Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Aracaju Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Aracaju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $643 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $999 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,355 in Aracaju.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 121% more expensive than Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Aracaju is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$4.94 R$24.70

-27.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$21.74 R$109

50.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$5.31 R$26.60

-6.78%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.64 R$8.19

65.24%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$1.03 R$5.14

30.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.56 R$2.80

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.82 R$9.10

60.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.63 R$13.17

50.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.01 R$5.08

79.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.26 R$6.31

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.02 R$5.12

13.73%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.55 R$7.75

58.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$6.54 R$32.72

124.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.41 R$17.07

26.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$6.32 R$31.63

92.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.62 R$8.09

137.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.09 R$5.46

43.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$0.60 R$3.02

371.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$0.99 R$4.96

135.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.92 R$4.62

107.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$0.83 R$4.13

165.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.50 R$2.50

102.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.60 R$3.02

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.00 R$9.99

66.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$5.79 R$28.99

310.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.31 R$6.55

112.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.85 R$9.28

54.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.79 R$3.96

-65.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$37.78 R$189

-78.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.05 R$5.24

-56.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.10 R$5.50

-59.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$6.25 R$31.27

-2.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.04 R$5.19

-24.04%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$17.8K R$89.3K

46.60%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$26.6K R$133.2K

20.69%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$65.9 R$330

21.29%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$13.94 R$69.8

-70.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$15.74 R$78.8

49.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$18.70 R$93.6

427.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$24.02 R$120

-72.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$5.90 R$29.54

-29.66%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$164 R$820

85.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$4,851 R$24.3K

36.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$52.4 R$262

5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$30.07 R$151

27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$69.8 R$349

26.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$79.3 R$397

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$178 R$892

464.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$117 R$586

476.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$601 R$3,007

472.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$212 R$1,060

862.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$1,311 R$6,562

116.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$901 R$4,511

151.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$454 R$2,270

-63.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.35

28.31%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $178 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aracaju pays 175% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $146 per month, with Aracaju 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

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

Ubud, Bali and Aracaju differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $643 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Aracaju earns 175% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $178 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $164 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $643 in Aracaju versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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, Ubud, Bali and Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.