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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $955 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,592 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,228 in El Calafate.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 47% more expensive than in El Calafate, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, El Calafate is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$10.37 ARS 15.3K

-66.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$33.18 ARS 49.0K

-2.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$9.22 ARS 13.6K

-47.51%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.76 ARS 4,085

-0.36%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.72 ARS 2,547

-19.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.55 ARS 2,296

-51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$2.15 ARS 3,173

39.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$3.01 ARS 4,454

27.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.27 ARS 1,874

37.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.57 ARS 2,319

56.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.02 ARS 2,980

-42.08%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.19 ARS 3,235

10.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$10.19 ARS 15.1K

42.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$6.19 ARS 9,148

-29.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$9.36 ARS 13.8K

27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$2.00 ARS 2,957

86.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.16 ARS 3,193

-24.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.31 ARS 1,929

109.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.54 ARS 3,753

-11.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$1.15 ARS 1,697

66.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$1.19 ARS 1,753

91.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.32 ARS 1,958

-19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.49 ARS 2,203

-51.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$3.15 ARS 4,662

4.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$5.11 ARS 7,549

353.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.98 ARS 2,924

40.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$3.02 ARS 4,466

-9.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.76 ARS 1,129

-64.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.47 ARS 2,170

-67.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.87 ARS 1,281

-51.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$6.02 ARS 8,894

3.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.06 ARS 1,566

-23.58%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$27.9K ARS 41.2M

-4.53%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$30.5K ARS 45.1M

5.42%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$66.0 ARS 97.5K

18.78%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$17.47 ARS 25.8K

-76.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$22.11 ARS 32.7K

10.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$26.57 ARS 39.3K

271.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$13.87 ARS 20.5K

-54.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$6.22 ARS 9,195

-35.85%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$216 ARS 319.0K

41.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$2,690 ARS 4.0M

146.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$73.5 ARS 108.6K

-26.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$69.4 ARS 102.6K

-45.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$114 ARS 167.9K

-23.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$110 ARS 163.0K

-30.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$340 ARS 502.4K

191.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$236 ARS 348.8K

185.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$694 ARS 1.0M

386.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$533 ARS 787.1K

284.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$1,872 ARS 2.8M

49.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

39.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 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: July 11, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $340 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $33.00 in El Calafate. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $231, 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $955 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,433 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $340 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $216 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 $33.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $955 in El Calafate versus $1,408 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 47% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.