Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and San Cristobal de las Casas Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and San Cristobal de las Casas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $892 in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,379 in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,867 in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 58% more expensive than in San Cristobal de las Casas, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, San Cristobal de las Casas is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$5.22 MX$91.6

-33.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$26.65 MX$467

21.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$5.94 MX$104

-18.52%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.33 MX$40.82

18.03%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.63 MX$28.62

-15.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.99 MX$17.42

-24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$2.44 MX$42.72

22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$4.90 MX$85.9

-21.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.39 MX$24.38

25.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.92 MX$51.2

-15.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.54 MX$26.99

-24.03%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$3.43 MX$60.2

-29.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$6.91 MX$121

109.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$4.09 MX$71.7

6.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$6.87 MX$120

74.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$3.18 MX$55.8

16.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.94 MX$34.02

-15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.75 MX$30.72

56.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.46 MX$25.54

53.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$1.65 MX$29.01

16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$1.42 MX$24.92

60.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.43 MX$25.17

-25.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.33 MX$23.37

-45.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$1.88 MX$32.98

75.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$10.72 MX$188

116.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.96 MX$34.37

41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$2.25 MX$39.43

21.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.54 MX$9.56

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$26.18 MX$459

-69.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$2.67 MX$46.83

-82.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$2.49 MX$43.73

-83.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$8.28 MX$145

-24.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.31 MX$23.02

-38.17%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$16.1K MX$282.2K

65.40%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$22.6K MX$396.0K

42.59%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$33.07 MX$580

136.92%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$19.79 MX$347

-79.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$19.64 MX$344

23.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$21.50 MX$377

358.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$16.16 MX$283

-60.77%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$6.56 MX$115

-39.18%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$198 MX$3,472

54.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$2,513 MX$44.1K

164.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$26.01 MX$456

108.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$31.61 MX$554

19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$83.3 MX$1,461

4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$50.5 MX$886

51.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$427 MX$7,487

132.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$301 MX$5,283

123.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$860 MX$15.1K

292.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$506 MX$8,867

305.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$865 MX$15.2K

224.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$679 MX$11.9K

228.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$426 MX$7,468

-60.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.33

28.56%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for San Cristobal de las Casas: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $427 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Cristobal de las Casas pays 155% 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 $27.00 in San Cristobal de las Casas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $232 per month, with San Cristobal de las Casas 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 San Cristobal de las Casas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Cristobal de las Casas wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Cristobal de las Casas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 155% lower in San Cristobal de las Casas. 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 $427 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Cristobal de las Casas runs roughly 223% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $198 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $892 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Cristobal de las Casas but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes San Cristobal de las Casas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Cristobal de las Casas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $892 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Cristobal de las Casas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and San Cristobal de las Casas 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 San Cristobal de las Casas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.