Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Chapala

For one person, living is cheaper in Chapala: $1,067 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Chapala, Mexico
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Chapala
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,067
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Chapala

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 Chapala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,067 in Chapala, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Chapala $1,067

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,595 in Chapala, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Chapala $1,595

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,122 in Chapala, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Chapala $2,122

Ubud, Bali costs about 26% more than Chapala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Chapala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$11.52 MX$216
-71.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.5K
$24.67 MX$464
44.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
$7.18 MX$135
-22.98%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$3.20 MX$60.2
-15.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$1.64 MX$30.82
3.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$1.20 MX$22.59
-36.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
$2.10 MX$39.53
26.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$3.15 MX$59.1
39.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Chapala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$1.46 MX$27.42
2.05%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$2.21 MX$41.52
3.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$1.50 MX$28.11
-20.67%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$2.32 MX$43.69
-12.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.1K
$7.82 MX$147
126.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
$5.35 MX$101
-25.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.1K
$7.89 MX$148
54.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$2.24 MX$42.08
63.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$1.24 MX$23.39
22.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$1.45 MX$27.33
53.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$1.74 MX$32.67
13.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$1.52 MX$28.61
21.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$1.37 MX$25.69
76.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.98 MX$18.44
1.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,313
$0.83 MX$15.59
-38.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$4.20 MX$78.9
-47.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.4K
$8.02 MX$151
177.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$0.82 MX$15.39
175.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$3.35 MX$62.9
-11.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Chapala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,553
$0.72 MX$13.50
-65.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 141.9K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,972
$1.22 MX$22.98
-63.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,801
$3.28 MX$61.7
-86.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.1K
$16.36 MX$308
-66.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.40 MX$26.28
-41.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.4M
$24.3K MX$456.1K
-1.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.9M
$23.7K MX$446.0K
33.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Chapala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$48.73 MX$916
62.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.9K
$16.52 MX$311
-60.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.0K
$24.05 MX$452
-22.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Chapala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 897.5K
$23.79 MX$447
107.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.5K
$2.95 MX$55.5
44.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Chapala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$213 MX$3,996
130.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 102.9M
$2,826 MX$53.1K
100.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Chapala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 809.7K
$54.9 MX$1,032
-18.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.0K
$38.31 MX$720
-8.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$50.5 MX$948
58.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$34.79 MX$654
128.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Chapala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$575 MX$10.8K
95.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$460 MX$8,646
45.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$1,014 MX$19.1K
251.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$768 MX$14.4K
124.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
$692 MX$13.0K
294.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$698 MX$13.1K
227.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Chapala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
11.2
23.04%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chapala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Chapala
$460 31.5% $211
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Chapala
$207 28.2% $81
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Chapala
$180 67.4% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Chapala
$80 25.3% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Chapala
$89 14.2% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Chapala
$30 48.8% $28
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Chapala
$21 * 79.5% $9.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $575 in Chapala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $25 in Chapala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $207 – making Chapala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇲🇽 Chapala
🕒 Local time
12:47 12:47 PM
22:47 10:47 PM
14 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
21,596
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Chapala 15,680 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Chapala

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 Chapala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Chapala?
Ubud, Bali costs about 26% more than Chapala, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Chapala?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,601 in Chapala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Chapala?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chapala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $575 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Chapala?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $25 in Chapala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Chapala?
Groceries cost about 39% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Chapala?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,067 in Chapala. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Chapala?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chapala costs $1,067 versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Chapala?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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