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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,076 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,819 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,562 in Cuernavaca.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Cuernavaca is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$8.69 MX$147

-61.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$41.14 MX$698

-12.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$7.50 MX$127

-24.93%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.67 MX$45.36

5.62%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$1.43 MX$24.22

22.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.68 MX$11.53

17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$2.69 MX$45.66

13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.51 MX$59.6

22.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.85 MX$31.35

-12.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$2.48 MX$42.03

-8.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.56 MX$26.41

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.18 MX$37.00

-0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$8.61 MX$146

104.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$5.18 MX$87.8

-21.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$14.47 MX$245

-15.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.43 MX$41.17

48.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.45 MX$24.64

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$2.43 MX$41.27

-4.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.79 MX$30.42

9.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$1.92 MX$32.59

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.87 MX$31.77

26.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$1.63 MX$27.66

-35.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.96 MX$16.37

-43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$4.82 MX$81.8

-52.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$9.07 MX$154

154.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.34 MX$22.68

74.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$3.50 MX$59.4

-12.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.56 MX$9.53

-55.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$29.80 MX$506

-68.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$2.11 MX$35.85

-76.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$2.77 MX$47.00

-83.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$11.62 MX$197

-51.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.46 MX$24.73

-44.52%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$22.6K MX$383.5K

10.65%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$25.4K MX$431.3K

22.19%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$64.4 MX$1,092

28.51%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$19.57 MX$332

-66.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$27.46 MX$466

-31.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$28.38 MX$481

94.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$6.02 MX$102

-28.57%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$234 MX$3,966

111.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$5,418 MX$91.9K

9.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$43.69 MX$741

5.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$34.87 MX$592

4.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$101 MX$1,717

-20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$104 MX$1,768

-24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$421 MX$7,136

164.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$354 MX$6,012

95.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$1,008 MX$17.1K

261.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$862 MX$14.6K

98.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$957 MX$16.2K

188.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$652 MX$11.1K

251.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$709 MX$12.0K

-76.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.4

20.88%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $421 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 325% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $41.00 in Cuernavaca. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $252, 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 325% lower in Cuernavaca. 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $421 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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 $41.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $1,378 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 28% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.