Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and San José Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and San José

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,003 in San José.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,558 in San José.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,113 in San José.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 41% more expensive than San José, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, San José is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$16.11 UYU 649

-77.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$55.2 UYU 2,223

-40.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.3K

$10.94 UYU 440

-54.75%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$4.14 UYU 167

-34.54%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$2.16 UYU 87.0

-37.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$1.75 UYU 70.4

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$4.32 UYU 174

-32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$3.59 UYU 145

10.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.02 UYU 41.20

77.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$1.91 UYU 77.0

31.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$1.43 UYU 57.6

-18.88%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$2.51 UYU 101

-1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$12.05 UYU 485

22.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$7.31 UYU 294

-40.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$11.06 UYU 445

9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$1.23 UYU 49.70

212.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.46 UYU 58.7

6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.20 UYU 48.38

135.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.49 UYU 59.9

56.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$1.00 UYU 40.10

91.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.23 UYU 49.62

78.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$1.30 UYU 52.5

-22.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$1.69 UYU 68.0

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$5.11 UYU 206

-35.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.1K

$10.15 UYU 409

133.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$2.36 UYU 95.0

18.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$3.05 UYU 123

-6.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$1.25 UYU 50.4

-78.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$44.42 UYU 1,788

-81.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,231

$1.51 UYU 60.9

-69.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,117

$1.56 UYU 62.9

-71.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$11.05 UYU 445

-44.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.87 UYU 75.4

-57.75%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$34.6K UYU 1.4M

-24.50%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.3M

$36.2K UYU 1.5M

-11.19%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$168 UYU 6,783

-52.56%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$16.39 UYU 660

-75.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.2K

$49.72 UYU 2,002

-52.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$10.46 UYU 421

-60.33%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$482 UYU 19.4K

-36.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$8,892 UYU 357.9K

-25.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$94.4 UYU 3,798

-41.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$46.71 UYU 1,880

-17.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$116 UYU 4,661

-23.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$123 UYU 4,949

-36.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.68

133.80%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for San José: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $55.0 in San José. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $247, with San José 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 San José: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San José wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San José the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,505 in San José 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.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $482 in San José. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in San José versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San José but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes San José the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San José delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San José hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and San José 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 San José gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.