Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Montes Claros Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Montes Claros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $820 in Montes Claros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,327 in Montes Claros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,833 in Montes Claros.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 67% more expensive than in Montes Claros, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Montes Claros is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$3.45 R$17.75

-0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.2K

$31.28 R$161

16.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.2K

$7.03 R$36.13

-18.78%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$1.90 R$9.78

40.53%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.24 R$6.36

41.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.79 R$4.04

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$1.43 R$7.38

106.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$3.00 R$15.42

50.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.07 R$5.51

51.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.67 R$8.59

39.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.26 R$6.46

-11.90%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.19 R$11.28

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.9K

$8.52 R$43.80

107.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$4.09 R$21.02

0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.0K

$8.25 R$42.40

47.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$1.85 R$9.50

100.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$1.28 R$6.56

24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$1.07 R$5.49

113.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$1.42 R$7.28

37.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$1.03 R$5.30

85.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$1.07 R$5.51

117.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.81 R$4.15

24.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,791

$0.69 R$3.53

-20.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$2.38 R$12.21

-6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.3K

$7.56 R$38.86

205.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$1.41 R$7.27

71.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$2.31 R$11.86

29.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,823

$0.76 R$3.89

-64.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

$46.79 R$241

-80.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,582

$1.23 R$6.35

-60.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,693

$0.87 R$4.46

-50.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$8.84 R$45.45

-36.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.05 R$5.41

-23.81%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.5M

$23.6K R$121.3K

5.72%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.6M

$32.2K R$165.7K

-1.59%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$67.3 R$346

20.99%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$11.99 R$61.7

-45.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.0K

$19.00 R$97.7

-1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$25.85 R$133

120.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.3K

$28.96 R$149

-35.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$8.12 R$41.78

-44.09%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$335 R$1,724

43.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.3M

$7,005 R$36.0K

-18.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.5K

$53.1 R$273

-14.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.6K

$47.92 R$246

-25.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$93.9 R$483

-14.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$69.8 R$359

12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$344 R$1,767

224.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$232 R$1,194

200.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$653 R$3,356

457.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$450 R$2,315

285.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$1,455 R$7,481

91.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$1,215 R$6,248

88.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$387 R$1,988

-56.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.06

24.59%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $344 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montes Claros pays 130% 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 $31.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $184 per month, with Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Montes Claros differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $820 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 130% lower in Montes Claros. 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 $344 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montes Claros runs roughly 421% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $335 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $820 in Montes Claros versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.