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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $607 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $996 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,384 in San Juan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 132% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, San Juan is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$5.85 ARS 8,646

-41.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$29.44 ARS 43.5K

9.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$7.88 ARS 11.6K

-38.58%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$1.54 ARS 2,278

78.57%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.96 ARS 1,417

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.91 ARS 1,341

-17.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$1.94 ARS 2,875

54.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.98 ARS 4,402

29.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.71 ARS 1,055

145.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.66 ARS 975

272.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.24 ARS 1,828

-5.65%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$1.74 ARS 2,568

39.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$3.34 ARS 4,940

334.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$3.49 ARS 5,157

24.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$4.09 ARS 6,047

192.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.48 ARS 2,186

151.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.53 ARS 2,260

6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.54 ARS 2,272

77.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.15 ARS 3,173

4.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.64 ARS 943

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$0.62 ARS 916

267.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.39 ARS 570

171.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.86 ARS 1,272

-16.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$1.78 ARS 2,626

84.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$4.91 ARS 7,253

372.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.48 ARS 2,184

87.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$1.84 ARS 2,727

48.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.29 ARS 427

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$5.10 ARS 7,537

59.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$0.41 ARS 609

17.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$1.03 ARS 1,522

-59.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$4.99 ARS 7,381

24.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.11 ARS 1,634

-27.03%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$31.6K ARS 46.6M

-15.68%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$21.0K ARS 31.1M

52.96%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$77.7 ARS 114.9K

0.81%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$5.10 ARS 7,544

-20.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$10.17 ARS 15.0K

139.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$17.83 ARS 26.3K

453.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$6.07 ARS 8,967

4.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$1.97 ARS 2,916

102.54%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$102 ARS 150.9K

198.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$2,197 ARS 3.2M

202.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$49.17 ARS 72.7K

10.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$49.82 ARS 73.6K

-24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$99.7 ARS 147.4K

-12.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$118 ARS 173.8K

-35.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$150 ARS 221.1K

562.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$91.6 ARS 135.3K

634.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$250 ARS 369.7K

1249.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$204 ARS 301.1K

906.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$2,550 ARS 3.8M

10.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$2,083 ARS 3.1M

6.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$709 ARS 1.0M

-76.45%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for San Juan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $150 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 325% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $29.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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 132% 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, salaries run 325% lower in San Juan. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $150 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $102 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 120% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $607 in San Juan versus $1,408 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 $607 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 132% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.