Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Buenos Aires Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Buenos Aires

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,408 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,203 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,998 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs are close between Ubud, Bali and Buenos Aires; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 4% above, Buenos Aires 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$15.07 ARS 21.5K

-76.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$61.2 ARS 87.4K

-46.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$11.91 ARS 17.0K

-59.19%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$4.05 ARS 5,784

-32.10%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$2.17 ARS 3,102

-39.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$1.54 ARS 2,199

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$3.59 ARS 5,126

-18.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$4.08 ARS 5,831

-7.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.52 ARS 2,170

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$2.45 ARS 3,494

0.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$2.28 ARS 3,253

-47.37%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$3.22 ARS 4,600

-24.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$11.87 ARS 17.0K

21.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$7.74 ARS 11.0K

-44.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$9.60 ARS 13.7K

27.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.50 ARS 3,571

47.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$2.03 ARS 2,900

-23.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.30 ARS 1,852

114.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$2.64 ARS 3,775

-11.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.45 ARS 2,069

35.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.48 ARS 2,113

56.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.80 ARS 2,572

-41.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$1.50 ARS 2,148

-51.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.30 ARS 4,709

-0.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$5.90 ARS 8,429

286.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$2.20 ARS 3,150

27.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$3.07 ARS 4,383

-9.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.69 ARS 982

-57.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$15.91 ARS 22.7K

-49.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$1.59 ARS 2,265

-71.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.93 ARS 1,322

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$5.95 ARS 8,504

4.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.13 ARS 1,613

-24.78%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$24.9K ARS 35.6M

4.33%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

10.03%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$113 ARS 161.3K

-28.49%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$21.34 ARS 30.5K

-80.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$28.46 ARS 40.7K

-14.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$42.70 ARS 61.0K

128.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$11.57 ARS 16.5K

-44.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$9.19 ARS 13.1K

-56.04%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$329 ARS 470.5K

-7.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$5,149 ARS 7.4M

28.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$109 ARS 156.3K

-50.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$87.3 ARS 124.7K

-55.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$124 ARS 176.7K

-30.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$132 ARS 189.1K

-42.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$659 ARS 941.3K

49.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$443 ARS 632.9K

48.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$1,167 ARS 1.7M

188.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$789 ARS 1.1M

161.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$2,561 ARS 3.7M

7.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$1,788 ARS 2.6M

24.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$808 ARS 1.2M

-79.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

52.71

-74.81%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $659 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 395% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $61.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $269, with Buenos Aires 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

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

On paper, Buenos Aires earns 395% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $659 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $329 in Buenos Aires. 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 $33.00 versus $61.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,408 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali 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 Buenos Aires are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Buenos Aires on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.