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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,100 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,758 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,415 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 28% more expensive than Ciudad del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Ciudad del Carmen is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

$10.60 MX$184

-67.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

$38.27 MX$663

-13.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

$8.01 MX$139

-36.58%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

$3.37 MX$58.5

-16.32%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

$1.28 MX$22.17

7.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.90 MX$15.53

-21.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

$2.31 MX$40.11

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

$3.93 MX$68.1

-0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

$1.49 MX$25.87

17.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

$2.64 MX$45.74

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

$1.61 MX$27.90

-24.84%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

$2.33 MX$40.35

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

$8.19 MX$142

77.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

$7.75 MX$134

-43.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

$10.50 MX$182

14.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

$2.62 MX$45.47

45.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$1.44 MX$25.00

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

$1.71 MX$29.55

57.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

$1.59 MX$27.49

40.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.91 MX$33.10

-0.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

$1.95 MX$33.84

11.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

$1.20 MX$20.75

-14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

$0.99 MX$17.07

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

$4.28 MX$74.2

-25.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

$12.29 MX$213

89.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

$1.54 MX$26.67

85.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

$2.81 MX$48.71

-3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,022

$0.66 MX$11.44

-56.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,344

$2.66 MX$46.11

-81.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,812

$1.61 MX$27.84

-72.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

$8.07 MX$140

-22.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

$1.27 MX$21.99

-33.07%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

$21.3K MX$368.4K

22.60%

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

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

$22.2K MX$384.0K

42.30%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$56.0 MX$971

42.37%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

$22.33 MX$387

-81.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

$28.70 MX$497

-16.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$35.65 MX$618

169.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

$15.65 MX$271

-58.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

$4.53 MX$78.5

-8.83%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$203 MX$3,512

46.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

$3,642 MX$63.1K

82.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

$53.2 MX$922

3.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

$39.33 MX$682

-1.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

$89.2 MX$1,546

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$79.4 MX$1,376

-0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

$499 MX$8,648

104.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.3M

$399 MX$6,910

65.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

$916 MX$15.9K

275.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

$778 MX$13.5K

164.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

$2,152 MX$37.3K

38.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

$1,172 MX$20.3K

102.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $499 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $38 in Ciudad del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $253, 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 28% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $1,100 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 $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,651 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: $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $499 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,100 in Ciudad del Carmen – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,100 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $1,408 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 28% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.