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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,121 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,798 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,475 in Zihuatanejo.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$10.78 MX$189

-66.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$38.53 MX$674

-15.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$8.01 MX$140

-36.70%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$3.32 MX$58.1

-14.76%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.29 MX$22.50

3.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.98 MX$17.11

-29.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.35 MX$41.14

27.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.89 MX$68.1

-1.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.43 MX$25.10

21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$3.57 MX$62.5

-28.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.63 MX$28.59

-26.99%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$4.34 MX$75.9

-44.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$8.26 MX$145

77.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$7.73 MX$135

-45.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$10.67 MX$187

11.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.70 MX$47.31

36.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.46 MX$25.50

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.74 MX$30.41

54.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.66 MX$29.05

40.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.90 MX$33.24

0.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.95 MX$34.12

12.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.25 MX$21.93

-15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$1.03 MX$17.96

-30.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$4.10 MX$71.7

-23.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$10.50 MX$184

123.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.62 MX$28.41

69.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.75 MX$48.20

4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.62 MX$10.78

-53.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$2.60 MX$45.55

-82.69%

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

$8.43 MX$148

-26.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.31 MX$22.90

-35.88%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$21.5K MX$376.4K

22.00%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$22.1K MX$387.1K

46.81%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$56.8 MX$994

38.04%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$10.18 MX$178

-61.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$27.96 MX$489

-12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$35.85 MX$627

169.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$15.66 MX$274

-59.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.58 MX$80.1

-11.79%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$202 MX$3,538

49.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$3,555 MX$62.2K

83.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$53.0 MX$928

1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$40.09 MX$702

-5.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$89.7 MX$1,570

-3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$79.8 MX$1,396

-1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$502 MX$8,790

101.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$399 MX$6,988

68.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$938 MX$16.4K

261.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$757 MX$13.2K

177.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$1,967 MX$34.4K

51.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,288 MX$22.5K

81.60%

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 Zihuatanejo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $502 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $39.00 in Zihuatanejo. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $268, with Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zihuatanejo wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zihuatanejo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $1,682 in Zihuatanejo 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 $502 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,121 in Zihuatanejo – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,121 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zihuatanejo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,121 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zihuatanejo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo 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.