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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,065 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,444 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,822 in Santa Marta.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 32% more expensive than Santa Marta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Santa Marta is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$3.69 COP 12.9K

-3.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$28.20 COP 98.4K

15.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$6.23 COP 21.7K

-21.99%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.51 COP 5,259

82.12%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.67 COP 2,324

97.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.43 COP 1,496

62.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$0.88 COP 3,059

230.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$1.64 COP 5,738

131.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.13 COP 3,937

51.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.24 COP 4,321

99.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.89 COP 3,098

34.83%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.44 COP 8,533

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$3.57 COP 12.5K

302.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$3.88 COP 13.5K

11.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$7.90 COP 27.6K

54.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.71 COP 5,965

115.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$0.75 COP 2,633

106.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$0.97 COP 3,399

187.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.71 COP 2,465

228.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.50 COP 1,761

294.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.94 COP 3,282

145.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.04 COP 3,645

1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.55 COP 1,936

32.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$2.52 COP 8,802

30.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$13.84 COP 48.3K

64.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.47 COP 5,143

91.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.47 COP 5,129

89.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.67 COP 2,355

-56.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$14.33 COP 50.0K

-43.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$1.68 COP 5,873

-73.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$1.77 COP 6,186

-74.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$8.43 COP 29.4K

-25.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.96 COP 3,336

-11.46%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$21.0K COP 73.3M

23.68%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$26.0K COP 90.8M

21.73%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$197 COP 686.0K

-58.92%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$8.96 COP 31.3K

-54.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$23.83 COP 83.2K

2.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$19.34 COP 67.5K

405.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$7.78 COP 27.1K

-17.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$4.81 COP 16.8K

-16.01%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$166 COP 579.5K

83.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$4,887 COP 17.1M

35.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$40.51 COP 141.4K

33.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$35.31 COP 123.3K

9.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$78.4 COP 273.5K

9.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$58.5 COP 204.1K

31.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$282 COP 985.1K

249.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$437 COP 1.5M

50.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$686 COP 2.4M

391.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$548 COP 1.9M

276.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$1,955 COP 6.8M

40.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$938 COP 3.3M

137.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$482 COP 1.7M

-66.10%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $282 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 195% 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 $28.00 in Santa Marta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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 32% 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 195% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $282 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $166 in Santa Marta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,065 in Santa Marta versus $1,404 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 $1,065 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 32% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.