Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Santarem Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Santarem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,355 in Santarem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,075 in Santarem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,795 in Santarem.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 1% more expensive than in Santarem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Santarem is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$12.76 €11.12

-73.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$40.06 €34.92

-9.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$9.41 €8.20

-39.32%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$1.74 €1.52

53.45%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.80 €1.57

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$1.19 €1.04

-26.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.37 €2.07

24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.42 €2.98

32.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.17 €1.02

38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.44 €0.38

429.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.13 €0.99

-1.77%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$3.57 €3.11

-38.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$11.47 €9.99

54.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$7.01 €6.11

-41.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$14.10 €12.29

-13.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.95 €2.57

25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.42 €1.24

11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$2.56 €2.23

-10.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$2.27 €1.98

-14.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.47 €1.28

29.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.59 €1.39

46.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.18 €1.03

-14.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.30 €0.26

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$5.82 €5.07

-61.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$6.22 €5.42

270.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.31 €1.14

84.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$3.69 €3.21

-18.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$2.35 €2.05

-88.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$58.2 €50.8

-84.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$3.68 €3.21

-86.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$2.12 €1.84

-62.26%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$34.7K €30.3K

-28.12%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$39.1K €34.1K

-18.88%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$133 €116

-38.91%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$21.42 €18.67

-69.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$58.7 €51.2

-68.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$38.09 €33.21

49.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$7.00 €6.11

-35.14%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$445 €388

8.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$19.5K €17.0K

-70.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$80.1 €69.8

-43.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$39.47 €34.41

-9.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$111 €96.3

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$139 €121

-43.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$670 €584

66.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$432 €377

61.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$1,072 €935

239.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$833 €726

108.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$2,207 €1,923

26.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,135 €990

101.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,090 €950

-84.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.76

189.50%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Santarem: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $670 in Santarem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santarem pays 549% 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 $40.00 in Santarem. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $234, with Santarem 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 Santarem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santarem wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santarem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 549% lower in Santarem. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $670 in Santarem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santarem runs roughly 549% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $445 in Santarem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,355 in Santarem versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santarem but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Santarem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santarem delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,355 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santarem hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Santarem 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 Santarem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.