Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Heredia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,816 in Heredia, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. The total is higher in Heredia despite lower rent and utilities.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Heredia, Costa Rica
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Heredia
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,816
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,816 in Heredia, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Heredia $1,816

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,859 in Heredia, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Heredia $2,859

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,902 in Heredia, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Heredia $3,902

Ubud, Bali is about 26% cheaper than Heredia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Heredia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$11.92 ₡5,381
-72.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 648.1K
$59.5 ₡26.8K
-40.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$10.66 ₡4,812
-48.12%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$3.90 ₡1,762
-30.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$2.19 ₡989
-22.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$1.74 ₡784
-56.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.3K
$2.04 ₡921
29.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.7K
$4.02 ₡1,816
8.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Heredia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$2.14 ₡965
-30.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$2.41 ₡1,090
-5.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$2.73 ₡1,231
-56.41%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$7.70 ₡3,474
-73.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.9K
$11.32 ₡5,110
56.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.1K
$14.48 ₡6,539
-72.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.7K
$17.05 ₡7,699
-28.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.5K
$10.75 ₡4,853
-65.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$3.00 ₡1,355
-49.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$4.97 ₡2,242
-55.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$3.36 ₡1,519
-41.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$3.46 ₡1,560
-46.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$4.53 ₡2,045
-46.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$2.19 ₡987
-54.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,336
$4.73 ₡2,134
-89.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$5.42 ₡2,446
-59.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.4K
$14.25 ₡6,434
56.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$2.52 ₡1,136
-10.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$4.66 ₡2,106
-36.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Heredia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,564
$1.30 ₡586
-80.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.3K
$16.18 ₡7,304
-51.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,992
$2.67 ₡1,206
-83.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,821
$2.94 ₡1,326
-85.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.4K
$11.01 ₡4,972
-50.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.54 ₡694
-46.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.5M
$32.7K ₡14.8M
-27.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.3M
$41.3K ₡18.6M
-23.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Heredia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$103 ₡46.3K
-22.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$26.00 ₡11.7K
-75.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.8K
$53.8 ₡24.3K
-65.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Heredia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.8K
$73.1 ₡33.0K
-32.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.9K
$21.80 ₡9,844
-19.04%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$11.45 ₡5,169
-62.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Heredia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$690 ₡311.3K
-28.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.2M
$18.1K ₡8.2M
-68.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Heredia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.7K
$89.2 ₡40.3K
-49.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.6K
$65.1 ₡29.4K
-46.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$142 ₡64.2K
-43.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$111 ₡49.9K
-28.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Heredia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.5M
$999 ₡451.1K
12.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$619 ₡279.4K
8.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$1,824 ₡823.5K
95.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$1,141 ₡515.0K
51.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.7M
$2,078 ₡938.3K
31.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$1,467 ₡662.5K
55.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Heredia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$1,342 ₡606.0K
-87.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
13
6.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Heredia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Heredia
$619 7.8% $53
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Heredia
$488 69.3% $200
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Heredia
$208 93.3% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Heredia
$183 70.4% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Heredia
$182 75.2% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Heredia
$96 65.3% $38
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Heredia
$39 239% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $999 in Heredia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Heredia are about 8.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $59 in Heredia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $488 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇷 Heredia
🕒 Local time
18:23 6:23 PM
04:23 4:23 AM
14 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
117,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,291 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Heredia 17,880 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Heredia

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 Heredia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ubud, Bali cheaper than Heredia?
Yes – Heredia is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,723 in Heredia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Heredia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $999 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
What are total monthly expenses in Ubud, Bali and in Heredia?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,816 in Heredia. That makes Ubud, Bali about 26% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 52% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Ubud, Bali or in Heredia?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,816 in Heredia. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,349 versus $1,816 in Heredia. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Heredia?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Heredia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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