Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and La Rioja Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and La Rioja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $957 in La Rioja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,562 in La Rioja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,166 in La Rioja.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$10.30 ARS 15.2K

-66.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$34.32 ARS 50.7K

-5.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$9.20 ARS 13.6K

-47.39%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.73 ARS 4,042

0.73%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.67 ARS 2,463

-17.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.53 ARS 2,261

-50.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$2.09 ARS 3,085

43.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.92 ARS 4,312

31.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.32 ARS 1,945

31.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.56 ARS 2,306

57.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.05 ARS 3,029

-42.93%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.18 ARS 3,217

11.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$9.92 ARS 14.7K

46.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$6.04 ARS 8,923

-27.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$9.27 ARS 13.7K

29.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.96 ARS 2,897

89.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.15 ARS 3,178

-24.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.33 ARS 1,960

106.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.65 ARS 3,918

-15.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$1.18 ARS 1,748

62.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$1.24 ARS 1,839

83.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.32 ARS 1,947

-19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.42 ARS 2,099

-49.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$3.04 ARS 4,493

8.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$4.95 ARS 7,317

368.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$2.00 ARS 2,961

39.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$3.13 ARS 4,623

-12.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.76 ARS 1,128

-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 2,179

-67.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.93 ARS 1,380

-54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$6.16 ARS 9,106

0.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.05 ARS 1,559

-22.86%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$27.4K ARS 40.5M

-2.94%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$30.1K ARS 44.5M

6.90%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$66.8 ARS 98.7K

17.29%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$17.29 ARS 25.6K

-76.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$22.78 ARS 33.7K

6.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$26.15 ARS 38.7K

277.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$13.76 ARS 20.3K

-53.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$6.30 ARS 9,304

-36.67%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$219 ARS 323.5K

39.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$2,707 ARS 4.0M

145.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$74.7 ARS 110.3K

-27.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$68.5 ARS 101.3K

-44.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$117 ARS 172.9K

-25.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$112 ARS 165.5K

-31.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$337 ARS 498.3K

194.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$235 ARS 348.0K

185.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$691 ARS 1.0M

388.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$536 ARS 791.8K

282.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$2,075 ARS 3.1M

35.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$1,682 ARS 2.5M

32.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$586 ARS 865.6K

-71.49%

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 La Rioja: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $337 in La Rioja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Rioja pays 251% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in La Rioja. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $229, with La Rioja 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 La Rioja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and La Rioja differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $957 including rent). La Rioja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 251% lower in La Rioja. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $337 in La Rioja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $219 in La Rioja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in La Rioja – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $957 in La Rioja versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in La Rioja but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes La Rioja 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 La Rioja 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 La Rioja 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.