Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Rio Grande Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Rio Grande

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $820 in Rio Grande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,275 in Rio Grande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,729 in Rio Grande.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 70% more expensive than in Rio Grande, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Rio Grande is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$7.79 R$39.90

-56.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.4K

$24.64 R$126

56.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$6.63 R$33.96

-16.74%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$1.38 R$7.09

91.30%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$1.13 R$5.81

47.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.74 R$3.81

4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$2.28 R$11.68

15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$2.92 R$14.99

46.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$0.98 R$5.01

58.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.65 R$8.44

34.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$1.11 R$5.70

1.80%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$1.97 R$10.07

6.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.7K

$3.76 R$19.29

362.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$4.62 R$23.68

-16.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.3K

$9.34 R$47.87

34.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$2.30 R$11.78

57.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.41 R$7.21

10.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$1.34 R$6.89

75.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$0.57 R$2.91

261.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$1.14 R$5.83

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.67 R$3.43

249.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.38 R$1.92

171.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,781

$0.56 R$2.87

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$2.35 R$12.03

-4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.8K

$7.53 R$38.58

216.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$1.07 R$5.48

115.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$2.08 R$10.67

34.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,803

$0.93 R$4.78

-70.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$42.49 R$218

-79.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,490

$1.28 R$6.58

-62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,865

$0.77 R$3.93

-41.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$8.04 R$41.20

-28.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.14 R$5.82

-33.33%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.7M

$23.0K R$117.9K

6.41%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.4M

$32.2K R$164.8K

-0.13%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$71.8 R$368

16.38%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$8.82 R$45.18

-26.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.9K

$21.42 R$110

-11.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 987.0K

$25.47 R$131

119.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.3K

$26.91 R$138

-30.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$2.96 R$15.18

44.59%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$284 R$1,457

71.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.3M

$7,265 R$37.2K

-19.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.3K

$30.27 R$155

50.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.5K

$38.03 R$195

-4.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$77.3 R$396

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$74.5 R$382

7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$350 R$1,794

218.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$214 R$1,095

228.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$617 R$3,161

473.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$437 R$2,241

302.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$1,424 R$7,298

98.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$963 R$4,933

138.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.5

19.83%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Rio Grande: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $350 in Rio Grande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Rio Grande for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $167 per month, with Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Rio Grande differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,396 vs $820 including rent). Rio Grande is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,095 in Ubud, Bali and $1,231 in Rio Grande to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $350 in Rio Grande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio Grande runs roughly 391% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $284 in Rio Grande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $820 in Rio Grande versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio Grande but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Rio Grande 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 Grande 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 Grande gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.