Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ciudad del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ciudad del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,127 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,783 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,439 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 24% more expensive than in Ciudad del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Ciudad del Carmen is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.4K

$10.43 MX$181

-67.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 572.4K

$39.10 MX$680

-18.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.4K

$8.13 MX$141

-37.88%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$3.37 MX$58.6

-19.58%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$1.29 MX$22.53

7.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.98 MX$17.11

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$2.40 MX$41.70

20.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 67.9K

$3.94 MX$68.5

-3.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.50 MX$26.11

19.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$2.52 MX$43.89

-0.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$1.57 MX$27.40

-22.93%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$2.32 MX$40.32

2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.4K

$8.14 MX$142

77.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$8.06 MX$140

-48.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 216.9K

$10.63 MX$185

13.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

$2.66 MX$46.35

41.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.44 MX$25.03

13.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$1.77 MX$30.78

53.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$1.60 MX$27.89

41.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.83 MX$31.79

5.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$2.01 MX$34.94

8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$1.20 MX$20.90

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.97 MX$16.93

-25.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

$4.20 MX$73.0

-24.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 426.8K

$12.55 MX$218

89.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.7K

$1.62 MX$28.14

70.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.78 MX$48.36

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.66 MX$11.42

-59.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 146.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,653

$2.53 MX$43.98

-81.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.60 MX$27.77

-73.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 107.9K

$8.40 MX$146

-28.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.26 MX$21.92

-34.92%

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

$26.6K Rp 475.6M

$20.8K MX$362.2K

27.63%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.6M

$22.6K MX$393.8K

42.29%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$56.4 MX$981

38.74%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.1K

$21.89 MX$381

-82.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.2K

$27.81 MX$484

-14.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$35.92 MX$625

167.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 116.8K

$15.63 MX$272

-58.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 71.9K

$4.58 MX$79.7

-12.45%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$209 MX$3,644

44.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.3M

$3,647 MX$63.5K

79.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 990.4K

$53.1 MX$925

4.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 686.1K

$40.13 MX$698

-4.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$90.3 MX$1,571

-2.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$77.9 MX$1,355

-1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.6M

$505 MX$8,794

95.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$394 MX$6,862

72.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.2M

$930 MX$16.2K

267.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.1M

$755 MX$13.1K

174.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$1,780 MX$31.0K

55.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$1,101 MX$19.2K

103.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.48

15.68%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $505 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $39.00 in Ciudad del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $254, with Ciudad del Carmen 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

Ubud, Bali vs Ciudad del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Ciudad del Carmen differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,397 vs $1,127 including rent). Ciudad del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,096 in Ubud, Bali and $1,690 in Ciudad del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $505 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,397 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,127 in Ciudad del Carmen – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,127 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Ciudad del Carmen 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 Ciudad del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.