Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Santiago del Estero Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Santiago del Estero

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $956 in Santiago del Estero.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,556 in Santiago del Estero.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,156 in Santiago del Estero.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 47% more expensive than in Santiago del Estero, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Santiago del Estero is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$10.70 ARS 15.8K

-67.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$33.80 ARS 49.9K

-4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$9.08 ARS 13.4K

-46.70%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.74 ARS 4,045

0.36%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.66 ARS 2,453

-16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.48 ARS 2,190

-49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$2.07 ARS 3,065

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.91 ARS 4,308

32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.30 ARS 1,919

33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.64 ARS 2,423

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.95 ARS 2,888

-40.00%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.20 ARS 3,255

10.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$10.25 ARS 15.2K

41.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$6.29 ARS 9,303

-30.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$9.12 ARS 13.5K

31.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.94 ARS 2,862

91.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.14 ARS 3,170

-23.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.30 ARS 1,927

110.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.64 ARS 3,909

-15.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$1.13 ARS 1,665

69.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$1.19 ARS 1,758

91.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.26 ARS 1,858

-15.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.42 ARS 2,095

-49.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$3.12 ARS 4,605

5.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$5.20 ARS 7,683

345.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$2.06 ARS 3,047

34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$3.03 ARS 4,480

-9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.78 ARS 1,160

-65.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.47 ARS 2,178

-67.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.91 ARS 1,341

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$5.87 ARS 8,673

5.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.06 ARS 1,570

-23.58%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$27.9K ARS 41.2M

-4.51%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$30.5K ARS 45.0M

5.66%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$67.2 ARS 99.3K

16.68%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$17.49 ARS 25.8K

-76.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$22.75 ARS 33.6K

6.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$26.32 ARS 38.9K

274.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$13.62 ARS 20.1K

-53.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$6.30 ARS 9,309

-36.67%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$223 ARS 329.3K

36.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$2,651 ARS 3.9M

150.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$74.4 ARS 109.9K

-27.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$70.6 ARS 104.4K

-46.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$115 ARS 169.8K

-24.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$114 ARS 168.1K

-32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$332 ARS 490.6K

198.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$239 ARS 353.8K

181.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$682 ARS 1.0M

395.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$540 ARS 797.5K

279.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$2,270 ARS 3.4M

23.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$1,769 ARS 2.6M

25.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

58.5

-77.30%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Santiago del Estero: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $332 in Santiago del Estero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Santiago del Estero. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $231, with Santiago del Estero 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 Santiago del Estero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Santiago del Estero differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $956 including rent). Santiago del Estero is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,434 in Santiago del Estero to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $332 in Santiago del Estero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $223 in Santiago del Estero. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago del Estero – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $956 in Santiago del Estero versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago del Estero but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago del Estero 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 Santiago del Estero 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 Santiago del Estero gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.