Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla Mujeres and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla Mujeres and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Isla Mujeres versus $2,582 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,376 in Isla Mujeres versus $3,757 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Isla Mujeres costs roughly 21% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Isla Mujeres is 17% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Isla Mujeres
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.42 MX$181
$3.42 Rpย 58.7K
204.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.39 MX$665
$32.96 Rpย 566.5K
16.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.85 MX$136
$5.08 Rpย 87.3K
54.53%
Cappuccino
$3.20 MX$55.5
$2.82 Rpย 48.5K
13.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$22.07
$1.37 Rpย 23.5K
-7.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 MX$15.74
$0.71 Rpย 12.2K
28.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 MX$37.97
$2.97 Rpย 51.0K
-26.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 MX$67.9
$3.91 Rpย 67.2K
0.26%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Isla Mujeres
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$25.05
$1.75 Rpย 30.0K
-17.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 MX$45.59
$2.52 Rpย 43.2K
4.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 MX$28.14
$1.21 Rpย 20.8K
33.88%
Eggs
$2.32 MX$40.29
$2.33 Rpย 40.1K
-0.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.98 MX$138
$14.50 Rpย 249.2K
-44.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.82 MX$135
$4.36 Rpย 74.9K
79.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.41 MX$180
$12.05 Rpย 207.0K
-13.61%
Apples (1kg)
$2.62 MX$45.45
$3.82 Rpย 65.6K
-31.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$25.01
$1.61 Rpย 27.7K
-10.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 MX$31.06
$2.70 Rpย 46.5K
-33.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.72 MX$29.79
$2.23 Rpย 38.3K
-22.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 MX$32.09
$1.90 Rpย 32.6K
-2.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.92 MX$33.32
$2.18 Rpย 37.5K
-11.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 MX$21.63
$1.03 Rpย 17.7K
21.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$17.14
$0.77 Rpย 13.3K
28.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.19 MX$72.7
$3.18 Rpย 54.7K
31.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.70 MX$185
$23.23 Rpย 399.2K
-53.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$26.68
$2.85 Rpย 48.9K
-45.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 MX$49.27
$2.72 Rpย 46.7K
4.41%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Isla Mujeres
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.65 MX$11.26
$0.29 Rpย 5,022
124.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.43 Rpย 144.8K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.57 MX$44.59
$0.49 Rpย 8,344
424.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 MX$27.46
$0.45 Rpย 7,812
251.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.08 MX$140
$6.28 Rpย 107.8K
28.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 MX$22.13
$0.85 Rpย 14.6K
50.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$363.1K
$26.1K Rpย 447.8M
-19.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K MX$384.4K
$31.5K Rpย 541.8M
-29.64%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isla Mujeres
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.5 MX$979
$79.8 Rpย 1.4M
-29.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.15 MX$384
$4.09 Rpย 70.3K
441.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.97 MX$485
$24.06 Rpย 413.6K
16.25%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Isla Mujeres
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.97 MX$623
$96.2 Rpย 1.7M
-62.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.11 MX$279
$6.53 Rpย 112.2K
146.71%
Cinema Ticket
$4.68 MX$81.1
$4.13 Rpย 71.1K
13.32%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Isla Mujeres
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MX$3,605
$297 Rpย 5.1M
-29.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,634 MX$63.0K
$6,661 Rpย 114.5M
-45.45%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Isla Mujeres
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.0 MX$901
$55.0 Rpย 944.5K
-5.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.24 MX$680
$38.75 Rpย 666.0K
1.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.7 MX$1,589
$89.6 Rpย 1.5M
2.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.0 MX$1,386
$78.9 Rpย 1.4M
1.37%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Isla Mujeres
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$510 MX$8,842
$1,018 Rpย 17.5M
-49.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$393 MX$6,807
$660 Rpย 11.3M
-40.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$928 MX$16.1K
$3,435 Rpย 59.0M
-72.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$775 MX$13.4K
$2,053 Rpย 35.3M
-62.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,743 MX$30.2K
$2,981 Rpย 51.2M
-41.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,165 MX$20.2K
$2,368 Rpย 40.7M
-50.78%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Isla Mujeres
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$172 Rpย 3.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.48
13.28
-13.55%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Isla Mujeres: April 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $510 in Isla Mujeres and $1,018 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Isla Mujeres vs $33 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $299, with Isla Mujeres 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
Isla Mujeres vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Isla Mujeres and Ubud, Bali?
Isla Mujeres and Ubud, Bali differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,117 vs $1,408 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable โ€“ a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Isla Mujeres compared to Ubud, Bali?
You'd need roughly $1,676 in Isla Mujeres and $2,112 in Ubud, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Isla Mujeres and Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $510 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,018 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Isla Mujeres or Ubud, Bali?
All in, you'll spend $1,117 per month in Isla Mujeres versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali โ€“ a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,117 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Isla Mujeres and Ubud, Bali?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better โ€“ the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Isla Mujeres or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Isla Mujeres 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.
Where should expats move: Isla Mujeres or Ubud, Bali?
Expats usually find Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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