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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,164 in La Rioja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,007 in La Rioja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,851 in La Rioja.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 18% more expensive than in La Rioja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, La Rioja is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$15.75 ARS 23.8K

-78.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$53.0 ARS 80.0K

-32.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$13.14 ARS 19.8K

-57.15%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$3.81 ARS 5,741

-25.98%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$2.09 ARS 3,158

-16.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$1.67 ARS 2,525

-52.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$3.76 ARS 5,673

-19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.65 ARS 5,513

17.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.32 ARS 1,993

21.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$2.17 ARS 3,277

4.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.56 ARS 2,354

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.46 ARS 3,710

-11.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$10.18 ARS 15.4K

73.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$6.54 ARS 9,872

-38.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$11.37 ARS 17.2K

7.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.32 ARS 3,495

56.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$2.13 ARS 3,208

-23.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.38 ARS 2,087

67.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$2.11 ARS 3,177

-7.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$1.10 ARS 1,656

67.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$0.98 ARS 1,482

141.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$1.56 ARS 2,348

-32.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$1.68 ARS 2,533

-67.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.40 ARS 5,125

-32.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$4.86 ARS 7,327

374.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$2.02 ARS 3,052

15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.93 ARS 4,426

4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.97 ARS 1,465

-74.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$1.61 ARS 2,432

-69.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.98 ARS 1,483

-52.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$7.57 ARS 11.4K

-26.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.20 ARS 1,812

-32.50%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$27.1K ARS 40.9M

-7.70%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$33.5K ARS 50.5M

-7.21%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$83.4 ARS 125.7K

-0.77%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$17.31 ARS 26.1K

-62.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$27.72 ARS 41.8K

-32.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$30.06 ARS 45.3K

83.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$8.33 ARS 12.6K

-48.38%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$297 ARS 448.1K

66.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$4,246 ARS 6.4M

39.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$108 ARS 163.0K

-57.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$75.7 ARS 114.2K

-51.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$116 ARS 174.9K

-30.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$125 ARS 188.9K

-37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$475 ARS 716.1K

134.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$304 ARS 459.0K

127.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$979 ARS 1.5M

271.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$766 ARS 1.2M

123.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$2,355 ARS 3.6M

17.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$609 ARS 918.3K

-72.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

56.56

-75.64%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for La Rioja: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $475 in La Rioja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Rioja pays 264% 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 $53.0 in La Rioja. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $246, 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,378 vs $1,164 including rent). La Rioja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 264% 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $475 in La Rioja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $297 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 $53.0 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,164 in La Rioja versus $1,378 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 18% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.