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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,047 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,414 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,781 in Santa Marta.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 37% more expensive than Santa Marta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Santa Marta is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$3.72 COP 13.4K

-4.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$28.78 COP 103.9K

13.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$5.95 COP 21.5K

-14.79%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.54 COP 5,561

83.77%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.73 COP 2,641

83.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.47 COP 1,686

46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$0.83 COP 2,979

260.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$1.70 COP 6,154

126.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.11 COP 4,019

56.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.20 COP 4,320

111.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.95 COP 3,439

25.26%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$2.40 COP 8,670

1.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$3.69 COP 13.3K

297.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.84 COP 13.9K

8.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$7.78 COP 28.1K

53.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.72 COP 6,223

114.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.75 COP 2,713

114.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$0.98 COP 3,552

174.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$0.75 COP 2,691

210.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.55 COP 1,975

247.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.00 COP 3,613

119.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.00 COP 3,618

6.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.55 COP 1,985

30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.41 COP 8,695

29.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$13.81 COP 49.9K

70.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.47 COP 5,294

86.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.47 COP 5,300

95.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.72 COP 2,613

-59.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$14.28 COP 51.6K

-42.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.73 COP 6,259

-73.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$1.84 COP 6,627

-77.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$8.54 COP 30.8K

-27.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.98 COP 3,521

-14.29%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$21.1K COP 76.2M

24.35%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$26.5K COP 95.7M

22.46%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$191 COP 690.4K

-58.99%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$8.70 COP 31.4K

-54.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$24.27 COP 87.6K

0.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$19.22 COP 69.4K

402.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$7.89 COP 28.5K

-19.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.98 COP 18.0K

-18.88%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$167 COP 603.4K

81.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$4,881 COP 17.6M

33.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$40.77 COP 147.2K

32.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$34.85 COP 125.8K

8.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$78.1 COP 282.1K

11.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$59.6 COP 215.1K

32.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$280 COP 1.0M

261.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$444 COP 1.6M

52.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$702 COP 2.5M

383.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$566 COP 2.0M

270.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$1,929 COP 7.0M

54.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$941 COP 3.4M

148.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$486 COP 1.8M

-64.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

8.62

54.06%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $280 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 181% 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 $29.00 in Santa Marta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $163 per month, with Santa Marta 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 Marta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Marta wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Marta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Santa Marta earns 181% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $280 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $167 in Santa Marta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,047 in Santa Marta versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Marta but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Marta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Marta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,047 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Marta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Santa Marta 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 Marta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.