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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,056 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,621 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,186 in Santa Fe.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 30% more expensive than in Santa Fe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Santa Fe is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

-67.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$37.79 ARS 57.0K

-5.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$12.60 ARS 19.0K

-55.32%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$1.78 ARS 2,682

58.43%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$1.50 ARS 2,255

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$1.38 ARS 2,074

-42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$3.36 ARS 5,066

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$5.10 ARS 7,699

-15.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.02 ARS 1,532

57.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.59 ARS 2,397

42.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.02 ARS 1,543

14.71%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.54 ARS 2,327

40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$8.29 ARS 12.5K

112.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$6.11 ARS 9,222

-33.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$10.38 ARS 15.7K

17.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.00 ARS 3,011

81.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.53 ARS 2,313

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$0.87 ARS 1,310

165.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$2.42 ARS 3,644

-19.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.54 ARS 821

240.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$0.69 ARS 1,040

243.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$1.02 ARS 1,537

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$1.03 ARS 1,550

-47.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.22 ARS 4,857

-28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$4.82 ARS 7,269

378.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.26 ARS 1,903

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.04 ARS 3,084

50.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$1.02 ARS 1,545

-75.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$1.01 ARS 1,527

-51.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.98 ARS 1,475

-52.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$7.30 ARS 11.0K

-23.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.15 ARS 1,733

-29.57%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$20.0K ARS 30.2M

24.93%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$30.1K ARS 45.4M

3.14%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$60.7 ARS 91.6K

36.25%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$19.75 ARS 29.8K

-67.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$20.87 ARS 31.5K

-9.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$34.07 ARS 51.4K

62.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$4.75 ARS 7,162

-9.47%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$300 ARS 453.3K

64.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$4,212 ARS 6.4M

40.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$88.4 ARS 133.4K

-47.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$61.0 ARS 92.1K

-40.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$118 ARS 178.0K

-31.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$139 ARS 209.6K

-43.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$512 ARS 772.2K

117.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$366 ARS 551.4K

89.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$903 ARS 1.4M

303.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$592 ARS 892.4K

189.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$2,384 ARS 3.6M

15.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$826 ARS 1.2M

-79.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

56.56

-75.64%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $512 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 395% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Santa Fe. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $197, with Santa Fe cheaper for home cooking.

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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,378 vs $1,056 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 395% 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $512 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $300 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 $38.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,056 in Santa Fe versus $1,378 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 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.