Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Uluwatu, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,675 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Uluwatu, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Uluwatu, Bali
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Uluwatu, Bali Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Uluwatu, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,675

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Uluwatu, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Uluwatu, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,675 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Uluwatu, Bali $1,675

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,848 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Uluwatu, Bali $2,848

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,020 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Uluwatu, Bali $4,020

Playa del Carmen is about 27% cheaper than Uluwatu, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Uluwatu, Bali is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$3.95 Rp 70.7K

177.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$42.45 Rp 758.8K

5.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$6.92 Rp 123.6K

72.25%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$3.22 Rp 57.5K

18.01%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

-34.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

-13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$3.21 Rp 57.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$5.34 Rp 95.4K

-6.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.61 Rp 28.8K

-9.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

1.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$1.27 Rp 22.7K

13.39%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

-57.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$4.07 Rp 72.7K

93.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$12.90 Rp 230.5K

-0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$3.66 Rp 65.4K

-20.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$1.62 Rp 28.9K

-12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$2.34 Rp 41.8K

9.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$2.04 Rp 36.4K

4.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$1.97 Rp 35.1K

-1.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$2.44 Rp 43.6K

-20.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$0.52 Rp 9,311

134.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

91.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$23.34 Rp 417.3K

-57.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

-35.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$3.12 Rp 55.8K

-12.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.32 Rp 5,786

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$10.24 Rp 183.0K

167.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$0.57 Rp 10.1K

761.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

517.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

109.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.10 Rp 19.7K

40.00%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$30.7K Rp 548.6M

-30.80%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$38.3K Rp 684.8M

-36.08%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$90.2 Rp 1.6M

-7.33%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$7.15 Rp 127.8K

236.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$20.44 Rp 365.4K

43.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$64.8 Rp 1.2M

0.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$20.82 Rp 372.1K

41.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$5.10 Rp 91.1K

-0.20%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$556 Rp 9.9M

-62.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$6,498 Rp 116.2M

-37.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$50.8 Rp 907.5K

-12.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$39.30 Rp 702.5K

7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$88.4 Rp 1.6M

-14.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$84.7 Rp 1.5M

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$1,523 Rp 27.2M

-35.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$929 Rp 16.6M

-58.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$4,862 Rp 86.9M

-64.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$2,353 Rp 42.1M

-52.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$3,679 Rp 65.8M

9.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$3,038 Rp 54.3M

105.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.78

-16.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Uluwatu, Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Uluwatu, Bali

$929 55.1% 141% $544

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Uluwatu, Bali

$301 17.8% 15.5% $40

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Uluwatu, Bali

$130 7.7% 36.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Uluwatu, Bali

$118 7% 14% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Uluwatu, Bali

$118 7% 3.8% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Uluwatu, Bali

$75 4.5% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Uluwatu, Bali

$15 0.9% 71.3% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,523 in Uluwatu, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $42.00 in Uluwatu, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Playa del Carmen vs $301 in Uluwatu, Bali – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Uluwatu, Bali

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

16:54 4:54 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

5,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Uluwatu, Bali 17,300 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Uluwatu, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Playa del Carmen vs Uluwatu, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Uluwatu, Bali is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,513 in Uluwatu, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $1,675 in Uluwatu, Bali. That's a gap of about 38%.

Public transport costs about 168% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Uluwatu, Bali at $1,675. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Uluwatu, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Uluwatu, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.