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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,237 in Sao Tome versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,954 in Sao Tome versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Sao Tome versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Sao Tome costs roughly 11% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Tome is 10% below, Ubud, Bali is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 STN 198

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

178.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.23 STN 975

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

19.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 STN 171

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

47.28%

Cappuccino

$2.37 STN 50.1

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

-10.23%

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

$1.86 STN 39.18

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 STN 26.83

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

64.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 STN 36.24

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

-34.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 STN 40.43

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

-55.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 STN 34.94

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 STN 21.24

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

-54.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 STN 45.56

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

91.15%

Eggs

$5.07 STN 107

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

142.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.55 STN 434

$17.39 Rp 306.6K

18.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.10 STN 424

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

419.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.81 STN 524

$12.55 Rp 221.2K

97.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 STN 81.8

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

7.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 STN 38.59

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

17.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 STN 80.4

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

62.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 STN 77.5

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

78.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 STN 62.8

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

56.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 STN 52.5

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

6.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 STN 11.11

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

-48.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 STN 44.21

$0.55 Rp 9,779

281.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 STN 48.69

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

2.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 STN 177

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

-64.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 STN 33.23

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

-31.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 STN 36.74

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

-37.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 STN 30.72

$0.27 Rp 4,802

440.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 STN 35.68

$0.48 Rp 8,489

252.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 STN 55.9

$0.45 Rp 7,863

488.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.38 STN 303

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

151.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 STN 38.33

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

139.47%

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

$26.0K STN 548.7K

$24.5K Rp 431.6M

6.22%

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

$32.6K STN 687.0K

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

1.36%

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

$238 STN 5,014

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

184.42%

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

$32.55 STN 687

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

403.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 STN 1,472

$18.99 Rp 334.8K

267.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.06 STN 740

$56.0 Rp 986.8K

-37.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.12 STN 551

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

40.28%

Cinema Ticket

$20.63 STN 435

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

382.01%

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

$240 STN 5,055

$487 Rp 8.6M

-50.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,261 STN 47.7K

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

-61.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.9 STN 1,623

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

111.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.38 STN 409

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

-75.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 STN 6,196

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

-73.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 STN 4,191

$701 Rp 12.4M

-71.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$953 STN 20.1K

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

-73.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 STN 9,569

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

-74.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,886 STN 39.8K

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

-33.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,166 STN 24.6K

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

-49.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$274 STN 5,772

$170 Rp 3.0M

61.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

13.78

-46.44%

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

Last update for Sao Tome: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Sao Tome and $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Tome pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Sao Tome vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 vs $293 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Tome vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Tome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Sao Tome, 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: $294 in Sao Tome versus $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Sao Tome versus $487 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Tome – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,237 in Sao Tome versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Tome but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Tome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sao Tome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,237 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sao Tome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sao Tome 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 Tome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.