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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,060 in Sao Paulo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,663 in Sao Paulo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,266 in Sao Paulo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 32% more expensive than Sao Paulo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Sao Paulo is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$7.17 R$35.68

-51.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 563.4K

$40.10 R$200

-18.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.2K

$7.28 R$36.24

-30.08%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$2.11 R$10.52

30.33%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$1.24 R$6.18

11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.83 R$4.13

-14.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.3K

$2.17 R$10.82

32.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.3K

$2.91 R$14.50

32.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$1.06 R$5.30

68.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 41.9K

$1.85 R$9.20

32.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$1.36 R$6.75

-11.03%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$2.44 R$12.13

-2.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 251.9K

$11.05 R$55.0

33.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$4.17 R$20.75

1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 206.9K

$9.22 R$45.90

31.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.8K

$2.77 R$13.80

32.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.5K

$1.89 R$9.42

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$1.68 R$8.38

61.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 38.9K

$1.85 R$9.20

22.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.40 R$6.96

35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$1.28 R$6.38

79.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$1.02 R$5.05

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.3K

$0.69 R$3.43

13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.6K

$2.59 R$12.92

25.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.3K

$10.18 R$50.7

136.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$1.35 R$6.72

110.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$2.35 R$11.70

18.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,606

$0.91 R$4.55

-70.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.2K

$44.34 R$221

-81.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,700

$1.06 R$5.30

-57.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,298

$0.74 R$3.70

-41.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.2K

$9.39 R$46.77

-35.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$1.06 R$5.29

-18.87%

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

$26.1K Rp 446.6M

$21.3K R$105.9K

22.62%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.2M

$28.4K R$141.5K

11.57%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$55.7 R$277

40.70%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$13.39 R$66.7

-70.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.3K

$20.49 R$102

18.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$29.25 R$146

227.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.6K

$34.80 R$173

-81.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$7.91 R$39.40

-49.30%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$499 R$2,487

-39.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.2M

$15.5K R$77.1K

-57.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 915.5K

$50.8 R$253

5.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 660.6K

$42.45 R$211

-9.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$79.4 R$396

12.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$72.1 R$359

9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$673 R$3,349

51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$412 R$2,050

63.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.7M

$1,268 R$6,313

165.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.1M

$747 R$3,719

182.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.4M

$2,895 R$14.4K

3.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.0M

$2,164 R$10.8K

7.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

$893 R$4,449

-80.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.56

14.88%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $673 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 403% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $40 in Sao Paulo. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $218, with Sao Paulo 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 Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sao Paulo earns 403% less. 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $673 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 438% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $302 in Ubud, Bali versus $499 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,060 in Sao Paulo versus $1,395 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Paulo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Sao Paulo 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 Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.