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: $1,049 in Tulum versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,892 in Tulum versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,735 in Tulum versus $3,723 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 25% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 21% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$182

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

194.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 MX$878

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

56.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 MX$137

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

57.49%

Cappuccino

$3.78 MX$65.3

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

34.04%

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

$1.17 MX$20.23

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

-13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.42

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MX$47.19

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

-6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 MX$69.3

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

1.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.66

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-19.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 MX$19.77

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

-53.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.70

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

29.57%

Eggs

$1.98 MX$34.26

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

-17.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.24 MX$90.7

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

-63.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 MX$118

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

63.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 MX$109

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

-47.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.36

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

-40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MX$23.33

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-14.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.55

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

-49.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.57

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

-39.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.24

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.61

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

-17.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MX$18.09

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.65

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.3

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

34.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 MX$148

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

-63.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.84

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

-54.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$21.52

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

-55.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 MX$19.23

$0.27 Rp 4,813

311.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 MX$37.66

$0.45 Rp 8,167

384.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 MX$37.07

$0.46 Rp 8,298

365.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 MX$89.0

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

-15.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.50

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

51.16%

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

$15.8K MX$274.0K

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

-40.44%

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

$21.5K MX$371.5K

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

-34.03%

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

$83.4 MX$1,444

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

5.59%

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

$22.36 MX$387

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

446.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.98 MX$501

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

21.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.85 MX$568

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-66.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 MX$277

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

152.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MX$82.0

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

18.20%

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

$203 MX$3,511

$297 Rp 5.4M

-31.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,834 MX$49.0K

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

-57.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.17 MX$453

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

-51.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.34 MX$542

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

-17.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 MX$1,361

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-11.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.67 MX$773

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

-41.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 MX$12.2K

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

-30.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 MX$6,894

$680 Rp 12.3M

-41.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 MX$25.2K

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

-58.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 MX$21.3K

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

-41.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,268 MX$56.5K

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

19.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 MX$31.7K

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

-20.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$805 MX$13.9K

$164 Rp 3.0M

392.08%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Tulum and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 392% 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $191 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 33% 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.

Average pay runs 392% higher in Tulum, 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: $706 in Tulum versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Tulum versus $297 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,049 in Tulum versus $1,392 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 $1,049 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 33% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.