Cost of Living Comparison Between San Cristobal de las Casas and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between San Cristobal de las Casas and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $980 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,523 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $2,348 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,066 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $3,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in San Cristobal de las Casas costs roughly 28% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Cristobal de las Casas is 28% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 MX$103

$3.44 Rp 60.8K

74.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.47 MX$505

$36.31 Rp 642.1K

-18.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 MX$107

$5.71 Rp 100.9K

9.63%

Cappuccino

$2.63 MX$45.08

$2.67 Rp 47.2K

-1.50%

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

$1.73 MX$29.59

$1.75 Rp 30.9K

-1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.22

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

21.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 MX$50.3

$2.95 Rp 52.2K

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 MX$60.9

$4.52 Rp 79.9K

-21.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.34

$1.62 Rp 28.6K

-4.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 MX$64.5

$2.33 Rp 41.2K

61.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.98

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

52.25%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.14

$2.20 Rp 38.9K

14.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.93 MX$119

$17.69 Rp 312.8K

-60.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 MX$77.4

$4.10 Rp 72.4K

10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 MX$117

$12.18 Rp 215.3K

-43.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 MX$60.2

$3.71 Rp 65.5K

-5.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.02

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.13

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 MX$25.30

$1.95 Rp 34.5K

-24.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.26

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

-10.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.10

$2.33 Rp 41.2K

-17.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 MX$32.88

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

90.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$29.82

$0.55 Rp 9,759

216.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

-10.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 MX$189

$23.07 Rp 408.0K

-52.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 MX$42.60

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.29

$3.00 Rp 53.0K

-31.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.61

$0.27 Rp 4,807

107.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.16 MX$500

$8.98 Rp 158.9K

224.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 MX$49.26

$0.48 Rp 8,554

497.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 MX$51.4

$0.43 Rp 7,668

597.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.47

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

86.25%

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

$19.8K MX$339.3K

$24.9K Rp 441.1M

-20.66%

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

$31.7K Rp 560.7M

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

$33.92 MX$582

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

-58.36%

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

$15.35 MX$263

$6.49 Rp 114.8K

136.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 MX$365

$18.77 Rp 331.9K

13.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.97 MX$411

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

-57.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.57 MX$421

$18.73 Rp 331.2K

31.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 MX$128

$4.54 Rp 80.2K

64.32%

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

$217 MX$3,725

$481 Rp 8.5M

-54.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,751 MX$47.2K

$5,711 Rp 101.0M

-51.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.43 MX$350

$45.52 Rp 804.9K

-55.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.92 MX$496

$35.88 Rp 634.5K

-19.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,758

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

27.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 MX$1,017

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

-24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,016

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

-58.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 MX$5,800

$698 Rp 12.3M

-51.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 MX$16.0K

$3,637 Rp 64.3M

-74.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 MX$9,944

$1,737 Rp 30.7M

-66.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$885 MX$15.2K

$2,784 Rp 49.2M

-68.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$697 MX$11.9K

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

-69.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 MX$7,425

$168 Rp 3.0M

157.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.8

13.78

-28.88%

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

Last update for San Cristobal de las Casas: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $468 in San Cristobal de las Casas and $1,115 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Cristobal de las Casas pays 158% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in San Cristobal de las Casas vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $295 per month, with San Cristobal de las Casas 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

San Cristobal de las Casas vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Cristobal de las Casas wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Cristobal de las Casas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 158% higher in San Cristobal de las Casas, 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: $468 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,115 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Cristobal de las Casas runs roughly 225% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $217 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $481 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $980 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Cristobal de las Casas but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes San Cristobal de las Casas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Cristobal de las Casas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $980 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Cristobal de las Casas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Cristobal de las Casas 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 San Cristobal de las Casas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.