Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Ubud, Bali costs about 12% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$10.86 MX$201

-70.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$44.21 MX$817

-21.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$11.76 MX$217

-51.53%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$3.68 MX$68.0

-28.80%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.34 MX$24.79

28.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.82 MX$15.24

-1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$3.06 MX$56.6

-13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$4.94 MX$91.2

-11.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.47 MX$27.17

6.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$2.22 MX$40.95

-1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.48 MX$27.32

-20.27%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.49 MX$45.99

-13.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$7.52 MX$139

134.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$7.96 MX$147

-52.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$12.57 MX$232

-4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.78 MX$51.3

29.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.43 MX$26.37

11.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$2.62 MX$48.37

-11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$2.14 MX$39.49

-10.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$2.02 MX$37.38

-11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.99 MX$36.74

17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.14 MX$21.01

-12.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$1.20 MX$22.18

-55.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$4.26 MX$78.7

-46.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$10.02 MX$185

120.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.54 MX$28.41

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$2.66 MX$49.17

12.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.53 MX$9.73

-56.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$27.51 MX$508

-67.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$4.90 MX$90.6

-90.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$3.43 MX$63.5

-87.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$5.38 MX$99.4

1.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.45 MX$26.76

-42.76%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

12.85%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

42.43%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$85.4 MX$1,577

-6.29%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$23.46 MX$434

-72.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$28.43 MX$525

-34.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$62.2 MX$1,149

-12.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$28.68 MX$530

-36.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$5.10 MX$94.3

-16.67%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$201 MX$3,715

145.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

41.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$44.39 MX$820

2.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$41.35 MX$764

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$72.7 MX$1,344

6.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$89.6 MX$1,656

-12.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$979 MX$18.1K

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$373 MX$6,887

80.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$1,681 MX$31.1K

114.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$1,095 MX$20.2K

55.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-31.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-63.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$738 MX$13.6K

-77.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.45

20.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 44.6% $300

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 10% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 4.8% $5.1

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 88.1% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 30.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 15.6% $9.8

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 316% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 343% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Ubud, Bali vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

10:40 10:40 AM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

149,923

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Playa del Carmen 17,260 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 12%.

Public transport costs about 209% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.