Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Xalapa, Veracruz Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Xalapa, Veracruz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $740 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,261 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,782 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 88% more expensive than in Xalapa, Veracruz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Xalapa, Veracruz is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

$6.12 MX$107

-41.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

$37.30 MX$651

-13.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

$6.31 MX$110

-20.60%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

$2.60 MX$45.36

8.46%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$1.41 MX$24.68

-4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$1.17 MX$20.41

-37.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.13 MX$37.15

37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

$3.22 MX$56.1

22.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$1.16 MX$20.24

53.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

$2.04 MX$35.66

20.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

$1.84 MX$32.03

-37.50%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$2.47 MX$43.04

-2.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

$6.77 MX$118

111.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

$6.58 MX$115

-36.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

$10.14 MX$177

18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

$2.92 MX$50.9

24.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.52 MX$26.54

3.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

$2.06 MX$35.86

35.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.38 MX$24.05

62.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

$1.93 MX$33.60

2.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$1.13 MX$19.73

101.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$1.13 MX$19.65

-7.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.82 MX$14.26

-3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

$3.94 MX$68.8

-19.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

$10.35 MX$181

126.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

$1.11 MX$19.28

161.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

$1.89 MX$32.91

46.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

$0.49 MX$8.63

-44.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

$15.24 MX$266

-45.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,180

$1.36 MX$23.75

-66.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,311

$0.28 MX$4.81

64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

$5.43 MX$94.6

11.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.34 MX$23.42

-35.82%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

$14.5K MX$252.9K

83.33%

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

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

$23.5K MX$409.9K

38.50%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$40.41 MX$705

95.55%

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

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

$22.23 MX$388

-81.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

$23.29 MX$406

2.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$22.89 MX$399

331.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

$20.43 MX$356

-68.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

$6.38 MX$111

-37.15%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$135 MX$2,347

120.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

$10.4K MX$182.2K

-36.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

$34.24 MX$597

56.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

$44.26 MX$772

-13.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$76.5 MX$1,334

15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$51.6 MX$900

48.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$225 MX$3,929

352.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$167 MX$2,916

306.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

$482 MX$8,407

619.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

$381 MX$6,640

448.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$1,981 MX$34.6K

37.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

$1,028 MX$17.9K

123.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$832 MX$14.5K

-80.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.34

17.11%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Xalapa, Veracruz: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $225 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xalapa, Veracruz pays 408% 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 $37.00 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $224, with Xalapa, Veracruz 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 Xalapa, Veracruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xalapa, Veracruz wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Xalapa, Veracruz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 408% lower in Xalapa, Veracruz. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $225 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $135 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $740 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xalapa, Veracruz but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Xalapa, Veracruz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Xalapa, Veracruz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $740 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Xalapa, Veracruz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Xalapa, Veracruz 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 Xalapa, Veracruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.