Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $1,723 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. The total is higher in San Juan despite lower rent and utilities.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
San Juan, Costa Rica
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
San Juan
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,723
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Juan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,723 in San Juan.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • San Juan $1,723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,746 in San Juan.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • San Juan $2,746

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,770 in San Juan.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • San Juan $3,770

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 23% less than in San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% below, San Juan is 27% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
San Juan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 61.2K
$12.46 ₡5,602
-72.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 628.6K
$60.8 ₡27.4K
-43.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 101.1K
$11.85 ₡5,331
-53.00%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.5K
$4.35 ₡1,956
-39.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$2.75 ₡1,238
-44.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$1.90 ₡855
-66.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
$3.34 ₡1,502
-20.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 77.3K
$4.52 ₡2,035
-5.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
San Juan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
$2.33 ₡1,047
-37.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.6K
$3.11 ₡1,400
-26.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
$2.44 ₡1,096
-54.51%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 38.1K
$3.48 ₡1,565
-39.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 289.2K
$10.66 ₡4,794
49.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.4K
$10.52 ₡4,731
-63.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 206.8K
$13.99 ₡6,291
-18.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.4K
$5.03 ₡2,264
-29.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$1.59 ₡715
-3.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$4.78 ₡2,149
-53.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$3.81 ₡1,713
-48.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
$3.89 ₡1,748
-52.19%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$3.76 ₡1,690
-35.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
$1.12 ₡504
-8.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,475
$3.10 ₡1,393
-83.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.9K
$5.86 ₡2,635
-62.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 395.2K
$19.61 ₡8,820
11.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
$2.86 ₡1,287
-18.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$3.59 ₡1,613
-17.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
San Juan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,542
$1.35 ₡605
-81.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 148.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,941
$2.42 ₡1,087
-81.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,489
$1.56 ₡699
-69.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.6K
$8.62 ₡3,877
-35.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.58 ₡711
-47.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 443.5M
$34.4K ₡15.5M
-28.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.0M
$41.3K ₡18.6M
-23.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
San Juan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$95.5 ₡43.0K
-18.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 111.5K
$35.02 ₡15.7K
-82.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 343.1K
$60.1 ₡27.0K
-68.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
San Juan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 925.0K
$67.0 ₡30.1K
-23.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 331.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$7.71 ₡3,469
-43.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
San Juan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$980 ₡440.7K
-49.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 221.7M
$17.2K ₡7.7M
-28.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
San Juan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 819.2K
$72.1 ₡32.4K
-37.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 632.9K
$56.2 ₡25.3K
-37.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$129 ₡58.2K
-39.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$134 ₡60.1K
-41.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
San Juan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.5M
$798 ₡358.8K
35.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.1M
$627 ₡282.1K
6.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.7M
$1,922 ₡864.2K
82.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.3M
$1,287 ₡578.7K
29.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.4M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.6M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
San Juan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
-
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: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Juan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
San Juan
$627 5.7% $38
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
San Juan
$399 42.8% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
San Juan
$176 65.6% $70
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
San Juan
$232 119% $126
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
San Juan
$191 86% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
San Juan
$82 38% $23
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
San Juan
$16 * 30.4% $3.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $798 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $61 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $399 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇷 San Juan
🕒 Local time
03:35 3:35 AM
13:35 1:35 PM
14 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
27,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali San Juan 17,890 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • San Juan

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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in San Juan?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $1,723 in San Juan, so Ubud, Bali is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to San Juan?
You’d need roughly $1,996 in Ubud, Bali and $2,584 in San Juan 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in San Juan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $798 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and San Juan?
Childcare runs $492 in Ubud, Bali versus $980 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35 versus $61 in San Juan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and San Juan?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Ubud, Bali or San Juan safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and San Juan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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