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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,054 in Sao Paulo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,663 in Sao Paulo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,271 in Sao Paulo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 34% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Sao Paulo is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$7.27 R$37.04

-52.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$39.06 R$199

-17.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$7.11 R$36.18

-31.93%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.07 R$10.56

32.85%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.21 R$6.15

14.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.85 R$4.34

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$2.10 R$10.70

42.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.89 R$14.72

33.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.06 R$5.41

64.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.86 R$9.47

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.29 R$6.57

-9.30%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.36 R$12.04

2.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$10.98 R$55.9

32.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.34 R$22.07

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$9.29 R$47.30

28.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.83 R$14.39

31.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.84 R$9.35

-11.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.63 R$8.28

68.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.76 R$8.97

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.38 R$7.02

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.25 R$6.37

82.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.99 R$5.04

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.73 R$3.72

-1.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.48 R$12.62

32.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$9.78 R$49.81

137.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.37 R$6.95

102.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.38 R$12.09

14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.94 R$4.78

-71.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$44.40 R$226

-81.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.11 R$5.65

-56.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.71 R$3.63

-40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$9.11 R$46.40

-31.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.05 R$5.35

-22.86%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$22.0K R$112.2K

20.73%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$27.9K R$142.3K

15.18%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$53.8 R$274

45.77%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$13.21 R$67.3

-69.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$20.27 R$103

20.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$29.44 R$150

234.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$35.62 R$181

-82.20%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$8.16 R$41.55

-51.10%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$505 R$2,573

-39.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$15.3K R$77.7K

-56.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$50.9 R$259

6.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$42.52 R$216

-11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$79.2 R$403

9.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$72.7 R$370

5.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$659 R$3,357

50.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$409 R$2,081

64.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$1,287 R$6,554

162.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$751 R$3,822

173.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$2,740 R$14.0K

2.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,983 R$10.1K

12.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$839 R$4,272

-80.10%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $659 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: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $39.00 in Sao Paulo. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $217, 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 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 403% lower in Sao Paulo. 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 $659 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 447% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $505 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,054 in Sao Paulo versus $1,408 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 34% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.