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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,046 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,936 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,827 in Tulum.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 38% more expensive than Tulum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Tulum is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$10.40 MX$182

-65.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$51.2 MX$897

-36.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$8.16 MX$143

-37.87%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$3.70 MX$64.7

-23.51%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.21 MX$21.21

10.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$1.11 MX$19.37

-37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.76 MX$48.32

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.98 MX$69.6

-3.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.43 MX$25.08

21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.18 MX$20.72

115.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.54 MX$27.02

-22.73%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.99 MX$34.77

22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$5.44 MX$95.2

169.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$7.00 MX$123

-40.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$6.52 MX$114

83.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.16 MX$37.85

70.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.42 MX$24.85

13.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.40 MX$24.48

92.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.36 MX$23.86

71.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$2.18 MX$38.07

-12.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.95 MX$34.14

12.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.08 MX$18.83

-1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$1.00 MX$17.43

-28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$4.28 MX$74.8

-26.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$8.79 MX$154

167.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.31 MX$22.95

109.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.30 MX$22.69

121.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$1.11 MX$19.47

-73.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$2.06 MX$36.09

-78.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$2.23 MX$39.06

-81.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$5.16 MX$90.2

19.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.30 MX$22.79

-35.38%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$15.8K MX$276.4K

66.13%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$21.2K MX$371.3K

53.06%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$84.2 MX$1,474

-6.91%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$22.28 MX$390

-82.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$29.45 MX$515

-17.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$33.29 MX$583

190.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$15.80 MX$277

-59.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.65 MX$81.5

-13.12%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$204 MX$3,564

48.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$2,835 MX$49.6K

130.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$25.94 MX$454

107.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$31.52 MX$552

20.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$80.8 MX$1,414

7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$45.62 MX$798

72.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$699 MX$12.2K

44.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$397 MX$6,945

69.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$1,432 MX$25.1K

136.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$1,256 MX$22.0K

67.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$3,268 MX$57.2K

-8.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,855 MX$32.5K

26.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$781 MX$13.7K

-77.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

20.73%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Tulum: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $699 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 351% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $51.0 in Tulum. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $196, with Tulum 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 Tulum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tulum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Tulum earns 351% less. 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $699 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $204 in Tulum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulum – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,046 in Tulum versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tulum delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,046 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tulum hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Tulum 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 Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.