Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Joao Pessoa Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Joao Pessoa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $864 in Joao Pessoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,353 in Joao Pessoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,842 in Joao Pessoa.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 63% more expensive than Joao Pessoa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Joao Pessoa is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

$5.52 R$27.43

-38.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

$26.51 R$132

24.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

$6.28 R$31.21

-19.11%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

$1.67 R$8.32

68.86%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

$0.99 R$4.94

38.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.61 R$3.02

16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

$1.76 R$8.74

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

$3.21 R$15.97

21.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

$1.13 R$5.61

54.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

$1.56 R$7.73

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

$1.29 R$6.42

-6.20%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

$2.46 R$12.20

-5.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

$6.00 R$29.81

141.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

$4.10 R$20.37

6.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

$6.46 R$32.12

86.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

$2.64 R$13.12

44.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$0.86 R$4.29

87.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

$0.84 R$4.19

221.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

$1.03 R$5.10

116.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.17 R$5.84

62.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

$0.88 R$4.36

147.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

$0.62 R$3.06

66.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

$0.81 R$4.02

-4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

$2.68 R$13.33

18.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

$9.11 R$45.28

154.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

$1.46 R$7.27

95.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

$2.97 R$14.76

-8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,022

$0.92 R$4.55

-68.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

$63.7 R$316

-86.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,344

$1.84 R$9.17

-73.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,812

$0.62 R$3.08

-27.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

$2.82 R$14.01

122.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

$1.09 R$5.40

-22.02%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

$19.1K R$95.0K

36.32%

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

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

$28.3K R$140.7K

11.38%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$75.5 R$375

5.73%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

$21.83 R$108

-81.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

$19.17 R$95.3

25.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$27.68 R$138

247.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

$26.95 R$134

-75.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

$7.13 R$35.44

-42.08%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$315 R$1,567

-5.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

$6,143 R$30.5K

8.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

$42.06 R$209

30.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

$56.0 R$278

-30.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

$111 R$554

-19.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$69.6 R$346

13.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

$218 R$1,082

367.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.3M

$212 R$1,055

210.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

$489 R$2,431

602.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

$436 R$2,167

370.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

$2,447 R$12.2K

21.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

$1,210 R$6,015

95.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 Rp 3.0M

$521 R$2,587

-66.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

32.80%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 21, 2026

Last update for Joao Pessoa: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $218 in Joao Pessoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Joao Pessoa pays 203% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $27 in Joao Pessoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $176 per month, with Joao Pessoa cheaper across the board.

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 Joao Pessoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Joao Pessoa differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $864 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Joao Pessoa earns 203% less. 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: $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $218 in Joao Pessoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $315 in Joao Pessoa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $864 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Joao Pessoa but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Joao Pessoa 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 Joao Pessoa 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 Joao Pessoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.