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: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $740 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,262 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,784 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 89% more expensive than Xalapa, Veracruz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Xalapa, Veracruz is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$6.20 MX$108

-43.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

$37.16 MX$645

-11.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

$6.30 MX$109

-19.21%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$2.64 MX$45.88

4.17%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$1.41 MX$24.51

-2.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$1.15 MX$19.99

-38.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

$2.10 MX$36.39

37.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

$3.14 MX$54.5

23.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$1.21 MX$20.99

47.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

$2.03 MX$35.21

20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$1.88 MX$32.63

-35.64%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$2.38 MX$41.33

0.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

$6.61 MX$115

122.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$6.72 MX$117

-36.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

$10.01 MX$174

20.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

$2.88 MX$49.92

27.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

$1.59 MX$27.64

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$1.98 MX$34.42

37.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

$1.44 MX$24.95

57.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.86 MX$32.32

2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$1.13 MX$19.63

103.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$1.16 MX$20.15

-12.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

$0.81 MX$14.11

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

$3.95 MX$68.5

-17.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

$10.05 MX$174

139.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$1.10 MX$19.17

158.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$1.89 MX$32.74

47.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,610

$0.50 MX$8.74

-46.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

$14.93 MX$259

-44.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,708

$1.38 MX$23.96

-67.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,305

$0.28 MX$4.82

53.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

$5.27 MX$91.5

14.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$1.30 MX$22.50

-33.85%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

$14.9K MX$258.0K

75.39%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

$23.5K MX$407.7K

34.98%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$39.77 MX$690

96.98%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$22.21 MX$386

-81.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

$23.48 MX$408

3.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$22.87 MX$397

318.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

$20.38 MX$354

-68.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$6.24 MX$108

-35.74%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$130 MX$2,265

131.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

$10.8K MX$187.7K

-39.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

$35.08 MX$609

52.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

$44.74 MX$777

-13.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$77.4 MX$1,343

15.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$51.2 MX$889

54.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$230 MX$3,985

342.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$170 MX$2,945

296.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

$484 MX$8,396

596.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

$383 MX$6,645

450.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

$2,037 MX$35.4K

47.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

$1,031 MX$17.9K

126.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

$849 MX$14.7K

-79.10%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Xalapa, Veracruz: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $230 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xalapa, Veracruz pays 378% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $37 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 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 89% 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, Xalapa, Veracruz earns 378% 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $230 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Ubud, Bali versus $130 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $740 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $1,395 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 89% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.