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 $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,782 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $3,723 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 44% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 MX$107

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

71.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.30 MX$651

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

15.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.31 MX$110

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

25.95%

Cappuccino

$2.60 MX$45.36

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

-7.80%

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

$1.41 MX$24.68

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$20.41

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

60.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 MX$37.15

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

-27.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 MX$56.1

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

-18.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 MX$20.24

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

-34.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

-16.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.03

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

60.00%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$43.04

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

2.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 MX$118

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

-52.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 MX$115

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

57.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 MX$177

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

-15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$50.9

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

-19.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$26.54

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.86

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

-26.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MX$24.05

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

-38.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.60

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

-2.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MX$19.73

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

-50.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MX$19.65

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

7.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.26

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

3.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 MX$68.8

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

23.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.35 MX$181

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

-55.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.28

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

-61.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$32.91

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

-31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MX$8.63

$0.27 Rp 4,821

81.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.24 MX$266

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

82.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 MX$23.75

$0.45 Rp 8,180

202.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.46 Rp 8,311

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 MX$94.6

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

-10.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.42

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

55.81%

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

$14.5K MX$252.9K

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

-45.45%

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

$23.5K MX$409.9K

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

-27.80%

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

$40.41 MX$705

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

-48.86%

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

$22.23 MX$388

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

443.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 MX$406

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

-2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.89 MX$399

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-76.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 MX$356

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

221.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 MX$111

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

59.10%

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

$135 MX$2,347

$297 Rp 5.4M

-54.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$182.2K

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

58.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.24 MX$597

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

-35.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 MX$772

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 MX$1,334

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MX$900

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

-32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 MX$3,929

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

-77.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 MX$2,916

$680 Rp 12.3M

-75.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,407

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

-86.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$6,640

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

-81.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 MX$34.6K

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

-27.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,028 MX$17.9K

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

-55.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$14.5K

$164 Rp 3.0M

408.35%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $225 in Xalapa, Veracruz and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xalapa, Veracruz pays 408% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Xalapa, Veracruz vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $224 vs $298, 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 88% 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 408% 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: $225 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $135 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $297 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $740 in Xalapa, Veracruz versus $1,392 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 88% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.