Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Piedras Negras Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Piedras Negras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,220 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,971 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,722 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 14% more expensive than in Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Piedras Negras is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$11.65 MX$197

-71.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.4K

$47.04 MX$794

-17.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$9.30 MX$157

-40.65%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$3.80 MX$64.1

-30.53%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$1.50 MX$25.39

11.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$1.14 MX$19.21

-32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$2.86 MX$48.35

-8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$4.48 MX$75.5

-4.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.72 MX$29.00

-9.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$2.77 MX$46.82

-19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$1.81 MX$30.59

-37.57%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$2.60 MX$43.97

-19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.7K

$8.90 MX$150

95.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$8.72 MX$147

-55.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.3K

$12.47 MX$210

0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$2.96 MX$49.98

22.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.69 MX$28.53

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$2.08 MX$35.17

12.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$1.90 MX$32.00

8.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$2.07 MX$34.97

-8.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.90 MX$32.07

23.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$1.47 MX$24.76

-29.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,781

$1.15 MX$19.40

-52.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$4.76 MX$80.4

-52.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.8K

$11.32 MX$191

110.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$1.95 MX$32.91

18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$3.44 MX$58.1

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,803

$0.73 MX$12.31

-63.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,490

$2.76 MX$46.61

-82.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,865

$1.94 MX$32.77

-76.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$11.90 MX$201

-51.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.46 MX$24.60

-47.95%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.7M

$22.9K MX$386.7K

6.85%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.4M

$25.7K MX$433.4K

25.08%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$61.5 MX$1,038

35.85%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$24.00 MX$405

-73.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.9K

$31.51 MX$532

-39.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 987.0K

$36.79 MX$621

52.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.3K

$21.26 MX$359

-12.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$5.67 MX$95.7

-24.51%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$248 MX$4,188

96.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.3M

$4,447 MX$75.1K

31.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.3K

$59.0 MX$995

-22.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.5K

$44.76 MX$755

-18.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$109 MX$1,846

-25.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$91.6 MX$1,545

-12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$661 MX$11.1K

69.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$424 MX$7,162

65.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$1,107 MX$18.7K

219.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$822 MX$13.9K

114.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$2,002 MX$33.8K

41.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$1,255 MX$21.2K

82.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$1,793 MX$30.3K

-90.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.3

21.95%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $661 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 956% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $47.00 in Piedras Negras. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $282, with Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piedras Negras is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 956% lower in Piedras Negras. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $661 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $248 in Piedras Negras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piedras Negras – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,220 in Piedras Negras versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.