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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,101 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,757 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,414 in Los Cabos.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 26% more expensive than in Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Los Cabos is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$10.48 MX$181

-65.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$38.57 MX$667

-16.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$7.95 MX$138

-36.98%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$3.37 MX$58.2

-16.32%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$1.25 MX$21.57

8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.96 MX$16.66

-23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.34 MX$40.53

25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$3.83 MX$66.2

2.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.44 MX$24.92

23.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$2.60 MX$44.90

-5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.56 MX$26.99

-26.28%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$2.33 MX$40.32

3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$8.12 MX$140

76.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$8.05 MX$139

-47.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$10.49 MX$181

14.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$2.69 MX$46.49

35.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.38 MX$23.95

13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.72 MX$29.78

62.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.59 MX$27.44

40.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$1.84 MX$31.88

7.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.94 MX$33.62

17.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.21 MX$20.87

-13.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.99 MX$17.09

-20.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$4.28 MX$74.1

-25.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$10.70 MX$185

119.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.61 MX$27.82

80.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.75 MX$47.64

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.61 MX$10.54

-55.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$2.53 MX$43.72

-82.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$1.60 MX$27.76

-71.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$8.39 MX$145

-27.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.25 MX$21.69

-31.20%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$21.5K MX$372.0K

23.64%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$22.7K MX$392.0K

43.65%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$57.2 MX$990

38.15%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$22.39 MX$387

-81.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$27.66 MX$478

-13.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$35.54 MX$615

177.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$15.99 MX$277

-60.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$4.75 MX$82.2

-15.58%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$205 MX$3,540

45.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$3,637 MX$62.9K

81.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$53.9 MX$932

-0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$39.95 MX$691

-4.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$88.3 MX$1,528

0.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$78.0 MX$1,350

-1.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$514 MX$8,888

98.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$389 MX$6,730

74.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$947 MX$16.4K

266.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$777 MX$13.4K

169.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$1,865 MX$32.3K

46.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$1,232 MX$21.3K

86.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$845 MX$14.6K

-80.62%

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 28, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $514 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 416% 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 Los Cabos. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 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 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 416% lower in Los Cabos. 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 $514 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 $1,392 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,101 in Los Cabos – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,101 in Los Cabos versus $1,392 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 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.