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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $963 in Villa María.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,591 in Villa María.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,219 in Villa María.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 49% more expensive than Villa María, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Villa María is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$10.66 ARS 14.9K

-66.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$34.13 ARS 47.6K

-4.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$9.29 ARS 13.0K

-45.43%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.66 ARS 3,705

6.39%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.63 ARS 2,276

-17.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$1.56 ARS 2,181

-55.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.06 ARS 2,869

45.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.91 ARS 4,065

32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.31 ARS 1,824

32.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.58 ARS 2,200

60.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.98 ARS 2,760

-39.90%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$2.25 ARS 3,145

8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$10.20 ARS 14.2K

43.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$6.34 ARS 8,846

-34.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$9.57 ARS 13.4K

24.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.04 ARS 2,840

80.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$2.13 ARS 2,967

-24.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.33 ARS 1,853

102.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$2.56 ARS 3,578

-8.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.19 ARS 1,655

60.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.21 ARS 1,686

80.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.32 ARS 1,835

-19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$1.43 ARS 2,000

-49.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$3.07 ARS 4,279

1.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$4.69 ARS 6,546

400.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.98 ARS 2,762

38.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$3.05 ARS 4,249

-5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.77 ARS 1,079

-62.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.48 ARS 2,068

-69.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.93 ARS 1,295

-54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$6.06 ARS 8,453

1.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.06 ARS 1,474

-20.75%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$27.7K ARS 38.6M

-5.22%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$30.4K ARS 42.4M

6.87%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$65.7 ARS 91.7K

19.38%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$16.86 ARS 23.5K

-76.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$22.27 ARS 31.1K

9.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$26.33 ARS 36.7K

266.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$13.71 ARS 19.1K

-53.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$6.13 ARS 8,554

-34.09%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$216 ARS 301.4K

40.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$2,746 ARS 3.8M

137.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$74.7 ARS 104.2K

-27.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$68.2 ARS 95.2K

-44.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$117 ARS 163.0K

-25.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$111 ARS 155.1K

-29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$334 ARS 466.6K

202.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$237 ARS 330.1K

185.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$669 ARS 933.0K

406.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$533 ARS 743.4K

293.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$2,065 ARS 2.9M

44.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$758 ARS 1.1M

208.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$489 ARS 682.3K

-64.60%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Villa María: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $334 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: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Villa María. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $232, 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 49% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $334 in Villa María. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $963 in Villa María – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $963 in Villa María versus $1,438 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 $963 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 49% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.