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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,819 in Cuernavaca versus $2,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,562 in Cuernavaca versus $3,275 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 22% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuernavaca is 22% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.69 MX$147

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

160.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.14 MX$698

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

14.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 MX$127

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

33.21%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MX$45.36

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

-5.32%

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

$1.43 MX$24.22

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

-18.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$11.53

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$45.66

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

-11.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MX$59.6

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

-18.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.35

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

14.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 MX$42.03

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

9.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.41

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

33.33%

Eggs

$2.18 MX$37.00

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 MX$146

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

-51.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 MX$87.8

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

27.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 MX$245

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

18.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.17

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

-32.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$24.64

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

-11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.27

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.42

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

-8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.59

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.77

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

-21.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$27.66

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

55.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.37

$0.54 Rp 9,560

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 MX$81.8

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

109.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 MX$154

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

-60.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.68

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

-42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 MX$59.4

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

14.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.25 Rp 4,365

124.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.80 MX$506

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

216.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 MX$35.85

$0.49 Rp 8,631

330.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$0.47 Rp 8,349

489.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.62 MX$197

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

107.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$24.73

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

80.25%

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

$22.6K MX$383.5K

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

-9.62%

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

$25.4K MX$431.3K

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

-18.16%

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

$64.4 MX$1,092

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

-22.18%

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

$19.57 MX$332

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

201.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 MX$466

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

46.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.38 MX$481

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

-48.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 MX$102

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

40.00%

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

$234 MX$3,966

$494 Rp 8.7M

-52.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,418 MX$91.9K

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

-8.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 MX$741

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

-5.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.87 MX$592

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

-4.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,717

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,768

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

32.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MX$7,136

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

-62.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 MX$6,012

$693 Rp 12.2M

-48.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$17.1K

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

-72.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 MX$14.6K

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

-49.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$957 MX$16.2K

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

-65.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 MX$11.1K

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

-71.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 MX$12.0K

$167 Rp 2.9M

324.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.4

13.78

-17.27%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Cuernavaca and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 325% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Cuernavaca vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $294, with Cuernavaca 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

Cuernavaca vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 325% higher in Cuernavaca, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $421 in Cuernavaca versus $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cuernavaca and Ubud, Bali 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.