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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,381 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,205 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,030 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 1% more expensive than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

$15.11 ARS 22.6K

-76.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

$61.1 ARS 91.3K

-47.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

$12.08 ARS 18.1K

-58.53%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

$4.03 ARS 6,030

-30.02%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$2.18 ARS 3,259

-38.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$1.54 ARS 2,309

-52.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$3.68 ARS 5,495

-20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

$3.96 ARS 5,918

-0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$1.59 ARS 2,383

11.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

$2.55 ARS 3,805

-3.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

$2.31 ARS 3,452

-50.22%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$3.25 ARS 4,866

-25.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

$12.05 ARS 18.0K

18.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

$7.83 ARS 11.7K

-46.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

$9.16 ARS 13.7K

31.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

$2.56 ARS 3,833

42.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$2.04 ARS 3,056

-23.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

$1.26 ARS 1,882

121.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$2.57 ARS 3,839

-12.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

$1.44 ARS 2,155

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$1.48 ARS 2,208

54.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$1.82 ARS 2,718

-42.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.44 ARS 2,158

-45.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

$3.20 ARS 4,786

-0.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

$5.75 ARS 8,598

308.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

$2.25 ARS 3,361

28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

$3.15 ARS 4,704

-12.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

$0.72 ARS 1,084

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

$15.93 ARS 23.8K

-47.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,180

$1.59 ARS 2,376

-71.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,311

$0.85 ARS 1,267

-45.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

$5.98 ARS 8,934

1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.12 ARS 1,676

-23.21%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

$25.3K ARS 37.9M

4.98%

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

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

$28.6K ARS 42.7M

13.96%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$111 ARS 165.6K

-28.67%

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

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

$21.83 ARS 32.6K

-81.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

$29.16 ARS 43.6K

-18.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$43.06 ARS 64.4K

129.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

$11.39 ARS 17.0K

-44.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

$9.13 ARS 13.6K

-56.08%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$331 ARS 495.0K

-10.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

$5,203 ARS 7.8M

26.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

$112 ARS 168.1K

-52.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

$87.7 ARS 131.1K

-56.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$126 ARS 187.8K

-29.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$130 ARS 194.5K

-41.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$648 ARS 968.6K

57.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$441 ARS 658.6K

54.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

$1,186 ARS 1.8M

192.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

$804 ARS 1.2M

159.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$2,617 ARS 3.9M

4.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

$1,898 ARS 2.8M

20.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$850 ARS 1.3M

-80.75%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $648 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 420% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $61.0 in Buenos Aires. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $270, 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

Ubud, Bali and Buenos Aires differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,392 vs $1,381 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 420% lower in Buenos Aires. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $648 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $331 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,381 in Buenos Aires versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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.

Expats usually find Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.