Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and El Calafate Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and El Calafate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $953 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,554 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,156 in El Calafate.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 49% more expensive than El Calafate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, El Calafate is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$10.44 ARS 15.0K

-65.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$33.71 ARS 48.5K

-2.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$9.11 ARS 13.1K

-45.66%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.74 ARS 3,948

-1.09%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.71 ARS 2,462

-21.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$1.54 ARS 2,210

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$2.15 ARS 3,096

35.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.95 ARS 4,238

34.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.25 ARS 1,798

44.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.63 ARS 2,341

54.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$2.05 ARS 2,946

-43.41%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.27 ARS 3,264

8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$10.21 ARS 14.7K

44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$6.09 ARS 8,764

-29.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$9.39 ARS 13.5K

29.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$1.97 ARS 2,829

94.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$2.09 ARS 3,000

-25.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.31 ARS 1,883

116.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$2.62 ARS 3,762

-11.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.18 ARS 1,695

61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$1.24 ARS 1,789

77.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.31 ARS 1,890

-22.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$1.45 ARS 2,080

-46.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.08 ARS 4,430

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$5.14 ARS 7,397

361.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$2.07 ARS 2,982

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$3.17 ARS 4,565

-9.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.78 ARS 1,123

-65.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.54 ARS 2,217

-70.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.88 ARS 1,261

-48.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$6.16 ARS 8,855

-0.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.09 ARS 1,568

-27.52%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$27.6K ARS 39.7M

-5.16%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$30.9K ARS 44.4M

4.09%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$67.7 ARS 97.3K

18.13%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$17.29 ARS 24.9K

-76.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$22.23 ARS 32.0K

5.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$26.54 ARS 38.2K

271.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$13.72 ARS 19.7K

-51.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$6.08 ARS 8,745

-31.74%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$217 ARS 312.5K

39.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$2,719 ARS 3.9M

143.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$75.1 ARS 108.1K

-26.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$70.6 ARS 101.6K

-45.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$113 ARS 163.0K

-21.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$111 ARS 160.2K

-30.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$336 ARS 482.7K

199.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$238 ARS 342.1K

184.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$686 ARS 987.5K

401.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$538 ARS 774.3K

278.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$1,864 ARS 2.7M

52.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$1,588 ARS 2.3M

42.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

58.5

-77.30%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $336 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in El Calafate. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $232, with El Calafate 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 El Calafate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and El Calafate differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $953 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,429 in El Calafate 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $336 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $217 in El Calafate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Calafate – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $953 in El Calafate versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Calafate but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes El Calafate 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 El Calafate 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 El Calafate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.