Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Rio de Janeiro Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Rio de Janeiro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,237 in Rio de Janeiro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,799 in Rio de Janeiro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,360 in Rio de Janeiro.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 11% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Rio de Janeiro is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$9.14 R$46.85

-62.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.5K

$38.73 R$198

-6.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.3K

$8.05 R$41.25

-29.07%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$2.24 R$11.45

19.20%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.1K

$1.58 R$8.11

10.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$1.02 R$5.24

-14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$2.34 R$11.99

26.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$3.24 R$16.61

39.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.09 R$5.61

48.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$1.97 R$10.12

18.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.7K

$1.36 R$6.98

-18.38%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.1K

$2.28 R$11.69

-3.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 314.0K

$10.83 R$55.5

63.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$4.19 R$21.50

-2.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.1K

$9.62 R$49.32

26.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$2.63 R$13.46

41.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$1.73 R$8.86

-8.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$1.53 R$7.86

49.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$1.84 R$9.41

5.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$1.23 R$6.32

55.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$1.00 R$5.14

133.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.74 R$3.79

36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,795

$0.61 R$3.12

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$2.93 R$15.04

-23.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.5K

$9.00 R$46.13

156.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$1.19 R$6.09

103.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$2.33 R$11.93

28.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,825

$0.93 R$4.75

-70.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

$49.48 R$254

-81.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,586

$1.19 R$6.09

-59.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,697

$0.84 R$4.28

-48.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$9.03 R$46.26

-37.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.28 R$6.55

-37.50%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.7M

$23.0K R$117.7K

8.62%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.8M

$32.1K R$164.5K

-1.22%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$136 R$696

-39.99%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$12.02 R$61.6

-46.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.1K

$21.89 R$112

-14.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$30.08 R$154

89.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.4K

$29.58 R$152

-36.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$7.94 R$40.67

-42.82%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$551 R$2,822

-12.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.4M

$13.3K R$68.2K

-57.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.9K

$40.13 R$206

13.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.9K

$46.79 R$240

-23.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$72.0 R$369

11.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$66.4 R$340

18.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$833 R$4,266

33.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$482 R$2,468

44.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$1,278 R$6,551

184.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$702 R$3,597

147.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$3,929 R$20.1K

-29.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$1,477 R$7,567

55.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$643 R$3,294

-73.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.93

15.51%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $833 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 283% 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 $39.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $211, with Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,237 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 283% lower in Rio de Janeiro. 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 $833 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,237 in Rio de Janeiro – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,237 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.