Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Vallarta and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Vallarta
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Puerto Vallarta Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Puerto Vallarta

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,602

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Vallarta and in Ubud, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Puerto Vallarta $1,602
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,430 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Puerto Vallarta $2,430
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,259 in Puerto Vallarta versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Puerto Vallarta $3,259
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Puerto Vallarta is roughly 17% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Vallarta 19% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.62 MX$252

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

309.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 MX$1,076

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

65.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 MX$206

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

92.59%

Cappuccino

$4.23 MX$78.2

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

54.95%

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

$1.86 MX$34.43

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

13.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$25.59

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

66.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 MX$54.1

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 MX$78.3

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-1.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MX$33.17

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

19.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 MX$64.9

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

52.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

69.49%

Eggs

$2.20 MX$40.72

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 MX$185

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-42.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 MX$203

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

172.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 MX$302

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

33.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 MX$54.2

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-17.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.99

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.88

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-13.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$39.43

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

10.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$44.26

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

27.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 MX$58.5

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

38.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$25.73

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$20.97

$0.53 Rp 9,475

113.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.5

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

88.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 MX$206

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-51.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$34.64

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$47.63

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

-11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$11.54

$0.24 Rp 4,315

158.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.79 MX$403

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

147.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 MX$88.4

$0.48 Rp 8,684

895.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 MX$56.9

$0.46 Rp 8,233

569.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 MX$78.8

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

-21.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.63

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

76.14%

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

$21.5K MX$396.7K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

-12.62%

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

$24.0K MX$443.2K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-23.10%

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

$85.7 MX$1,583

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

3.22%

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

$25.48 MX$471

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

295.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.81 MX$588

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

71.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 MX$679

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-34.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.96 MX$276

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-17.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 MX$161

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

99.54%

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

$335 MX$6,187

$493 Rp 8.9M

-32.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,188 MX$114.3K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

7.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 MX$1,008

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

18.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.55 MX$638

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

-2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,893

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

29.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 MX$1,755

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

21.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$24.2K

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

14.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 MX$12.7K

$676 Rp 12.2M

1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 MX$38.2K

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-40.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 MX$20.4K

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-34.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,117 MX$94.6K

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

83.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,541 MX$47.0K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

13.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$910 MX$16.8K

$165 Rp 3.0M

452.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

13.78

-15.09%

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

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Vallarta

$687 42.9%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 1.6% $11

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Vallarta

$316 19.7%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 8% $25

Eating Out

Puerto Vallarta

$229 14.3%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 52.6% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Vallarta

$143 8.9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 24.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Vallarta

$129 8.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 16.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Vallarta

$54 3.4%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 19.1% $10

Getting Around

Puerto Vallarta

$44 2.8%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 71.8% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,311 in Puerto Vallarta and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Vallarta pays 453% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Puerto Vallarta vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

05:54 5:54 AM

14 h ahead of Puerto Vallarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

224,166

74,800

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Puerto Vallarta Ubud, Bali 15,470 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Vallarta
Ubud, 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

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

Ubud, Bali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 453% higher in Puerto Vallarta, 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: $1,311 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 147% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $335 in Puerto Vallarta versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Puerto Vallarta. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Puerto Vallarta 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.