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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,237 in Sao Tome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,954 in Sao Tome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,672 in Sao Tome.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 13% more expensive than in Sao Tome, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Sao Tome is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$9.37 STN 198

-64.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

$46.23 STN 975

-16.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$8.13 STN 171

-32.10%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$2.37 STN 50.1

11.39%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$1.86 STN 39.18

-10.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$1.27 STN 26.83

-39.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$1.72 STN 36.24

52.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$1.92 STN 40.43

122.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.66 STN 34.94

-6.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.01 STN 21.24

119.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$2.16 STN 45.56

-47.69%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$5.07 STN 107

-58.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.6K

$20.55 STN 434

-15.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$20.10 STN 424

-80.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.2K

$24.81 STN 524

-49.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$3.88 STN 81.8

-6.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.83 STN 38.59

-14.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$3.81 STN 80.4

-38.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$3.68 STN 77.5

-44.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$2.98 STN 62.8

-36.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$2.49 STN 52.5

-6.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.53 STN 11.11

94.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,779

$2.10 STN 44.21

-73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$2.31 STN 48.69

-2.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

$8.37 STN 177

184.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$1.58 STN 33.23

46.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$1.74 STN 36.74

60.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,802

$1.46 STN 30.72

-81.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,489

$1.69 STN 35.68

-71.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$2.65 STN 55.9

-83.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$14.38 STN 303

-60.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.82 STN 38.33

-58.24%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.6M

$26.0K STN 548.7K

-5.86%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

$32.6K STN 687.0K

-1.34%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$238 STN 5,014

-64.84%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$32.55 STN 687

-80.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.8K

$69.8 STN 1,472

-72.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 986.8K

$35.06 STN 740

59.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

$26.12 STN 551

-28.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$20.63 STN 435

-79.25%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$240 STN 5,055

103.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

$2,261 STN 47.7K

158.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

$76.9 STN 1,623

-52.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$19.38 STN 409

314.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$294 STN 6,196

280.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$199 STN 4,191

252.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$953 STN 20.1K

271.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$454 STN 9,569

288.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$1,886 STN 39.8K

49.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$1,166 STN 24.6K

96.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$274 STN 5,772

-37.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.38

86.72%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $294 in Sao Tome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Tome pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $46.00 in Sao Tome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $425 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 13% 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 61% 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $294 in Sao Tome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $240 in Sao Tome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Tome – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,237 in Sao Tome versus $1,396 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 $1,237 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 13% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.