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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in Tulum versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,905 in Tulum versus $2,549 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,748 in Tulum versus $3,694 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 24% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 21% below, Ubud, Bali is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$185

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

201.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.52 MX$850

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

52.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 MX$135

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

62.35%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$63.5

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

34.55%

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

$1.21 MX$20.72

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.26

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

51.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MX$48.04

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 MX$69.4

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

6.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.91

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

-15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 MX$19.66

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

-53.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.66

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

24.17%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.20

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

-20.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 MX$92.1

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

-62.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.12 MX$122

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

65.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.19 MX$106

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

-49.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.35

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

-44.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.39

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

-12.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.35

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

-49.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.10

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

-39.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.27

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

10.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.51

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.42

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.80

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

26.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$70.3

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 MX$146

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

-62.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$23.23

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

-51.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.41

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

-55.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 MX$20.14

$0.29 Rp 5,217

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 MX$37.08

$0.45 Rp 8,047

380.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 MX$38.10

$0.45 Rp 8,094

393.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 MX$91.8

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

-14.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.58

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

55.29%

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

$16.0K MX$273.8K

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

-38.59%

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

$21.3K MX$365.8K

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

-32.69%

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

$83.7 MX$1,436

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

3.62%

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

$22.27 MX$382

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

448.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 MX$507

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

20.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.48 MX$557

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

-66.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.06 MX$276

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

148.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MX$81.4

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

17.33%

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

$203 MX$3,479

$304 Rp 5.4M

-33.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,841 MX$48.8K

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

-57.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.93 MX$462

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

-50.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 MX$550

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

-17.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 MX$1,383

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

-6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.12 MX$774

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

-41.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.2K

$986 Rp 17.7M

-27.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,713

$658 Rp 11.8M

-40.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MX$24.8K

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

-57.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 MX$20.9K

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

-41.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,272 MX$56.2K

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

19.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,899 MX$32.6K

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

-14.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 MX$13.4K

$163 Rp 2.9M

379.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

-17.17%

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

Last update for Tulum: June 9, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Tulum and $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 379% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Tulum vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $297, with Tulum 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

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

Tulum wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tulum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Tulum pays 379% more on average, 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: $712 in Tulum versus $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Tulum versus $304 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 Tulum – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in Tulum versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tulum delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,061 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tulum hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tulum 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 Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.