Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Santa Fe Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Santa Fe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $814 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,245 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,677 in Santa Fe.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 73% more expensive than in Santa Fe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Santa Fe is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$6.84 ARS 10.1K

-49.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$16.80 ARS 24.8K

92.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$7.58 ARS 11.2K

-36.15%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$1.63 ARS 2,414

68.71%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.33 ARS 1,961

3.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.17 ARS 1,731

-35.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$1.25 ARS 1,845

139.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.47 ARS 3,657

55.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.99 ARS 1,463

75.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.97 ARS 1,435

153.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.81 ARS 2,669

-35.36%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$1.53 ARS 2,260

58.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$8.83 ARS 13.0K

64.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$5.84 ARS 8,628

-25.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$8.18 ARS 12.1K

46.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.89 ARS 2,795

96.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.17 ARS 3,212

-24.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$0.98 ARS 1,449

179.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.64 ARS 3,900

-15.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.52 ARS 764

269.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$1.42 ARS 2,101

60.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.91 ARS 1,351

16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.87 ARS 2,765

-61.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$3.34 ARS 4,930

-1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$4.89 ARS 7,226

374.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.26 ARS 1,862

120.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$3.16 ARS 4,668

-13.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$1.02 ARS 1,512

-73.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$0.99 ARS 1,459

-51.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.92 ARS 1,366

-54.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$6.16 ARS 9,109

0.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.06 ARS 1,570

-23.58%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$30.2K ARS 44.7M

-11.98%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$29.3K ARS 43.3M

9.85%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$54.7 ARS 80.9K

43.24%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$8.07 ARS 11.9K

-49.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$14.71 ARS 21.7K

65.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$40.01 ARS 59.1K

146.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$13.55 ARS 20.0K

-53.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$4.86 ARS 7,187

-17.90%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$216 ARS 318.8K

41.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$1,092 ARS 1.6M

508.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$62.0 ARS 91.6K

-12.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$60.2 ARS 89.0K

-37.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$109 ARS 160.8K

-20.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$96.1 ARS 142.1K

-20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$313 ARS 462.9K

216.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$201 ARS 297.0K

234.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$581 ARS 858.1K

481.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$322 ARS 476.3K

536.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$1,247 ARS 1.8M

124.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$1,035 ARS 1.5M

115.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$831 ARS 1.2M

-79.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

100

-86.72%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $313 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 398% 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 $17.00 in Santa Fe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $206 per month, with Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Santa Fe differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $814 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 398% lower in Santa Fe. 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 $313 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $216 in Santa Fe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Fe – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $814 in Santa Fe versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Fe but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Fe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.