Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sao Joao da Boa Vista

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $823 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
🇧🇷 Brazil
$823
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Sao Joao da Boa Vista

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Sao Joao da Boa Vista actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Sao Joao da Boa Vista $823

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,320 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,320

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,818 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,818

Ubud, Bali costs about 66% more than Sao Joao da Boa Vista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Sao Joao da Boa Vista is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.6K
$5.62 R$28.22
-40.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 629.5K
$23.03 R$116
52.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 103.9K
$7.07 R$35.45
-17.96%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 48.8K
$2.05 R$10.29
33.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.4K
$1.17 R$5.89
40.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$0.92 R$4.62
-9.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.3K
$1.98 R$9.94
36.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 76.9K
$2.06 R$10.32
108.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 26.9K
$1.07 R$5.37
40.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.1K
$1.64 R$8.23
40.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.1K
$0.98 R$4.90
20.41%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.4K
$2.37 R$11.90
-9.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 312.7K
$10.01 R$50.2
74.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.1K
$5.00 R$25.09
-19.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 218.8K
$10.07 R$50.5
21.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.5K
$1.95 R$9.80
82.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.1K
$1.17 R$5.88
34.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.0K
$0.97 R$4.89
130.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.5K
$1.56 R$7.85
23.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.7K
$0.83 R$4.15
126.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.0K
$0.81 R$4.09
182.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$0.78 R$3.90
26.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,420
$0.77 R$3.87
-31.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 40.9K
$2.35 R$11.80
-2.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 411.8K
$6.09 R$30.55
277.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 41.9K
$1.18 R$5.90
98.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.1K
$1.98 R$9.93
46.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,290
$0.87 R$4.38
-72.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 157.8K
$44.48 R$223
-80.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,633
$1.57 R$7.89
-69.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,185
$1.57 R$7.87
-70.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 97.6K
$8.19 R$41.10
-33.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.8K
$1.07 R$5.35
-17.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 439.6M
$19.8K R$99.3K
24.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 558.1M
$33.3K R$166.9K
-6.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$95.3 R$478
-12.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 115.4K
$9.88 R$49.55
-34.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 332.2K
$19.70 R$98.8
-5.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 998.8K
$28.59 R$143
95.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 324.1K
$31.76 R$159
-42.98%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.4K
$5.49 R$27.56
-20.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.8M
$280 R$1,403
76.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.0M
$10.3K R$51.8K
-44.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 826.6K
$54.6 R$274
-15.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 632.3K
$37.79 R$190
-6.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$51.3 R$258
54.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$60.7 R$304
29.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.4M
$349 R$1,753
226.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.1M
$203 R$1,018
233.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 62.7M
$678 R$3,402
416.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.4M
$465 R$2,333
265.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 49.8M
$1,581 R$7,931
76.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.1M
$1,031 R$5,175
117.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 2.9M
$659 R$3,307
-75.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
12.79
7.74%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
$203 70% $473
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
$193 33.6% $98
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
$113 4.1% $4.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
$125 15.6% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
$92 14.5% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
$40 38.7% $25
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Sao Joao da Boa Vista
$57 357% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $349 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 301% higher in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $193 – making Sao Joao da Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista
🕒 Local time
03:28 3:28 AM
16:28 4:28 PM
11 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
92,547
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 17,895 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,050 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Sao Joao da Boa Vista 16,100 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Sao Joao da Boa Vista

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sao Joao da Boa Vista cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,234 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $280 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Sao Joao da Boa Vista?
Groceries cost about 51% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Sao Joao da Boa Vista?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Sao Joao da Boa Vista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ubud, Bali or Sao Joao da Boa Vista more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sao Joao da Boa Vista – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Sao Joao da Boa Vista?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Sao Joao da Boa Vista. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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