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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $597 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $986 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,376 in San Juan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 138% more expensive than San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, San Juan is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$5.86 ARS 8,357

-39.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$29.78 ARS 42.5K

9.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$8.23 ARS 11.7K

-39.85%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.50 ARS 2,142

80.67%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.97 ARS 1,384

38.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.86 ARS 1,226

-18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.98 ARS 2,828

47.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.93 ARS 4,179

35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$0.72 ARS 1,022

151.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$0.71 ARS 1,016

254.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.22 ARS 1,736

-4.92%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.67 ARS 2,378

47.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$3.45 ARS 4,928

326.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.56 ARS 5,080

21.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$3.90 ARS 5,560

211.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.51 ARS 2,157

154.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.47 ARS 2,095

6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.49 ARS 2,123

89.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$2.08 ARS 2,974

12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.62 ARS 891

208.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$0.66 ARS 945

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.42 ARS 593

140.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.86 ARS 1,222

-9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$1.70 ARS 2,430

95.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$5.11 ARS 7,295

364.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.54 ARS 2,198

81.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.84 ARS 2,619

55.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.29 ARS 410

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$4.95 ARS 7,066

62.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.41 ARS 587

12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.02 ARS 1,456

-55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$5.04 ARS 7,187

21.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.09 ARS 1,557

-27.52%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$32.1K ARS 45.8M

-18.52%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$21.3K ARS 30.4M

50.90%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$76.8 ARS 109.6K

4.07%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$4.97 ARS 7,083

-18.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$10.16 ARS 14.5K

131.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$18.15 ARS 25.9K

443.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$5.89 ARS 8,398

12.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$2.01 ARS 2,873

106.47%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$104 ARS 147.8K

193.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$2,153 ARS 3.1M

207.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$49.46 ARS 70.6K

12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$49.96 ARS 71.3K

-23.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$100 ARS 143.1K

-11.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$118 ARS 167.8K

-33.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$148 ARS 211.7K

578.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$89.6 ARS 127.7K

654.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$247 ARS 352.9K

1291.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$197 ARS 281.2K

934.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$2,548 ARS 3.6M

11.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$2,112 ARS 3.0M

7.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$713 ARS 1.0M

-76.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

-83.19%

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 Juan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $148 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 332% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $30.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $135 per month, with San Juan 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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan wins on cost – living expenses run 138% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Juan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, San Juan earns 332% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $148 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $104 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $597 in San Juan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Juan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $597 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Juan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and San Juan 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 Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.