Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Guanacaste

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,534 in Guanacaste, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Guanacaste despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
Learn more

Guanacaste Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Guanacaste actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,534 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Guanacaste $1,534

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,421 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Guanacaste $2,421

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,307 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Guanacaste $3,307

Ubud, Bali is about 12% cheaper than Guanacaste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

$10.77 ₡4,862

-69.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

$47.69 ₡21.5K

-25.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

$11.68 ₡5,272

-52.65%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$4.44 ₡2,004

-38.74%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

$2.70 ₡1,221

-37.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.93 ₡871

-60.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$3.10 ₡1,399

-14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

$4.47 ₡2,020

-2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$2.04 ₡922

-26.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$3.19 ₡1,440

-28.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$2.42 ₡1,091

-50.83%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$3.59 ₡1,619

-43.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

$5.63 ₡2,544

214.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

$4.30 ₡1,943

-7.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

$11.09 ₡5,007

9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

$2.68 ₡1,210

36.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.57 ₡709

-3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$4.40 ₡1,989

-49.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

$1.53 ₡689

28.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$3.86 ₡1,745

-52.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$2.25 ₡1,017

7.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$0.90 ₡406

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,303

$3.07 ₡1,386

-83.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$4.34 ₡1,959

-48.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

$20.25 ₡9,144

9.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$2.80 ₡1,262

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

$2.66 ₡1,202

11.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,548

$1.29 ₡584

-80.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,964

$2.50 ₡1,128

-82.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,793

$1.57 ₡707

-72.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

$8.85 ₡3,997

-38.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

$1.57 ₡709

-47.77%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

$33.7K ₡15.2M

-29.27%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-23.04%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$93.5 ₡42.2K

-15.46%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

$36.18 ₡16.3K

-82.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

$32.69 ₡14.8K

-43.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

$66.5 ₡30.0K

-25.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

$7.85 ₡3,544

-45.61%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$968 ₡437.0K

-49.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

$17.5K ₡7.9M

-67.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

$66.5 ₡30.0K

-32.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

$44.53 ₡20.1K

-21.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$86.6 ₡39.1K

-7.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$78.2 ₡35.3K

1.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$795 ₡359.0K

41.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$620 ₡279.8K

8.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

$1,899 ₡857.1K

87.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

$1,279 ₡577.4K

34.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

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 25, 2026

Last update for Guanacaste: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Guanacaste

$620 40.4% 7.7% $52

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Guanacaste

$312 20.4% 8.3% $24

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Guanacaste

$217 14.2% 102% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Guanacaste

$124 8.1% 15.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Guanacaste

$162 10.6% 56% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Guanacaste

$82 5.4% 41.6% $24

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Guanacaste

$16 * 1% 35.7% $4.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $795 in Guanacaste. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $48 in Guanacaste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $312 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

05:15 5:15 AM

14 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

1,823

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Guanacaste 17,740 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Guanacaste

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 Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guanacaste is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,301 in Guanacaste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guanacaste, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $795 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,534 in Guanacaste. That makes Ubud, Bali about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $968 in Guanacaste. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,534 in Guanacaste. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,349 versus $1,534 in Guanacaste. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.