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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $801 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,216 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,632 in Santa Fe.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 77% more expensive than Santa Fe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Santa Fe is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$7.08 ARS 10.1K

-49.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$16.21 ARS 23.1K

101.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$7.53 ARS 10.7K

-34.26%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.68 ARS 2,402

61.31%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$1.33 ARS 1,893

0.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$1.16 ARS 1,656

-39.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.19 ARS 1,694

145.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.56 ARS 3,647

54.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.01 ARS 1,443

79.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$0.99 ARS 1,412

154.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.79 ARS 2,557

-35.20%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.46 ARS 2,089

68.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$8.97 ARS 12.8K

63.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$6.06 ARS 8,643

-28.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$8.09 ARS 11.5K

50.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.89 ARS 2,696

103.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$2.08 ARS 2,973

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$0.92 ARS 1,309

207.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$2.72 ARS 3,886

-14.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.51 ARS 734

274.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.37 ARS 1,960

60.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.92 ARS 1,319

9.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$1.86 ARS 2,659

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$3.33 ARS 4,751

-0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$4.86 ARS 6,937

388.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.25 ARS 1,778

123.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$3.18 ARS 4,535

-10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$1.03 ARS 1,462

-73.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.99 ARS 1,412

-53.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.87 ARS 1,240

-48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$5.90 ARS 8,410

3.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.07 ARS 1,524

-26.17%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$29.8K ARS 42.6M

-12.37%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$29.5K ARS 42.1M

8.86%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$55.0 ARS 78.5K

45.35%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$7.76 ARS 11.1K

-47.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$14.82 ARS 21.1K

58.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$39.67 ARS 56.6K

148.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$13.54 ARS 19.3K

-51.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$5.02 ARS 7,168

-17.33%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$221 ARS 315.2K

37.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$1,061 ARS 1.5M

523.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$62.1 ARS 88.6K

-10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$58.9 ARS 84.0K

-34.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$108 ARS 154.5K

-18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$95.4 ARS 136.0K

-18.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$319 ARS 454.5K

215.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$200 ARS 285.1K

237.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$585 ARS 834.3K

488.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$327 ARS 467.1K

522.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$1,268 ARS 1.8M

124.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$1,037 ARS 1.5M

118.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$824 ARS 1.2M

-79.96%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $319 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 399% 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 $16.00 in Santa Fe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 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 77% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $801 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Santa Fe earns 399% 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 $319 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $221 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 $16.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $801 in Santa Fe versus $1,419 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 77% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.