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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,028 in Joao Pessoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,604 in Joao Pessoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,180 in Joao Pessoa.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 33% more expensive than in Joao Pessoa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Joao Pessoa is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$6.95 R$35.80

-50.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$29.07 R$150

24.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$7.94 R$40.92

-28.09%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$1.48 R$7.60

80.41%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.98 R$5.07

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.71 R$3.64

22.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.89 R$9.72

56.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.43 R$17.66

31.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.17 R$6.03

38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.99 R$10.26

17.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.46 R$7.51

-23.97%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.10 R$10.82

4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$8.32 R$42.87

112.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$4.68 R$24.10

-12.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$7.10 R$36.59

71.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$3.29 R$16.93

12.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.97 R$4.98

63.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$0.82 R$4.25

178.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.14 R$5.85

71.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.53 R$7.90

24.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.25 R$6.46

86.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.70 R$3.60

44.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.84 R$4.32

-34.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$2.99 R$15.42

-25.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$8.63 R$44.45

167.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.51 R$7.79

60.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$3.17 R$16.34

-5.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.99 R$5.09

-72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$69.3 R$357

-87.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.96 R$10.11

-75.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$1.93 R$9.94

-77.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$3.05 R$15.73

84.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.30 R$6.69

-38.46%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$23.1K R$119.0K

8.03%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$32.1K R$165.3K

-1.16%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$124 R$638

-34.21%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$22.22 R$114

-70.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$23.17 R$119

-18.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$36.95 R$190

53.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$28.71 R$148

-34.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$10.52 R$54.2

-56.84%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$385 R$1,985

24.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$6,476 R$33.4K

-11.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$51.5 R$265

-11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$66.5 R$342

-46.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$85.0 R$438

-5.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$74.0 R$381

6.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$392 R$2,021

184.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$263 R$1,353

165.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$634 R$3,268

473.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$508 R$2,617

241.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$2,380 R$12.3K

16.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,185 R$6,105

93.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$495 R$2,551

-66.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

25.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Joao Pessoa: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $392 in Joao Pessoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Joao Pessoa pays 195% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $29.00 in Joao Pessoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $198 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,028 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 195% lower in Joao Pessoa. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $392 in Joao Pessoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $385 in Joao Pessoa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,368 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 33% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.