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: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $993 in San José.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,583 in San José.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,173 in San José.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, San José is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

$15.90 UYU 638

-78.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 573.3K

$55.5 UYU 2,227

-42.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.6K

$11.09 UYU 445

-54.46%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

$4.30 UYU 173

-36.98%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$2.24 UYU 89.8

-37.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$1.78 UYU 71.5

-58.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.9K

$4.47 UYU 179

-35.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$3.76 UYU 151

0.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$1.03 UYU 41.21

73.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$2.00 UYU 80.2

25.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$1.45 UYU 58.4

-16.55%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

$2.62 UYU 105

-9.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.8K

$12.31 UYU 494

17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.4K

$7.42 UYU 298

-44.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 217.3K

$11.14 UYU 447

8.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.6K

$1.24 UYU 49.72

204.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.43 UYU 57.3

13.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$1.21 UYU 48.43

123.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$1.44 UYU 57.7

56.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.01 UYU 40.38

91.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$1.20 UYU 48.01

82.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$1.32 UYU 53.2

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$1.74 UYU 69.7

-58.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.1K

$5.03 UYU 202

-36.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 427.5K

$8.20 UYU 329

190.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

$2.31 UYU 92.7

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$3.05 UYU 122

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,794

$1.19 UYU 47.90

-77.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

$43.33 UYU 1,739

-81.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,668

$1.44 UYU 57.8

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,557

$1.54 UYU 62.0

-72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 108.1K

$10.93 UYU 439

-44.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.81 UYU 72.6

-54.70%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.4M

$34.5K UYU 1.4M

-23.01%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.6M

$35.6K UYU 1.4M

-9.65%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$169 UYU 6,775

-53.64%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.2K

$16.47 UYU 661

-76.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.9K

$49.92 UYU 2,004

-52.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 117.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.0K

$10.65 UYU 427

-62.35%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$490 UYU 19.7K

-38.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.5M

$8,846 UYU 355.1K

-25.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 992.0K

$93.3 UYU 3,745

-40.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 687.3K

$48.03 UYU 1,928

-20.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$113 UYU 4,553

-21.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$125 UYU 5,007

-38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 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: July 22, 2026

Last update for San José: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $55.0 in San José. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $246, 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 $2,096 in Ubud, Bali and $1,489 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 $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $490 in San José. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $993 in San José versus $1,397 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 $993 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.