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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $845 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,457 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,069 in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 63% more expensive than in Xalapa, Veracruz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Xalapa, Veracruz is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$6.27 MX$106

-46.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$45.51 MX$772

-21.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$7.21 MX$122

-21.91%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$3.88 MX$65.9

-27.32%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$1.03 MX$17.50

69.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.83 MX$14.11

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$2.40 MX$40.65

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.63 MX$61.6

18.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.35 MX$22.86

19.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$2.30 MX$39.10

-1.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.74 MX$29.52

-32.76%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.46 MX$41.70

-11.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$6.78 MX$115

160.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$7.10 MX$121

-42.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$10.25 MX$174

18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$3.45 MX$58.6

4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.38 MX$23.42

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.58 MX$26.80

46.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.47 MX$24.91

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$2.01 MX$34.09

-8.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.18 MX$19.96

100.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$1.21 MX$20.56

-13.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$1.04 MX$17.67

-48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$4.49 MX$76.2

-48.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$10.23 MX$174

125.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.21 MX$20.57

93.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$1.52 MX$25.81

101.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.57 MX$9.59

-56.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$15.10 MX$256

-37.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$2.10 MX$35.61

-76.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.56 MX$9.56

-16.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$6.03 MX$102

-7.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.57 MX$26.64

-48.41%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$22.7K MX$385.4K

10.09%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$27.2K MX$461.5K

14.20%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$66.4 MX$1,127

24.56%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$23.39 MX$397

-72.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$25.04 MX$425

-24.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$24.58 MX$417

124.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$19.57 MX$332

-6.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$7.16 MX$121

-39.94%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$147 MX$2,489

236.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$13.5K MX$228.4K

-56.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$38.30 MX$650

20.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$55.3 MX$938

-34.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$115 MX$1,950

-29.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$79.3 MX$1,346

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$247 MX$4,197

350.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$174 MX$2,955

298.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$639 MX$10.8K

469.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$397 MX$6,739

331.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$1,964 MX$33.3K

40.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$1,062 MX$18.0K

115.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$827 MX$14.0K

-79.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.8

40.61%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Xalapa, Veracruz: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $247 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xalapa, Veracruz pays 395% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $46.00 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $234, 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 63% 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 395% 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $247 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $147 in Xalapa, Veracruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $845 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $1,378 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 $845 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 63% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.