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: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,088 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,698 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,308 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 28% more expensive than in Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Piedras Negras is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.4K

$7.78 MX$135

-55.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 572.4K

$23.60 MX$411

35.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.4K

$7.81 MX$136

-35.34%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.48 MX$43.22

9.27%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$1.32 MX$22.97

5.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.69 MX$11.93

7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$1.29 MX$22.41

124.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 67.9K

$2.86 MX$49.74

32.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.71 MX$29.82

4.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$3.08 MX$53.5

-18.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$1.70 MX$29.56

-28.82%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$3.51 MX$61.0

-32.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.4K

$9.26 MX$161

55.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$4.52 MX$78.6

-8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 216.9K

$12.85 MX$224

-5.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

$2.62 MX$45.67

43.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.33 MX$23.18

22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$1.55 MX$27.01

74.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$2.24 MX$39.02

0.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$2.21 MX$38.44

-12.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$1.88 MX$32.80

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$1.22 MX$21.18

-16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$1.16 MX$20.26

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

$4.16 MX$72.4

-23.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 426.8K

$10.96 MX$191

117.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.7K

$1.54 MX$26.79

79.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$3.37 MX$58.6

-18.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.90 MX$15.58

-70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 146.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,653

$4.29 MX$74.6

-88.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.54 MX$26.75

-72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 107.9K

$8.12 MX$141

-25.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.25 MX$21.81

-34.40%

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

$26.6K Rp 475.6M

$18.4K MX$319.8K

44.55%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.6M

$23.4K MX$406.6K

37.80%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$56.5 MX$984

38.40%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.1K

$17.14 MX$298

-77.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.2K

$25.88 MX$450

-7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$35.39 MX$616

171.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 116.8K

$16.07 MX$280

-59.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 71.9K

$4.52 MX$78.7

-11.28%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$203 MX$3,530

49.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.3M

$3,552 MX$61.8K

84.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 990.4K

$45.59 MX$793

21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 686.1K

$40.45 MX$704

-5.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$88.4 MX$1,539

0.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$70.7 MX$1,230

8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.6M

$508 MX$8,843

93.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$394 MX$6,850

73.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.2M

$922 MX$16.1K

270.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.1M

$778 MX$13.5K

166.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$1,926 MX$33.5K

43.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$1,247 MX$21.7K

79.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$1,742 MX$30.3K

-90.31%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $508 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 932% 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 $24.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $262 per month, with Piedras Negras cheaper across the board.

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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 932% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $508 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $203 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 $24.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,088 in Piedras Negras versus $1,397 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 28% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.