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: $1,297 in Tulum versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,231 in Tulum versus $2,348 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,165 in Tulum versus $3,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 5% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 5% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.78 MX$151

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

155.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 MX$1,018

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

62.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 MX$148

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

50.61%

Cappuccino

$4.26 MX$73.4

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

59.55%

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

$1.15 MX$19.75

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$21.06

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

40.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 MX$50.6

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MX$66.0

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

-15.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

6.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 MX$36.13

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

-9.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.67

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

70.27%

Eggs

$1.99 MX$34.27

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

-9.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.76 MX$99.3

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

-67.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 MX$140

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

98.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.34 MX$161

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

-23.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.36

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

-27.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.64

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.00

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

-31.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MX$27.27

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

-18.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$42.55

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

29.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.46

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.36

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

57.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$15.06

$0.55 Rp 9,773

58.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

109.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 MX$146

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

-63.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 MX$24.23

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

-41.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 MX$24.34

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

-53.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 MX$25.60

$0.27 Rp 4,814

448.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 MX$51.5

$0.48 Rp 8,566

522.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 MX$44.33

$0.43 Rp 7,679

497.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 MX$98.0

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

0.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.59

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

85.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.6K

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

-9.89%

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

$25.9K MX$446.7K

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

-18.29%

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

$112 MX$1,923

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

36.90%

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

$17.38 MX$300

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

167.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 MX$633

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

95.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.93 MX$620

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

-36.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 MX$118

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

50.44%

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

$268 MX$4,613

$481 Rp 8.5M

-44.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,142 MX$54.2K

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

-44.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.00 MX$759

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

-3.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 MX$598

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

-3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,744

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

25.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 MX$1,062

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

-21.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 MX$11.2K

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

-41.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 MX$9,753

$698 Rp 12.4M

-18.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 MX$27.7K

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

-55.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 MX$23.3K

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

-22.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,409 MX$58.8K

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

22.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,872 MX$32.3K

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

-18.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$852 MX$14.7K

$168 Rp 3.0M

407.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

13.78

-21.63%

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

Last update for Tulum: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $651 in Tulum and $1,115 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 407% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Tulum vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $295, 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 5% 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 407% 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: $651 in Tulum versus $1,115 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $268 in Tulum versus $481 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 $59.0 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Tulum versus $1,368 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 $1,297 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 5% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.