Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Varginha Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Varginha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Ubud, Bali versus $688 in Varginha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,313 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,110 in Varginha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,533 in Varginha.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 100% more expensive than in Varginha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Varginha is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 59.5K

$8.48 R$44.27

-60.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.33 Rp 632.1K

$23.07 R$120

53.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 Rp 95.4K

$6.78 R$35.39

-21.39%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$0.99 R$5.15

177.78%

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

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

$0.85 R$4.42

103.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$0.59 R$3.10

35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.7K

$1.38 R$7.20

113.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 Rp 79.4K

$3.40 R$17.76

30.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

$0.88 R$4.57

70.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

$1.56 R$8.12

47.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 Rp 19.7K

$0.98 R$5.12

12.24%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.6K

$1.37 R$7.15

57.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 Rp 305.7K

$8.72 R$45.53

95.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 69.4K

$3.45 R$18.03

12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.92 Rp 213.2K

$8.87 R$46.30

34.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 Rp 63.8K

$1.35 R$7.06

164.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

$1.32 R$6.88

19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Rp 42.2K

$1.00 R$5.24

136.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

$0.99 R$5.18

98.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$0.97 R$5.08

86.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.8K

$0.93 R$4.88

156.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$0.47 R$2.45

117.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Rp 8,792

$0.65 R$3.37

-24.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.2K

$2.16 R$11.27

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.30 Rp 399.0K

$4.77 R$24.90

367.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$1.08 R$5.65

119.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 51.8K

$1.75 R$9.15

65.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,457

$0.91 R$4.78

-72.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.55 Rp 153.0K

$47.86 R$250

-82.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,906

$0.92 R$4.78

-52.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,556

$0.69 R$3.58

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.3K

$6.29 R$32.86

-10.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.07 R$5.56

-24.30%

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

$23.7K Rp 424.7M

$23.2K R$121.4K

2.14%

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

$31.0K Rp 554.3M

$28.8K R$150.3K

7.62%

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

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

$92.1 R$481

-10.64%

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

$6.30 Rp 112.7K

$4.86 R$25.38

29.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.63 Rp 333.4K

$18.99 R$99.2

-1.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 Rp 979.2K

$24.39 R$127

124.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 Rp 330.1K

$26.99 R$141

-31.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 75.8K

$7.58 R$39.57

-44.06%

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

$484 Rp 8.7M

$210 R$1,094

131.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,590 Rp 100.0M

$4,127 R$21.6K

35.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.77 Rp 818.9K

$34.00 R$178

34.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 Rp 638.6K

$56.7 R$296

-37.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$77.9 R$407

0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$58.0 R$303

38.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 Rp 20.5M

$144 R$752

696.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 Rp 12.1M

$111 R$581

509.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 Rp 62.7M

$264 R$1,381

1225.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 Rp 30.2M

$245 R$1,281

588.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 Rp 49.9M

$1,615 R$8,434

72.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 Rp 40.4M

$1,137 R$5,940

98.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$437 R$2,283

-62.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

37.80%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 28, 2026

Last update for Varginha: September 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Ubud, Bali and $144 in Varginha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varginha pays 165% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Varginha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $160 per month, with Varginha 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 Varginha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varginha wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varginha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Varginha. 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: $1,147 in Ubud, Bali versus $144 in Varginha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $484 in Ubud, Bali versus $210 in Varginha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $688 in Varginha versus $1,374 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varginha but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Varginha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varginha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $688 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varginha hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Varginha 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 Varginha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.