Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapachula and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapachula and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,128 in Tapachula versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,777 in Tapachula versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,426 in Tapachula versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Tapachula costs roughly 22% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tapachula is 16% below, Ubud, Bali is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.56 MX$184

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

195.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.36 MX$667

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

17.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 MX$141

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

59.76%

Cappuccino

$3.28 MX$57.1

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

15.90%

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

$1.28 MX$22.28

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.53

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

37.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 MX$42.22

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

-18.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MX$68.3

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

2.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

-17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$45.46

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.28

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

31.93%

Eggs

$2.38 MX$41.45

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

-2.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$141

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

-44.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 MX$139

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

91.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$185

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

-10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 MX$46.65

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

-27.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.38

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.70

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

-34.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.87

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

-31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.04

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

-0.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.01

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

-10.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$21.07

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

14.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.13

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MX$73.9

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

35.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 MX$172

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

-57.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.15

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

-43.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$49.27

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

-1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.74

$0.29 Rp 5,010

113.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 MX$45.45

$0.45 Rp 7,834

480.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.62

$0.42 Rp 7,278

278.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.42 MX$147

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

36.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.20

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

52.38%

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

$21.5K MX$374.1K

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

-18.07%

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

$22.3K MX$387.6K

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

-31.42%

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

$56.5 MX$984

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-27.91%

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

$22.38 MX$389

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

466.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.68 MX$482

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

13.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.28 MX$631

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-62.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 MX$279

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

152.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 MX$78.6

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

11.88%

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

$205 MX$3,572

$303 Rp 5.2M

-32.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,617 MX$62.9K

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

-44.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 MX$936

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

-0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$692

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 MX$1,573

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 MX$1,372

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

-0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 MX$8,717

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

-50.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 MX$6,870

$674 Rp 11.6M

-41.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 MX$16.1K

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

-72.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 MX$13.3K

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

-63.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,218 MX$38.6K

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

-25.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 MX$21.5K

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

-47.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.28

-13.55%

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

Last update for Tapachula: April 28, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $501 in Tapachula and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tapachula vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $298, with Tapachula 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

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

Tapachula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,692 in Tapachula and $2,158 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $501 in Tapachula versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $205 in Tapachula versus $303 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tapachula – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,128 in Tapachula versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tapachula but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tapachula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Tapachula 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 Tapachula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.