Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $1,611 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,611 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,611

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,409 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,409

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,207 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,207

Ubud, Bali is about 16% cheaper than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ubud, Bali and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 0%, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$10.35 MX$191

-68.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$48.09 MX$889

-27.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$9.88 MX$182

-42.31%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$3.37 MX$62.2

-22.26%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.44 MX$26.54

19.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.91 MX$16.86

-10.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$2.39 MX$44.20

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$4.41 MX$81.5

-0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.78 MX$32.84

-11.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$3.03 MX$55.9

-27.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.38 MX$43.92

-50.42%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.35 MX$43.47

-8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$11.47 MX$212

53.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$9.65 MX$178

-60.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$13.41 MX$248

-10.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.59 MX$47.82

39.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.57 MX$28.94

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$1.62 MX$29.98

42.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.71 MX$31.57

11.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.21 MX$22.29

47.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.84 MX$33.99

26.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$2.77 MX$51.3

-63.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$1.21 MX$22.31

-56.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$4.81 MX$88.9

-52.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$10.87 MX$201

103.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.54 MX$28.53

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$3.48 MX$64.3

-14.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.90 MX$16.59

-74.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$52.4 MX$968

-83.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$4.37 MX$80.8

-89.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$2.97 MX$54.9

-85.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$10.43 MX$193

-47.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.41 MX$26.14

-41.13%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$21.3K MX$394.1K

11.97%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$23.9K MX$441.5K

37.22%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$84.4 MX$1,560

-5.25%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$24.86 MX$459

-73.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$31.45 MX$581

-40.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$45.08 MX$833

20.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$30.06 MX$556

-39.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$4.13 MX$76.3

2.91%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$226 MX$4,180

117.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$8,280 MX$153.0K

-32.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$71.3 MX$1,317

-36.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$52.5 MX$970

-33.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$95.2 MX$1,759

-18.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$68.0 MX$1,257

15.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$1,190 MX$22.0K

-4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$733 MX$13.5K

-8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$2,509 MX$46.4K

44.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$1,179 MX$21.8K

44.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$3,827 MX$70.7K

-28.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$2,210 MX$40.8K

1.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$750 MX$13.9K

-77.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.6

18.79%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$733 45.5% 8.9% $60

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$297 18.4% 3.3% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$129 8% 21.2% $23

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$183 11.4% 72% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$141 8.7% 33.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$53 3.3% 14.8% $9.3

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$75 4.7% 505% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,190 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 351% higher in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $48.00 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $297 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

12:14 12:14 PM

21:14 9:14 PM

15 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

202,694

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 14,950 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ubud, Bali vs Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,416 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 489% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $226 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,353, than in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur at $1,611. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.