Cost of Living Comparison Between Xalapa, Veracruz and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Xalapa, Veracruz and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $740 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $1,395 in Ubud, Bali.

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

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

Living in Xalapa, Veracruz costs roughly 47% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 MX$108

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

78.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.16 MX$645

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

13.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 MX$109

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

23.77%

Cappuccino

$2.64 MX$45.88

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

-4.00%

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

$1.41 MX$24.51

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

2.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.99

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

61.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$36.39

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

-27.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

-18.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 MX$20.99

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

-32.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 MX$35.21

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

-17.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.63

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

55.37%

Eggs

$2.38 MX$41.33

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

-0.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 MX$115

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

-55.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.72 MX$117

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

58.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.01 MX$174

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

-17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.92

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

-21.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.64

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.42

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

-27.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 MX$24.95

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

-36.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.32

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

-2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MX$19.63

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

-50.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MX$20.15

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

13.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$14.11

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 MX$68.5

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

21.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 MX$174

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

-58.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$19.17

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

-61.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$32.74

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

-32.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MX$8.74

$0.27 Rp 4,610

85.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.93 MX$259

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

81.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.96

$0.45 Rp 7,708

206.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.82

$0.43 Rp 7,305

-34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 MX$91.5

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

-12.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.50

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

51.16%

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

$14.9K MX$258.0K

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

-42.98%

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

$23.5K MX$407.7K

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

-25.92%

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

$39.77 MX$690

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

-49.23%

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

$22.21 MX$386

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

455.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 MX$408

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

-3.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.87 MX$397

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

-76.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.38 MX$354

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

215.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.24 MX$108

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

55.61%

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

$130 MX$2,265

$302 Rp 5.2M

-56.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$187.7K

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

65.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.08 MX$609

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

-34.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.74 MX$777

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

16.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 MX$1,343

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

-13.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.2 MX$889

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

-35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 MX$3,985

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

-77.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 MX$2,945

$672 Rp 11.5M

-74.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 MX$8,396

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

-85.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 MX$6,645

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

-81.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,037 MX$35.4K

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

-32.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,031 MX$17.9K

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

-55.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$849 MX$14.7K

$178 Rp 3.0M

378.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.28

-14.61%

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

Last update for Xalapa, Veracruz: April 11, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in Xalapa, Veracruz and $1,016 in Ubud, Bali. 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: $37 in Xalapa, Veracruz vs $33 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $224 vs $300, 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

Xalapa, Veracruz vs Ubud, Bali: 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.

Xalapa, Veracruz pays 378% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $230 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $1,016 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $130 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $302 in Ubud, Bali. 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, Xalapa, Veracruz and Ubud, Bali 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.