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: $1,046 in Tulum versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,936 in Tulum versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,827 in Tulum versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 27% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 22% below, Ubud, Bali is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.40 MX$181

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

191.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 MX$892

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

57.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 MX$142

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

60.95%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.4

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

30.74%

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

$1.21 MX$21.09

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

-9.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.26

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 MX$48.04

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 MX$69.2

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

3.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.93

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MX$20.60

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

-53.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.87

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

29.41%

Eggs

$1.99 MX$34.57

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

-18.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.44 MX$94.6

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

-62.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 MX$122

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

67.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.52 MX$114

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

-45.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.63

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

-41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.70

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.34

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

-47.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.72

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

-41.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.85

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.94

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

-10.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.72

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.33

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.4

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

36.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.79 MX$153

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

-62.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

-52.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.56

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

-54.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 MX$19.36

$0.29 Rp 5,010

282.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$35.88

$0.45 Rp 7,834

357.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 MX$38.83

$0.42 Rp 7,278

430.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 MX$89.7

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

-16.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.66

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

54.76%

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

$15.8K MX$274.9K

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

-39.81%

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

$21.2K MX$369.2K

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

-34.67%

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

$84.2 MX$1,466

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

7.42%

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

$22.28 MX$388

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

464.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 MX$512

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

20.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.29 MX$579

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-65.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 MX$275

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

148.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$81.0

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

15.10%

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

$204 MX$3,544

$303 Rp 5.2M

-32.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,835 MX$49.3K

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

-56.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.94 MX$451

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

-51.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.52 MX$548

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

-17.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 MX$1,406

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

-6.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.62 MX$794

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

-42.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 MX$12.2K

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

-30.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,905

$674 Rp 11.6M

-41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 MX$24.9K

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

-57.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.8K

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

-40.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,268 MX$56.9K

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

9.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 MX$32.3K

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

-20.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$781 MX$13.6K

$173 Rp 3.0M

350.99%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $699 in Tulum and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 351% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Tulum vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $298, 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 38% 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 351% 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: $699 in Tulum versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $204 in Tulum 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 Tulum – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,046 in Tulum versus $1,438 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 $1,046 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 38% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.