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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $764 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,164 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,564 in Sao Luis.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 84% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Sao Luis is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$4.92 R$25.07

-29.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$30.38 R$155

6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$7.40 R$37.69

-34.59%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.06 R$10.48

33.50%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.96 R$4.87

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.60 R$3.04

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.86 R$9.48

60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.20 R$16.27

20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$0.98 R$4.98

77.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.88 R$9.58

30.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.99 R$5.03

18.18%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.87 R$9.50

29.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.40 R$47.86

54.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$3.78 R$19.25

15.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$7.37 R$37.53

62.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.94 R$9.89

91.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.27 R$6.47

28.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$0.99 R$5.05

176.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.35 R$6.90

65.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.16 R$5.90

65.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.25 R$6.35

82.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.77 R$3.93

37.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.62 R$3.14

16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.05 R$10.44

60.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$7.96 R$40.55

191.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.15 R$5.87

141.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.92 R$9.76

42.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.77 R$3.93

-64.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$34.77 R$177

-76.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$0.93 R$4.71

-48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.49 R$2.49

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$6.29 R$32.05

-1.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.98 R$4.98

-17.35%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$17.0K R$86.8K

56.15%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$25.2K R$128.2K

27.80%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$82.4 R$420

-4.96%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$17.31 R$88.2

-76.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$16.28 R$82.9

49.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$18.44 R$93.9

434.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$15.44 R$78.6

-58.94%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.24 R$31.79

-36.06%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$205 R$1,042

49.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$4,348 R$22.1K

52.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$44.44 R$226

21.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$46.93 R$239

-19.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$53.7 R$273

61.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$53.7 R$274

42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$388 R$1,975

155.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$208 R$1,057

223.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$519 R$2,642

550.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$299 R$1,525

584.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,470 R$7,486

90.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$715 R$3,641

211.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$375 R$1,909

-55.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.92

21.61%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $388 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Luis pays 125% 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 $30.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $179 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 84% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $764 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 125% 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $388 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% 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 $30.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $764 in Sao Luis versus $1,408 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 84% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.