Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,105 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in San Jose

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,105 in San Jose, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
San Jose $2,105

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,074 in San Jose, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
San Jose $3,074

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,043 in San Jose, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
San Jose $4,043

Ubud, Bali is about 36% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

$12.43 ₡5,612

-73.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 648.1K

$60.9 ₡27.5K

-41.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

$11.72 ₡5,291

-52.82%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$4.47 ₡2,020

-39.15%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$2.75 ₡1,242

-38.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.92 ₡867

-60.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.3K

$3.26 ₡1,471

-18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.7K

$4.45 ₡2,009

-1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$2.36 ₡1,063

-36.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

$3.09 ₡1,393

-26.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$2.40 ₡1,084

-50.42%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$3.44 ₡1,554

-40.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.9K

$10.73 ₡4,843

64.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.1K

$10.36 ₡4,676

-61.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.7K

$13.84 ₡6,246

-11.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.5K

$5.15 ₡2,324

-28.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$1.65 ₡746

-7.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$4.67 ₡2,110

-52.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

$3.98 ₡1,799

-50.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$3.90 ₡1,762

-52.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

$3.65 ₡1,648

-33.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$1.08 ₡488

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,336

$3.10 ₡1,399

-83.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$6.08 ₡2,746

-63.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 404.4K

$20.05 ₡9,051

10.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

$2.77 ₡1,252

-18.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

$3.69 ₡1,667

-19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,564

$1.12 ₡503

-77.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.3K

$66.7 ₡30.1K

-88.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,992

$2.49 ₡1,123

-82.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,821

$1.63 ₡736

-73.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.4K

$8.47 ₡3,823

-36.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.57 ₡708

-47.77%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.5M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-31.04%

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

$31.7K Rp 577.3M

$42.3K ₡19.1M

-25.01%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$93.2 ₡42.1K

-15.13%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

$36.05 ₡16.3K

-82.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.8K

$59.1 ₡26.7K

-68.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.8K

$69.0 ₡31.2K

-28.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.9K

$24.80 ₡11.2K

-28.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

$7.85 ₡3,544

-45.61%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$996 ₡449.6K

-50.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.2M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-66.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.7K

$70.1 ₡31.7K

-36.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.6K

$55.2 ₡24.9K

-36.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$130 ₡58.6K

-38.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$131 ₡59.2K

-39.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.5M

$1,164 ₡525.5K

-3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$945 ₡426.6K

-28.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

$1,993 ₡899.8K

78.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$1,404 ₡633.7K

22.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.7M

$2,727 ₡1.2M

0.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

$2,040 ₡921.2K

11.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$1,011 ₡456.3K

-83.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.62

59.86%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

San Jose

$945 44.9% 40.7% $273

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

San Jose

$399 19% 38.5% $111

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

San Jose

$232 11% 116% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 61.7% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

San Jose

$188 9% 80.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

San Jose

$85 4% 46% $27

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

San Jose

$82 3.9% 617% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,164 in San Jose. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in San Jose are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $61 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $399 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

19:23 7:23 PM

14 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,242 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali San Jose 17,890 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
San Jose

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $3,158 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,164 in San Jose. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $61 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $2,105 in San Jose. That makes Ubud, Bali about 36% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $2,105 in San Jose. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.