Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cuernavaca Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cuernavaca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,012 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,682 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,352 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 42% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Cuernavaca is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$9.51 MX$166

-62.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$37.72 MX$660

-13.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$7.03 MX$123

-27.88%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.32 MX$40.57

21.98%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.26 MX$22.06

6.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.77 MX$13.52

-10.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.19 MX$38.24

36.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.22 MX$56.3

19.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.56 MX$27.21

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.77 MX$31.05

43.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.33 MX$23.25

-10.53%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.89 MX$33.06

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$8.26 MX$144

77.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$6.26 MX$110

-33.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$12.99 MX$227

-8.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.10 MX$36.71

75.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.31 MX$23.01

22.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.71 MX$29.93

57.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.55 MX$27.15

50.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.76 MX$30.86

8.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.91 MX$33.46

14.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.99 MX$17.29

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.71 MX$12.39

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$4.16 MX$72.9

-24.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$8.56 MX$150

174.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.15 MX$20.11

138.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.94 MX$51.5

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.52 MX$9.08

-44.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$26.90 MX$471

-69.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.87 MX$32.67

-75.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$1.19 MX$20.80

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$9.06 MX$159

-32.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.29 MX$22.60

-34.88%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$18.5K MX$323.6K

41.94%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$20.6K MX$360.6K

57.62%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$60.2 MX$1,053

30.27%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$22.63 MX$396

-82.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$27.78 MX$486

-12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$22.94 MX$401

320.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$15.76 MX$276

-59.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$5.34 MX$93.5

-24.34%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$214 MX$3,749

41.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$4,891 MX$85.6K

33.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$48.02 MX$840

12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$39.62 MX$693

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$101 MX$1,768

-14.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$84.3 MX$1,475

-6.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$371 MX$6,496

172.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$318 MX$5,573

111.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$910 MX$15.9K

272.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$772 MX$13.5K

171.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$928 MX$16.2K

221.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$635 MX$11.1K

268.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$683 MX$11.9K

-74.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.33

17.21%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 294% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Cuernavaca. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $225, with Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cuernavaca earns 294% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Cuernavaca versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.