Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Vallarta and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Vallarta and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,762 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,727 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,691 in Puerto Vallarta versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Puerto Vallarta is roughly 26% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Vallarta 28% above, Ubud, Bali 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.50 MX$246

$3.37 Rp 59.8K

330.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 MX$1,045

$38.59 Rp 683.8K

59.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 MX$196

$5.52 Rp 97.8K

109.06%

Cappuccino

$4.42 MX$75.2

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

67.42%

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

$2.04 MX$34.69

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

22.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 MX$25.70

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

96.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MX$55.8

$2.63 Rp 46.7K

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 MX$79.4

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

9.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MX$33.78

$1.55 Rp 27.4K

28.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 MX$62.5

$2.22 Rp 39.4K

65.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 MX$38.23

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

99.12%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$42.68

$2.09 Rp 37.0K

20.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 MX$173

$17.39 Rp 308.2K

-41.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.55 MX$213

$3.87 Rp 68.5K

224.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 MX$316

$12.55 Rp 222.4K

48.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 MX$49.75

$3.62 Rp 64.1K

-19.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.67

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.04

$2.35 Rp 41.7K

-14.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.38

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

6.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.27

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

21.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 MX$58.6

$2.34 Rp 41.4K

47.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$27.73

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

58.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.65

$0.55 Rp 9,830

141.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 MX$78.0

$2.25 Rp 39.9K

104.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.59 MX$214

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

-47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.10

$2.31 Rp 41.0K

-12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 MX$54.6

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

14.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$10.80

$0.27 Rp 4,827

137.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.04 MX$392

$8.66 Rp 153.5K

166.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 MX$79.8

$0.48 Rp 8,533

879.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 MX$50.2

$0.45 Rp 7,904

557.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 MX$77.8

$5.72 Rp 101.4K

-19.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.32

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

103.95%

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

$22.8K MX$388.0K

$24.5K Rp 433.9M

-6.75%

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

$25.6K MX$435.2K

$32.1K Rp 569.3M

-20.27%

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

$139 MX$2,367

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

66.70%

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

$33.76 MX$574

$6.46 Rp 114.4K

422.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.02 MX$612

$18.99 Rp 336.6K

89.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.83 MX$711

$56.0 Rp 992.0K

-25.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 MX$280

$18.62 Rp 329.9K

-11.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 MX$169

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

132.01%

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

$375 MX$6,370

$487 Rp 8.6M

-22.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,325 MX$107.5K

$5,856 Rp 103.8M

8.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 MX$986

$45.56 Rp 807.4K

27.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.66 MX$640

$36.38 Rp 644.7K

3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,868

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

34.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 MX$1,718

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 MX$25.3K

$1,117 Rp 19.8M

33.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 MX$12.7K

$701 Rp 12.4M

6.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 MX$35.8K

$3,537 Rp 62.7M

-40.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 MX$21.4K

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

-28.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,419 MX$92.1K

$2,826 Rp 50.1M

91.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,605 MX$44.3K

$2,292 Rp 40.6M

13.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$939 MX$16.0K

$170 Rp 3.0M

453.16%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,487 in Puerto Vallarta and $1,117 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: $61.0 in Puerto Vallarta vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $293 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 26% 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: $1,487 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,117 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 166% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $375 in Puerto Vallarta versus $487 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,762 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 26% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.