Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sao Luis Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sao Luis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $857 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,298 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,739 in Sao Luis.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 63% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Sao Luis is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

$6.40 R$32.63

-47.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

$38.07 R$194

1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

$6.77 R$34.54

-18.46%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

$2.17 R$11.08

21.66%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

$1.23 R$6.28

35.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.67 R$3.40

14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

$1.92 R$9.77

36.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$2.32 R$11.85

84.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.06 R$5.42

46.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

$1.84 R$9.37

20.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

$1.06 R$5.40

6.60%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

$2.07 R$10.57

0.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

$9.82 R$50.1

77.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

$4.14 R$21.09

-6.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

$7.40 R$37.74

69.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

$2.02 R$10.31

79.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

$1.33 R$6.77

17.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

$1.16 R$5.92

102.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

$1.63 R$8.29

26.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

$1.34 R$6.82

41.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

$1.25 R$6.36

87.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.85 R$4.32

21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,809

$0.69 R$3.52

-20.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

$2.33 R$11.90

-3.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

$8.04 R$41.02

196.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

$1.24 R$6.34

86.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

$2.16 R$11.01

29.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.77 R$3.93

-64.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

$38.05 R$194

-77.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,515

$0.93 R$4.75

-48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,887

$0.90 R$4.61

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.17 R$5.98

-35.04%

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

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

$23.2K R$118.2K

5.60%

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

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

$29.0K R$148.1K

10.63%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$93.1 R$475

-10.21%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

$16.90 R$86.2

-61.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

$20.64 R$105

-7.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

$19.76 R$101

183.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

$14.51 R$74.0

28.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$7.55 R$38.48

-43.31%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$222 R$1,135

118.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

$4,659 R$23.8K

25.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

$47.59 R$243

-4.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

$50.4 R$257

-27.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$56.7 R$289

44.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$57.1 R$291

40.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$343 R$1,749

225.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$223 R$1,138

214.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

$543 R$2,769

551.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

$317 R$1,614

456.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

$1,474 R$7,519

91.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

$692 R$3,529

231.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$375 R$1,911

-54.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $343 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Luis pays 121% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $190 per month, with Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Sao Luis differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,396 vs $857 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 121% lower in Sao Luis. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $343 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Luis – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $857 in Sao Luis versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.