Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Puntarenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Puntarenas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,276 in Puntarenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,978 in Puntarenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,681 in Puntarenas.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 10% more expensive than in Puntarenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Puntarenas is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$7.55 ₡3,367

-54.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$59.2 ₡26.4K

-45.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$9.28 ₡4,141

-47.84%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$3.88 ₡1,729

-29.12%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$2.04 ₡908

-32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.58 ₡706

-52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$2.92 ₡1,305

2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$4.66 ₡2,078

-17.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.97 ₡878

-11.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.91 ₡1,299

-15.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.01 ₡896

-41.79%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.16 ₡966

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$3.45 ₡1,538

320.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$8.00 ₡3,569

-45.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$9.19 ₡4,099

30.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$3.55 ₡1,585

4.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.98 ₡438

66.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.16 ₡517

136.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.39 ₡621

61.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$1.61 ₡719

19.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$1.57 ₡698

45.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.77 ₡343

37.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.93 ₡862

-62.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$4.51 ₡2,014

-27.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$8.29 ₡3,700

179.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.65 ₡735

68.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$2.28 ₡1,018

19.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.95 ₡423

-71.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.87 ₡834

-74.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$1.86 ₡831

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$8.06 ₡3,594

-22.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.31 ₡585

-38.17%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$37.2K ₡16.6M

-28.52%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$16.8K ₡7.5M

91.75%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$48.91 ₡21.8K

60.19%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$19.94 ₡8,895

-79.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$24.02 ₡10.7K

1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$57.4 ₡25.6K

71.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$24.22 ₡10.8K

-73.82%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$9.93 ₡4,431

-59.82%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$575 ₡256.7K

-46.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$12.4K ₡5.5M

-46.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$23.97 ₡10.7K

125.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$15.65 ₡6,982

141.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$125 ₡55.6K

-30.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$48.16 ₡21.5K

58.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$755 ₡336.7K

31.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$587 ₡261.7K

14.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$1,518 ₡677.3K

122.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$953 ₡425.1K

115.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$1,017 ₡453.8K

175.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$660 ₡294.6K

237.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$854 ₡380.9K

-80.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

121.33%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Puntarenas: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $755 in Puntarenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puntarenas pays 411% 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 $59.0 in Puntarenas. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $242, with Puntarenas 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 Puntarenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puntarenas wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puntarenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 411% lower in Puntarenas. 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 $755 in Puntarenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,276 in Puntarenas – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,276 in Puntarenas versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puntarenas but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Puntarenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puntarenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,276 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puntarenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Puntarenas 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 Puntarenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.