Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Uluwatu, Bali and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,675 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Uluwatu, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Uluwatu, Bali
Learn more

Uluwatu, Bali Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Uluwatu, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,675

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Uluwatu, Bali and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Uluwatu, Bali and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,675 per month in Uluwatu, Bali vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Uluwatu, Bali $1,675
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $2,848 per month in Uluwatu, Bali vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Uluwatu, Bali $2,848
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $4,020 per month in Uluwatu, Bali vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Uluwatu, Bali $4,020
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Uluwatu, Bali costs about 38% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Uluwatu, Bali sits 25% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 Rp 70.7K

$10.97 MX$201

-63.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.45 Rp 758.8K

$44.85 MX$823

-5.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.92 Rp 123.6K

$11.92 MX$219

-41.95%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Rp 57.5K

$3.80 MX$69.9

-15.26%

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

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$1.31 MX$24.08

52.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$0.86 MX$15.72

15.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 Rp 57.3K

$3.21 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 Rp 95.4K

$5.01 MX$92.0

6.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.8K

$1.46 MX$26.77

10.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

$2.33 MX$42.72

-1.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.7K

$1.44 MX$26.48

-11.81%

Eggs

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$2.46 MX$45.20

-8.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

$7.70 MX$141

136.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 Rp 72.7K

$7.89 MX$145

-48.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 Rp 230.5K

$12.80 MX$235

0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 65.4K

$2.92 MX$53.6

25.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.9K

$1.42 MX$26.11

14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.8K

$2.57 MX$47.10

-8.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 Rp 36.4K

$2.14 MX$39.24

-4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.1K

$1.95 MX$35.75

1.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 Rp 43.6K

$1.94 MX$35.55

25.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$1.15 MX$21.13

-6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,311

$1.22 MX$22.42

-57.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

$4.38 MX$80.3

-47.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.34 Rp 417.3K

$9.85 MX$181

136.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$1.54 MX$28.23

53.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 Rp 55.8K

$2.72 MX$49.86

14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,786

$0.52 MX$9.64

-38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.24 Rp 183.0K

$27.42 MX$503

-62.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 Rp 10.1K

$4.91 MX$90.2

-88.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

$3.52 MX$64.7

-83.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$5.69 MX$104

-52.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 Rp 19.7K

$1.54 MX$28.27

-28.57%

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

$30.7K Rp 548.6M

$21.2K MX$389.9K

44.50%

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

$38.3K Rp 684.8M

$24.5K MX$449.6K

56.45%

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

$90.2 Rp 1.6M

$83.6 MX$1,535

7.91%

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

$7.15 Rp 127.8K

$24.03 MX$441

-70.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.44 Rp 365.4K

$29.33 MX$539

-30.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 Rp 1.2M

$64.9 MX$1,191

-0.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.82 Rp 372.1K

$29.46 MX$541

-29.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 Rp 91.1K

$5.09 MX$93.4

0.20%

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

$556 Rp 9.9M

$208 MX$3,813

167.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,498 Rp 116.2M

$4,045 MX$74.3K

60.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 Rp 907.5K

$44.55 MX$818

13.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 Rp 702.5K

$42.06 MX$772

-6.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 Rp 1.6M

$75.5 MX$1,387

17.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.7 Rp 1.5M

$91.4 MX$1,678

-7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 Rp 27.2M

$986 MX$18.1K

54.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 Rp 16.6M

$385 MX$7,072

141.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,862 Rp 86.9M

$1,713 MX$31.5K

183.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 Rp 42.1M

$1,108 MX$20.4K

112.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,679 Rp 65.8M

$4,016 MX$73.7K

-8.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,038 Rp 54.3M

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-51.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.45

20.35%

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

Last update for Uluwatu, Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Uluwatu, Bali

$929 55.1%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 58.5% $544

Groceries & Markets

Uluwatu, Bali

$301 17.8%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 13.4% $40

Eating Out

Uluwatu, Bali

$130 7.7%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 57.3% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Uluwatu, Bali

$118 7%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 3.7% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Uluwatu, Bali

$118 7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 16.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Uluwatu, Bali

$75 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Uluwatu, Bali

$15 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 248% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,523 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $986 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Uluwatu, Bali vs $260 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Uluwatu, Bali

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:54 4:54 PM

03:54 3:54 AM

13 h behind Uluwatu, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Uluwatu, Bali Playa del Carmen 17,300 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Uluwatu, Bali
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Uluwatu, Bali vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Uluwatu, Bali is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,513 per month in Uluwatu, Bali and $1,823 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,675 in Uluwatu, Bali and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 38%.

Public transport costs about 168% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Uluwatu, Bali at $1,675. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Uluwatu, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Uluwatu, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.