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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,204 in Sao Paulo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,001 in Sao Paulo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,798 in Sao Paulo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 14% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Sao Paulo is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$9.04 R$46.33

-63.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$48.25 R$247

-25.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$8.86 R$45.42

-36.46%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.56 R$13.13

10.16%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$1.36 R$6.99

28.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.86 R$4.41

-6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$2.99 R$15.32

1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$4.38 R$22.48

-1.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.15 R$5.89

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.83 R$9.40

24.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.35 R$6.94

-13.33%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.78 R$14.23

-21.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$12.02 R$61.6

46.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$5.08 R$26.05

-20.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$10.67 R$54.7

14.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.64 R$13.56

37.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.73 R$8.86

-5.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.58 R$8.11

46.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.79 R$9.17

9.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$1.32 R$6.76

39.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.23 R$6.31

92.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$1.18 R$6.03

-11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.92 R$4.69

-41.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.01 R$15.41

-23.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$9.93 R$50.9

132.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.68 R$8.63

39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.70 R$13.86

13.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$1.01 R$5.18

-75.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$46.53 R$239

-79.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$1.72 R$8.84

-71.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$1.01 R$5.18

-53.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$10.24 R$52.5

-45.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.22 R$6.23

-33.61%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$23.3K R$119.3K

7.50%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$33.4K R$171.4K

-7.11%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$98.9 R$507

-16.36%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$15.59 R$79.9

-58.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$21.77 R$112

-13.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$34.34 R$176

60.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$44.18 R$226

-58.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$10.00 R$51.3

-57.00%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$510 R$2,616

-3.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$15.8K R$81.1K

-62.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$65.3 R$335

-29.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$62.2 R$319

-41.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$96.4 R$494

-16.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$86.3 R$443

-8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$668 R$3,425

66.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$409 R$2,098

69.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$1,455 R$7,461

150.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$931 R$4,774

83.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$2,879 R$14.8K

-4.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$2,031 R$10.4K

12.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$882 R$4,520

-81.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

12.04

14.45%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $668 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 428% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $48.00 in Sao Paulo. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $235, 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 428% 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $668 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 394% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $510 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,204 in Sao Paulo versus $1,378 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 14% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.