Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Tapachula Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Tapachula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,128 in Tapachula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,777 in Tapachula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,426 in Tapachula.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 28% more expensive than Tapachula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Tapachula is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$10.56 MX$185

-66.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$38.36 MX$671

-15.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$8.10 MX$142

-37.41%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$3.28 MX$57.4

-13.72%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.28 MX$22.41

4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.95 MX$16.63

-27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.43 MX$42.46

23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.93 MX$68.7

-2.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.44 MX$25.19

20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$2.61 MX$45.72

-2.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.57 MX$27.44

-24.20%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$2.38 MX$41.69

2.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$8.11 MX$142

80.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$8.01 MX$140

-47.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$10.66 MX$186

12.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.68 MX$46.92

37.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.46 MX$25.53

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.76 MX$30.88

52.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.60 MX$28.03

45.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.90 MX$33.23

0.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.95 MX$34.21

12.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.21 MX$21.20

-12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.98 MX$17.23

-26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$4.24 MX$74.3

-26.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$9.88 MX$173

137.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.56 MX$27.30

75.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.83 MX$49.56

1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.62 MX$10.80

-53.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$2.61 MX$45.71

-82.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$1.59 MX$27.78

-73.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$8.42 MX$147

-26.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.28 MX$22.32

-34.38%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$21.5K MX$376.3K

22.06%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$22.3K MX$389.8K

45.81%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$56.5 MX$989

38.72%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$22.38 MX$392

-82.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$27.68 MX$484

-11.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$36.28 MX$635

166.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$16.01 MX$280

-60.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.52 MX$79.1

-10.62%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$205 MX$3,592

47.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$3,617 MX$63.3K

80.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$53.8 MX$941

0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$39.79 MX$696

-4.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$90.4 MX$1,582

-4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$78.8 MX$1,380

0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$501 MX$8,767

102.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$395 MX$6,910

70.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$928 MX$16.2K

265.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$765 MX$13.4K

174.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$2,218 MX$38.8K

34.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,236 MX$21.6K

89.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Tapachula: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $501 in Tapachula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Tapachula. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $249, with Tapachula 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 Tapachula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tapachula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $1,692 in Tapachula to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $501 in Tapachula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $205 in Tapachula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tapachula – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,128 in Tapachula versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tapachula but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tapachula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tapachula 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 Tapachula 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 Tapachula 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.