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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $994 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,697 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,399 in Cuernavaca.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Cuernavaca is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

$9.86 MX$172

-63.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

$37.73 MX$658

-14.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

$7.00 MX$122

-28.43%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

$2.34 MX$40.90

20.51%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$1.32 MX$22.98

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.74 MX$12.83

-1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.27 MX$39.63

29.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

$3.09 MX$53.9

27.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$1.53 MX$26.75

16.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

$1.78 MX$31.01

37.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

$1.38 MX$24.07

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$1.81 MX$31.55

33.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

$8.16 MX$142

75.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

$6.31 MX$110

-33.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

$13.15 MX$229

-8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

$2.11 MX$36.88

72.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.27 MX$22.24

23.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

$1.74 MX$30.29

60.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.56 MX$27.27

43.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

$1.79 MX$31.30

10.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$1.87 MX$32.64

21.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$0.98 MX$17.01

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.72 MX$12.56

9.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

$4.21 MX$73.5

-24.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

$8.59 MX$150

173.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

$1.14 MX$19.93

154.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

$2.85 MX$49.79

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

$0.55 MX$9.55

-50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

$26.91 MX$469

-68.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,180

$1.87 MX$32.68

-75.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,311

$1.20 MX$20.94

-61.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

$9.38 MX$164

-35.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.23 MX$21.41

-30.08%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

$18.4K MX$320.1K

44.87%

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

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

$20.8K MX$363.4K

56.22%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$60.4 MX$1,053

30.87%

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

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

$22.92 MX$400

-82.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

$28.54 MX$498

-16.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$22.81 MX$398

333.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

$15.71 MX$274

-59.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

$5.15 MX$89.8

-22.14%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$208 MX$3,626

42.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

$4,854 MX$84.7K

36.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

$47.44 MX$827

12.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

$40.16 MX$700

-5.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$97.9 MX$1,707

-9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$83.8 MX$1,462

-8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$371 MX$6,477

174.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$317 MX$5,533

114.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

$917 MX$16.0K

278.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

$791 MX$13.8K

164.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$925 MX$16.1K

194.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

$644 MX$11.2K

256.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$681 MX$11.9K

-75.95%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 316% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 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 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 316% 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: $1,020 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Cuernavaca versus $1,392 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.