Rp 4,112

365.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

431.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$0.47 Rp 8,466

285.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$0.43 Rp 7,737

134.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

87.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

55.42%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

-1.43%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

5.26%

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

$104 R$527

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

30.07%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

153.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

18.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-32.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

158.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

128.00%

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

$573 R$2,906

$493 Rp 8.9M

16.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

202.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

45.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

74.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

27.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

16.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-42.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$673 Rp 12.1M

-37.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-57.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-41.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

-1.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-9.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

$166 Rp 3.0M

441.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

13.78

-15.24%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 60.9% $255

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 18.1% $44

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 33.7% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 25.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 26.3% $38

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 78.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 12.2% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Sao Paulo and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 441% 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $287, with Sao Paulo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

18:52 6:52 PM

11 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Ubud, Bali 15,940 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 441% 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: $654 in Sao Paulo versus $1,131 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 431% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $573 in Sao Paulo versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $1,353 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 11% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.