Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Puerto Penasco Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Puerto Penasco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,053 in Puerto Penasco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,659 in Puerto Penasco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,265 in Puerto Penasco.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 34% more expensive than in Puerto Penasco, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Puerto Penasco is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$11.52 MX$201

-70.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$42.89 MX$747

-24.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$16.86 MX$294

-71.29%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$4.71 MX$82.0

-41.61%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.37 MX$23.89

0.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.04 MX$18.17

-27.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$3.49 MX$60.8

-14.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$4.97 MX$86.5

-22.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.56 MX$27.23

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$2.90 MX$50.4

-15.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.99 MX$17.22

18.18%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.83 MX$49.26

-14.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$4.78 MX$83.2

203.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$10.07 MX$175

-56.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$9.33 MX$162

28.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$4.06 MX$70.7

-8.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.88 MX$32.78

-13.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.89 MX$50.3

-5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.93 MX$33.52

16.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.93 MX$33.69

-0.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.93 MX$33.66

18.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.29 MX$22.54

-17.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.45 MX$25.33

-50.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$4.31 MX$75.0

-23.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$14.54 MX$253

59.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.53 MX$26.68

81.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.48 MX$25.73

84.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.60 MX$10.51

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$2.07 MX$36.04

-76.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$2.62 MX$45.66

-83.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$8.33 MX$145

-25.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.35 MX$23.49

-40.00%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$21.4K MX$373.4K

24.08%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$22.4K MX$390.0K

43.73%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$31.97 MX$557

145.07%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$10.39 MX$181

-60.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$31.78 MX$553

-23.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$31.99 MX$557

208.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$16.06 MX$280

-60.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$2.62 MX$45.65

52.29%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$209 MX$3,642

45.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$3,576 MX$62.3K

85.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$43.03 MX$749

25.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$26.16 MX$456

44.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$64.1 MX$1,116

35.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$64.7 MX$1,126

18.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$494 MX$8,606

100.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$317 MX$5,528

111.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$916 MX$15.9K

268.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$533 MX$9,288

284.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,629 MX$28.4K

72.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,275 MX$22.2K

74.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$601 MX$10.5K

-72.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.5

39.79%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Puerto Penasco: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $494 in Puerto Penasco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Penasco pays 260% 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 $43.00 in Puerto Penasco. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $277, with Puerto Penasco 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 Puerto Penasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Puerto Penasco differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $1,053 including rent). Puerto Penasco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 260% lower in Puerto Penasco. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $494 in Puerto Penasco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $209 in Puerto Penasco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Penasco – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,053 in Puerto Penasco versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Penasco but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Penasco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Puerto Penasco 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 Puerto Penasco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.