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

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

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

Living in Xalapa, Veracruz costs roughly 39% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.27 MX$106

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

88.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.51 MX$772

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

27.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 MX$122

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

28.06%

Cappuccino

$3.88 MX$65.9

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

37.59%

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

$1.03 MX$17.50

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

-41.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.11

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

3.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$40.65

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$61.6

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

-15.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$22.86

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

-16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 MX$39.10

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.52

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

48.72%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$41.70

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

13.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 MX$115

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

-61.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 MX$121

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

75.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 MX$174

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

-15.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$58.6

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

-4.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.42

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

-15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.80

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

-31.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MX$24.91

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.09

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

9.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MX$19.96

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

-50.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.56

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

15.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.67

$0.54 Rp 9,560

92.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MX$76.2

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

95.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 MX$174

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

-55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.57

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MX$25.81

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

-50.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.59

$0.25 Rp 4,365

128.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.10 MX$256

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

60.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.61

$0.49 Rp 8,631

328.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.56

$0.47 Rp 8,349

19.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 MX$102

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

7.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.64

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

93.83%

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

$22.7K MX$385.4K

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

-9.17%

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

$27.2K MX$461.5K

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

-12.44%

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

$66.4 MX$1,127

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

-19.72%

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

$23.39 MX$397

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

260.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.04 MX$425

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

33.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.58 MX$417

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

-55.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 MX$332

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

7.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 MX$121

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

66.51%

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

$147 MX$2,489

$494 Rp 8.7M

-70.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K MX$228.4K

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

127.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.30 MX$650

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

-17.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$938

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

51.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,950

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

42.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 MX$1,346

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 MX$4,197

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

-77.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 MX$2,955

$693 Rp 12.2M

-74.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 MX$10.8K

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

-82.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,739

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

-76.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,964 MX$33.3K

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

-28.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,062 MX$18.0K

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

-53.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$827 MX$14.0K

$167 Rp 2.9M

394.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.8

13.78

-28.88%

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

Last update for Xalapa, Veracruz: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $247 in Xalapa, Veracruz and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. 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: $46.00 in Xalapa, Veracruz vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $294, 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 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.

Average pay runs 395% higher in Xalapa, Veracruz, 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: $247 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $494 in Ubud, Bali. 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, 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 63% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.