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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,102 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,765 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,428 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 26% more expensive than in Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Zihuatanejo is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$10.41 MX$180

-65.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$38.43 MX$665

-15.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$7.79 MX$135

-35.69%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$3.26 MX$56.4

-13.50%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$1.29 MX$22.36

4.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.98 MX$17.03

-25.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.34 MX$40.55

25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$3.81 MX$65.9

3.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.45 MX$25.01

22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$3.45 MX$59.7

-28.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.57 MX$27.22

-26.75%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$4.33 MX$74.9

-44.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$8.11 MX$140

76.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$8.07 MX$140

-48.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$10.71 MX$185

12.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$2.70 MX$46.73

34.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.40 MX$24.30

12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.71 MX$29.54

63.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.59 MX$27.50

40.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$1.84 MX$31.79

7.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.99 MX$34.43

14.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.27 MX$21.92

-17.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.02 MX$17.73

-22.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$4.13 MX$71.5

-22.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$11.62 MX$201

102.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.61 MX$27.78

80.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.78 MX$48.17

-0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.65 MX$11.18

-58.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$2.53 MX$43.82

-82.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$1.54 MX$26.63

-70.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$8.18 MX$141

-25.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.32 MX$22.81

-34.85%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$20.9K MX$361.3K

27.30%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$22.8K MX$393.8K

43.02%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$56.6 MX$979

39.66%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$10.35 MX$179

-60.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$28.61 MX$495

-16.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$35.59 MX$616

177.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$15.59 MX$270

-59.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$4.50 MX$77.9

-10.89%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$206 MX$3,570

44.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$3,651 MX$63.2K

80.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$53.1 MX$919

0.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$39.28 MX$680

-2.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$89.3 MX$1,544

-0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$80.9 MX$1,399

-5.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$503 MX$8,697

102.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$399 MX$6,901

70.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$942 MX$16.3K

268.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$758 MX$13.1K

175.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$1,712 MX$29.6K

59.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$1,257 MX$21.7K

82.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $503 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Zihuatanejo. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $270, 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 26% 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 $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $1,654 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $503 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,392 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,102 in Zihuatanejo – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,102 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,392 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 $1,102 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 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.