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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $995 in San José.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,550 in San José.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,105 in San José.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 42% more expensive than 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

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

$16.36 UYU 651

-79.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

$54.5 UYU 2,168

-39.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

$11.09 UYU 441

-54.19%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

$4.30 UYU 171

-34.42%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

$2.18 UYU 86.9

-37.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$1.70 UYU 67.6

-58.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

$4.32 UYU 172

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

$3.71 UYU 148

5.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

$1.02 UYU 40.52

71.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

$1.99 UYU 79.3

26.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

$1.49 UYU 59.3

-18.79%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

$2.47 UYU 98.4

-5.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

$12.07 UYU 480

20.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

$7.50 UYU 299

-41.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

$10.88 UYU 433

10.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

$1.20 UYU 47.62

218.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$1.43 UYU 56.9

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

$1.19 UYU 47.26

126.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

$1.51 UYU 60.0

47.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$0.95 UYU 37.88

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

$1.25 UYU 49.62

74.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

$1.31 UYU 52.3

-21.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

$1.71 UYU 68.1

-54.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

$5.16 UYU 205

-38.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

$10.16 UYU 404

128.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

$2.38 UYU 94.8

19.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

$2.96 UYU 118

-8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,022

$1.20 UYU 47.71

-75.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

$43.91 UYU 1,747

-80.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,344

$1.50 UYU 59.9

-67.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,812

$1.49 UYU 59.1

-69.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

$11.15 UYU 443

-43.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

$1.81 UYU 71.9

-53.04%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

$34.2K UYU 1.4M

-23.74%

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

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

-12.10%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$173 UYU 6,871

-53.80%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

$16.48 UYU 656

-75.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

$48.92 UYU 1,947

-50.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

$10.32 UYU 410

-59.98%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$487 UYU 19.4K

-39.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

$8,833 UYU 351.5K

-24.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

$93.6 UYU 3,722

-41.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

$48.14 UYU 1,915

-19.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

$113 UYU 4,483

-20.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$122 UYU 4,841

-35.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 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: April 21, 2026

Last update for San José: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $0 in San José. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $54 in San José. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $248, 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 42% 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 $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,492 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 $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $487 in San José. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $995 in San José versus $1,408 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 $995 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 42% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.