Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Los Cabos Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Los Cabos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,106 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,747 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,389 in Los Cabos.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 27% more expensive than Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Los Cabos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$10.62 MX$182

-66.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$38.93 MX$668

-16.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$7.98 MX$137

-39.10%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$3.38 MX$58.1

-18.64%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$1.25 MX$21.40

5.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.90 MX$15.37

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$2.44 MX$41.91

19.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$3.89 MX$66.8

-2.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.49 MX$25.52

14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$2.54 MX$43.63

-2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.62 MX$27.86

-25.93%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.30 MX$39.56

6.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$8.16 MX$140

76.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$7.74 MX$133

-44.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$10.73 MX$184

13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.65 MX$45.55

38.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.43 MX$24.55

8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.71 MX$29.32

63.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.64 MX$28.21

42.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.93 MX$33.10

2.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.93 MX$33.17

19.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.21 MX$20.76

-12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.98 MX$16.82

-25.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$4.28 MX$73.5

-23.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$10.90 MX$187

109.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.59 MX$27.37

76.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.78 MX$47.75

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.61 MX$10.51

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$2.54 MX$43.68

-82.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$1.61 MX$27.59

-72.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$8.14 MX$140

-23.34%

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

$21.5K MX$368.8K

20.92%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$22.4K MX$384.6K

41.29%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$56.3 MX$966

43.53%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$22.01 MX$378

-81.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$28.40 MX$487

-14.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$36.36 MX$624

168.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$15.88 MX$273

-59.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$4.53 MX$77.8

-10.82%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$206 MX$3,543

47.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$3,530 MX$60.6K

87.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$53.4 MX$917

1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$39.34 MX$675

-1.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$89.7 MX$1,540

-4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$78.0 MX$1,339

-1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$512 MX$8,790

92.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$396 MX$6,794

66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$950 MX$16.3K

254.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$769 MX$13.2K

168.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$1,973 MX$33.9K

38.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$1,269 MX$21.8K

75.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$874 MX$15.0K

-81.31%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $512 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 435% 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 $39.00 in Los Cabos. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $250, with Los Cabos 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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Los Cabos earns 435% 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 $512 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,404 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,106 in Los Cabos – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Los Cabos 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 Los Cabos 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 Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.