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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,081 in Sao Tome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,841 in Sao Tome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,601 in Sao Tome.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 30% more expensive than in Sao Tome, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Sao Tome is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$19.99 STN 430

-82.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$45.96 STN 988

-29.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$9.95 STN 214

-51.36%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.72 STN 37.06

59.88%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.94 STN 41.77

-28.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.15 STN 24.72

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.63 STN 35.15

83.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$1.88 STN 40.46

104.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.33 STN 28.61

30.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.04 STN 22.43

136.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.26 STN 48.61

-48.23%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$4.94 STN 106

-50.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$20.05 STN 431

-27.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$19.87 STN 427

-78.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$24.69 STN 531

-51.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$4.50 STN 96.7

-17.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.18 STN 25.43

38.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$3.98 STN 85.5

-31.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$3.52 STN 75.6

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$2.58 STN 55.6

-25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.99 STN 42.83

14.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.66 STN 14.27

60.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.90 STN 40.82

-62.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.32 STN 49.94

41.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$7.94 STN 171

192.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.27 STN 27.27

118.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.34 STN 28.81

103.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.26 STN 27.11

-78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$14.14 STN 304

-56.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.65 STN 35.39

-50.91%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$22.8K STN 490.0K

41.23%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$34.83 STN 749

-88.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$72.6 STN 1,560

-66.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$36.62 STN 787

169.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$29.39 STN 632

-78.43%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$21.14 STN 455

-81.13%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$19.10 STN 411

299.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$353 STN 7,595

180.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$235 STN 5,044

186.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$664 STN 14.3K

408.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$515 STN 11.1K

298.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,840 STN 39.6K

52.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,149 STN 24.7K

93.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$265 STN 5,702

-37.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

7.38

79.95%

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 Tome: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $353 in Sao Tome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Tome pays 59% 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 $46.00 in Sao Tome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $411 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Tome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Tome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Sao Tome. 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 $353 in Sao Tome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,081 in Sao Tome – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,081 in Sao Tome versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Tome but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Tome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sao Tome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,081 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sao Tome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Sao Tome 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 Tome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.