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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $944 in La Rioja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,580 in La Rioja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,217 in La Rioja.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 50% more expensive than La Rioja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, La Rioja is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$10.70 ARS 15.4K

-66.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$33.77 ARS 48.6K

-3.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$9.22 ARS 13.3K

-46.31%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.70 ARS 3,878

0.37%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.71 ARS 2,459

-21.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$1.56 ARS 2,238

-55.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$2.17 ARS 3,126

34.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.99 ARS 4,299

32.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.31 ARS 1,881

38.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.62 ARS 2,337

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$2.03 ARS 2,915

-42.86%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.17 ARS 3,120

13.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$10.24 ARS 14.7K

43.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$6.35 ARS 9,138

-31.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$9.55 ARS 13.7K

27.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.05 ARS 2,944

87.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$2.05 ARS 2,950

-23.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.31 ARS 1,887

116.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$2.55 ARS 3,666

-8.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.14 ARS 1,633

67.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$1.26 ARS 1,808

74.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.32 ARS 1,899

-23.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$1.43 ARS 2,062

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.10 ARS 4,462

7.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$4.36 ARS 6,269

444.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$2.05 ARS 2,944

36.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$3.12 ARS 4,491

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.78 ARS 1,120

-65.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.46 ARS 2,100

-68.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.91 ARS 1,314

-50.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$6.07 ARS 8,734

0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.10 ARS 1,585

-28.18%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$27.3K ARS 39.2M

-4.16%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$30.1K ARS 43.3M

6.59%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$66.3 ARS 95.4K

20.52%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$17.27 ARS 24.8K

-76.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$22.26 ARS 32.0K

5.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$26.04 ARS 37.5K

279.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$13.97 ARS 20.1K

-52.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$6.31 ARS 9,070

-34.23%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$222 ARS 318.8K

37.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$2,697 ARS 3.9M

145.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$73.1 ARS 105.1K

-24.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$70.7 ARS 101.7K

-45.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$115 ARS 165.4K

-22.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$112 ARS 161.3K

-30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$335 ARS 482.2K

200.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$238 ARS 342.7K

183.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$686 ARS 987.3K

401.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$535 ARS 769.2K

281.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$1,837 ARS 2.6M

54.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$606 ARS 872.0K

-72.74%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for La Rioja: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $335 in La Rioja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Rioja pays 267% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in La Rioja. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $231, 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 50% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $944 including rent). La Rioja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, La Rioja earns 267% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $335 in La Rioja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $222 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $944 in La Rioja versus $1,419 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 50% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.