Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Arenal

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $1,673 in Arenal, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. The total is higher in Arenal despite lower rent and utilities.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Arenal
Learn more

Arenal Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Arenal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Arenal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Arenal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,673 in Arenal.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Arenal $1,673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,631 in Arenal.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Arenal $2,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,589 in Arenal.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Arenal $3,589

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 18% less than in Arenal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, Arenal 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

$12.02 ₡5,402

-72.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 629.4K

$60.8 ₡27.3K

-42.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 103.8K

$11.74 ₡5,277

-50.60%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 48.8K

$4.53 ₡2,034

-39.74%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.4K

$2.75 ₡1,235

-40.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.94 ₡870

-57.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.3K

$3.34 ₡1,500

-19.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 76.9K

$4.34 ₡1,951

-0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

$2.31 ₡1,037

-35.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

$3.14 ₡1,411

-26.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

$2.50 ₡1,125

-52.80%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.4K

$3.46 ₡1,554

-38.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 312.7K

$10.58 ₡4,753

65.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.1K

$10.24 ₡4,600

-60.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 218.8K

$14.10 ₡6,337

-13.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.5K

$5.16 ₡2,317

-31.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.1K

$1.60 ₡718

-1.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

$4.62 ₡2,076

-51.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$3.79 ₡1,702

-49.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.7K

$3.84 ₡1,724

-51.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

$3.71 ₡1,669

-38.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$1.08 ₡486

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,419

$3.17 ₡1,424

-83.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$5.82 ₡2,616

-60.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 411.7K

$19.68 ₡8,841

16.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.9K

$2.80 ₡1,257

-16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.1K

$3.62 ₡1,628

-19.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,289

$1.40 ₡627

-82.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 157.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,632

$2.50 ₡1,125

-80.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,184

$1.57 ₡707

-70.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 97.6K

$8.48 ₡3,812

-35.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

$1.58 ₡708

-44.30%

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

$24.6K Rp 439.6M

$22.1K ₡9.9M

11.06%

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

$31.2K Rp 558.0M

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-12.45%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$94.3 ₡42.4K

-11.94%

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

$6.45 Rp 115.3K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-82.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 332.2K

$59.2 ₡26.6K

-68.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 998.7K

$78.2 ₡35.2K

-28.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 324.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.4K

$7.51 ₡3,373

-41.68%

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

$493 Rp 8.8M

$989 ₡444.4K

-50.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 102.9M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-65.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 826.5K

$72.0 ₡32.3K

-35.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 632.2K

$57.0 ₡25.6K

-38.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$131 ₡59.0K

-39.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$131 ₡58.8K

-40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.4M

$796 ₡357.7K

43.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.1M

$570 ₡256.2K

18.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 62.7M

$1,638 ₡736.2K

113.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.4M

$1,091 ₡490.3K

55.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.62

59.86%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arenal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Arenal

$570 34.1% 15.6% $106

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Arenal

$398 23.8% 37.1% $108

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Arenal

$230 13.7% 111% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Arenal

$189 11.3% 75.3% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Arenal

$176 10.5% 63.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Arenal

$93 5.6% 44.4% $29

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Arenal

$16 * 1% 27.2% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $796 in Arenal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $61.0 in Arenal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $398 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇨🇷 Arenal

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

03:35 3:35 AM

14 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

2,300

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 17,893 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,037 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Arenal 17,820 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Arenal

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

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

Ubud, Bali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,051 in Ubud, Bali and $2,509 in Arenal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $796 in Arenal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $989 in Arenal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $61.0 in Arenal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,673 in Arenal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Arenal. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Arenal 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Arenal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.