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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,000 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,665 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,329 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 40% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Cuernavaca is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$9.41 MX$162

-62.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$36.50 MX$626

-10.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$6.95 MX$119

-30.07%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$2.25 MX$38.69

22.22%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$1.30 MX$22.25

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.78 MX$13.34

-10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$2.31 MX$39.66

25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$3.09 MX$53.0

22.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.55 MX$26.54

10.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.72 MX$29.59

43.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.34 MX$23.02

-10.45%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.86 MX$31.98

31.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$8.11 MX$139

77.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$6.21 MX$107

-30.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$13.05 MX$224

-6.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.14 MX$36.73

71.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.33 MX$22.86

16.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.71 MX$29.38

63.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.56 MX$26.83

49.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.73 MX$29.76

13.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.89 MX$32.37

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.96 MX$16.48

10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.77 MX$13.26

-5.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$4.10 MX$70.5

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$8.47 MX$145

169.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.12 MX$19.19

150.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.89 MX$49.53

-3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.55 MX$9.39

-47.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$26.25 MX$451

-69.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$1.88 MX$32.35

-76.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$1.24 MX$21.30

-63.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$9.47 MX$162

-34.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.27 MX$21.87

-33.07%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$18.7K MX$320.9K

38.96%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$20.7K MX$355.2K

52.97%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$60.5 MX$1,039

33.45%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$22.55 MX$387

-82.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$28.25 MX$485

-13.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$22.93 MX$394

325.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$15.70 MX$270

-58.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$5.43 MX$93.1

-25.60%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$212 MX$3,634

43.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$4,925 MX$84.5K

34.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$48.01 MX$824

12.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$39.50 MX$678

-1.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$100 MX$1,721

-14.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$82.0 MX$1,408

-6.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$380 MX$6,529

159.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$312 MX$5,354

110.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$899 MX$15.4K

274.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$773 MX$13.3K

167.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$903 MX$15.5K

203.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$632 MX$10.8K

252.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$679 MX$11.6K

-75.92%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $380 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 315% 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 $36.00 in Cuernavaca. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $224, 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 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cuernavaca earns 315% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $380 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 $36.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $1,404 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 40% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.