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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $609 in Varginha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $975 in Varginha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,341 in Varginha.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 136% more expensive than Varginha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Varginha is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$6.25 R$31.18

-42.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$21.56 R$108

51.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$6.31 R$31.51

-19.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$0.94 R$4.68

201.06%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.83 R$4.14

61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.55 R$2.76

25.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.29 R$6.44

131.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.33 R$16.64

15.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.12 R$5.59

55.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.45 R$7.26

75.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.88 R$4.40

35.23%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.34 R$6.66

81.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$7.81 R$38.99

87.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.78 R$18.87

10.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$7.35 R$36.67

62.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.23 R$6.16

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.27 R$6.36

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$0.86 R$4.30

212.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.13 R$5.66

106.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.85 R$4.24

124.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.93 R$4.64

135.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.47 R$2.33

125.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.55 R$2.72

30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.00 R$9.98

56.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$5.02 R$25.05

367.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.02 R$5.07

168.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.66 R$8.30

73.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.82 R$4.09

-64.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$38.44 R$192

-78.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.87 R$4.34

-48.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.62 R$3.09

-32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$5.91 R$29.47

4.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.05 R$5.24

-20.00%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$22.3K R$111.2K

17.74%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$26.6K R$132.7K

22.09%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$46.61 R$233

68.25%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$4.43 R$22.11

-10.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$17.80 R$88.8

37.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$22.86 R$114

322.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$21.46 R$107

-70.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$5.29 R$26.42

-23.63%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$195 R$975

54.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$3,925 R$19.6K

66.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$32.96 R$164

63.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$52.0 R$259

-26.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$71.9 R$359

20.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$53.6 R$267

47.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$134 R$668

656.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$106 R$531

533.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$246 R$1,227

1278.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$230 R$1,150

810.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$1,644 R$8,206

81.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,202 R$5,998

94.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$462 R$2,303

-62.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

32.80%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Varginha: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $134 in Varginha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varginha pays 167% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Varginha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $153 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 136% 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, Varginha earns 167% less. 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $134 in Varginha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $195 in Varginha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $609 in Varginha versus $1,438 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 $609 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 136% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.