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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,069 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,416 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,762 in Santa Marta.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Santa Marta is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.3K

$3.59 COP 11.3K

-0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 581.4K

$28.43 COP 89.6K

13.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.1K

$5.90 COP 18.6K

-15.08%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.8K

$1.55 COP 4,898

81.94%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.3K

$0.69 COP 2,164

95.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.44 COP 1,374

65.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 52.8K

$0.82 COP 2,593

257.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 70.8K

$1.66 COP 5,230

137.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.0K

$1.17 COP 3,699

52.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

$1.26 COP 3,959

94.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.95 COP 2,985

21.05%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$2.33 COP 7,348

3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 257.8K

$3.56 COP 11.2K

302.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.3K

$3.92 COP 12.3K

6.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 216.9K

$7.94 COP 25.0K

51.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.4K

$1.73 COP 5,459

110.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

$0.76 COP 2,390

106.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.1K

$0.99 COP 3,118

181.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.76 COP 2,402

194.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.6K

$0.55 COP 1,730

260.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

$1.01 COP 3,198

125.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.05 COP 3,321

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.51 COP 1,601

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.4K

$2.44 COP 7,681

30.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 422.6K

$15.42 COP 48.6K

52.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.1K

$1.47 COP 4,634

97.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

$1.42 COP 4,479

94.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,796

$0.72 COP 2,271

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 150.5K

$14.34 COP 45.2K

-41.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,138

$1.73 COP 5,444

-73.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,269

$1.83 COP 5,753

-74.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.2K

$8.68 COP 27.4K

-30.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.90 COP 2,838

-4.44%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.3M

$21.7K COP 68.4M

22.40%

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

$32.5K Rp 585.6M

$26.3K COP 82.9M

23.65%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$192 COP 604.2K

-58.79%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.6K

$8.62 COP 27.2K

-52.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 429.0K

$24.37 COP 76.8K

-2.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$18.99 COP 59.8K

420.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.3K

$7.88 COP 24.8K

-19.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.1K

$4.79 COP 15.1K

-16.28%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$164 COP 517.1K

81.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 118.8M

$4,844 COP 15.3M

36.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 961.1K

$41.10 COP 129.5K

30.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 685.7K

$35.71 COP 112.5K

6.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$79.1 COP 249.2K

12.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$58.6 COP 184.8K

30.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.3M

$278 COP 876.0K

266.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.2M

$452 COP 1.4M

50.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.4M

$680 COP 2.1M

409.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.6M

$562 COP 1.8M

271.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.1M

$2,100 COP 6.6M

29.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.3M

$983 COP 3.1M

133.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 2.9M

$540 COP 1.7M

-69.70%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $278 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 230% 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 $28.00 in Santa Marta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $168 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 30% 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, salaries run 230% lower in Santa Marta. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $278 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $164 in Santa Marta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,069 in Santa Marta versus $1,392 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 $1,069 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 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.