Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lazaro Cardenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lazaro Cardenas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,116 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,760 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,403 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 25% more expensive than in Lazaro Cardenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Lazaro Cardenas is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.4K

$10.41 MX$181

-67.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 572.4K

$39.29 MX$684

-18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.4K

$8.06 MX$140

-37.34%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$3.35 MX$58.2

-19.10%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$1.23 MX$21.49

13.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.96 MX$16.79

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$2.39 MX$41.59

20.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 67.9K

$3.99 MX$69.4

-5.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.45 MX$25.19

23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$2.55 MX$44.43

-1.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$1.61 MX$28.01

-24.84%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$2.40 MX$41.82

-1.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.4K

$8.06 MX$140

79.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$8.05 MX$140

-48.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 216.9K

$10.66 MX$185

13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

$2.57 MX$44.73

46.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.43 MX$24.92

13.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$1.77 MX$30.72

53.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$1.59 MX$27.75

42.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.91 MX$33.16

1.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$2.01 MX$34.96

8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$1.26 MX$21.84

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.99 MX$17.17

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

$4.16 MX$72.4

-23.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 426.8K

$11.08 MX$193

115.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.7K

$1.56 MX$27.23

77.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.81 MX$48.95

-2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.65 MX$11.37

-58.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 146.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,653

$2.65 MX$46.06

-81.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.60 MX$27.87

-73.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 107.9K

$8.07 MX$140

-25.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.27 MX$22.01

-35.43%

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

$26.6K Rp 475.6M

$21.4K MX$371.6K

24.39%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.6M

$22.0K MX$383.4K

46.15%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$55.8 MX$971

40.21%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.1K

$22.27 MX$388

-82.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.2K

$27.79 MX$484

-13.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$36.16 MX$629

165.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 116.8K

$15.72 MX$274

-58.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 71.9K

$4.59 MX$79.9

-12.64%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$209 MX$3,645

44.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.3M

$3,642 MX$63.4K

79.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 990.4K

$52.3 MX$909

5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 686.1K

$40.37 MX$702

-5.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$88.1 MX$1,533

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$78.8 MX$1,372

-2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.6M

$505 MX$8,795

95.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$400 MX$6,956

70.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.2M

$917 MX$16.0K

273.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.1M

$748 MX$13.0K

177.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$1,901 MX$33.1K

45.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$1,235 MX$21.5K

81.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$581 MX$10.1K

-70.98%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $505 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lazaro Cardenas pays 245% 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 $39.00 in Lazaro Cardenas. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $251, with Lazaro Cardenas 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 Lazaro Cardenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lazaro Cardenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 245% lower in Lazaro Cardenas. 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 $505 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $209 in Lazaro Cardenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,116 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lazaro Cardenas but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Lazaro Cardenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lazaro Cardenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,116 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lazaro Cardenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Lazaro Cardenas 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 Lazaro Cardenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.