Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Villa María Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Villa María

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $978 in Villa María.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,579 in Villa María.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,180 in Villa María.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 43% more expensive than Villa María, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Villa María is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$10.34 ARS 14.9K

-67.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$33.74 ARS 48.5K

-4.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$9.17 ARS 13.2K

-45.47%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$2.76 ARS 3,967

2.17%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$1.71 ARS 2,461

-19.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$1.56 ARS 2,242

-53.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$2.07 ARS 2,973

43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$2.93 ARS 4,209

35.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$1.30 ARS 1,870

37.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$1.56 ARS 2,243

57.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$1.95 ARS 2,803

-38.46%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$2.17 ARS 3,119

10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$10.28 ARS 14.8K

40.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$6.04 ARS 8,671

-29.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$9.33 ARS 13.4K

26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$1.96 ARS 2,818

92.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$2.08 ARS 2,981

-21.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$1.25 ARS 1,799

124.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$2.52 ARS 3,616

-10.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$1.15 ARS 1,648

73.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$1.21 ARS 1,737

82.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$1.28 ARS 1,838

-16.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$1.48 ARS 2,121

-48.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$3.16 ARS 4,537

-0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$4.54 ARS 6,518

424.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$1.98 ARS 2,846

43.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$3.19 ARS 4,584

-12.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$0.77 ARS 1,100

-64.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$1.47 ARS 2,119

-69.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.93 ARS 1,334

-53.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$5.91 ARS 8,493

1.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.05 ARS 1,507

-23.81%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$27.9K ARS 40.1M

-7.58%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$30.8K ARS 44.3M

3.19%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$66.6 ARS 95.7K

21.16%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$17.00 ARS 24.4K

-75.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$22.64 ARS 32.5K

6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$25.73 ARS 37.0K

279.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$13.75 ARS 19.7K

-51.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$6.31 ARS 9,062

-35.97%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$222 ARS 319.3K

33.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$2,664 ARS 3.8M

147.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$73.1 ARS 105.0K

-24.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$68.7 ARS 98.7K

-43.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$117 ARS 167.6K

-26.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$112 ARS 160.6K

-30.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$342 ARS 490.9K

188.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$239 ARS 343.6K

177.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$695 ARS 998.2K

395.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$532 ARS 764.4K

283.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$2,062 ARS 3.0M

37.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$742 ARS 1.1M

207.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$477 ARS 685.0K

-64.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

58.5

-77.30%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Villa María: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $342 in Villa María. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Villa María pays 182% 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 $34.00 in Villa María. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $228, with Villa María 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 Villa María: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Villa María wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Villa María the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Villa María earns 182% 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $342 in Villa María. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,394 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $978 in Villa María – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Villa María versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Villa María but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Villa María the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Villa María delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $978 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Villa María hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Villa María 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 Villa María gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.