Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,129 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,762 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,551 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,396 in Zihuatanejo versus $3,708 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 19% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zihuatanejo is 15% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 MX$185

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

216.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.36 MX$677

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

21.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 MX$138

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

60.20%

Cappuccino

$3.27 MX$56.2

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

15.96%

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

$1.29 MX$22.12

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

-6.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 MX$15.37

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

21.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 MX$42.17

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

-17.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MX$65.8

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

-3.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.53

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

-17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 MX$58.5

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

38.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.13

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

35.83%

Eggs

$4.33 MX$74.4

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

81.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MX$140

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

-43.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 MX$137

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

85.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.60 MX$182

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

-10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 MX$45.88

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

-29.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.04

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$30.89

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

-35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.14

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

-27.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.09

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

-6.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.56

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

-11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.59

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.53

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

34.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.0

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

37.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 MX$175

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

-57.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.45

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

-43.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 MX$48.96

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

2.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.35

$0.27 Rp 4,726

144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$45.24

$0.45 Rp 8,034

484.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$26.67

$0.43 Rp 7,578

260.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 MX$140

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

36.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.52

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

63.75%

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

$20.8K MX$358.2K

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

-19.33%

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

$22.7K MX$389.9K

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

-28.74%

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

$56.2 MX$967

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

-30.39%

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

$10.48 MX$180

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

153.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.97 MX$481

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

15.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.76 MX$615

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

-63.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.13 MX$278

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

142.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 MX$77.8

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

11.88%

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

$204 MX$3,510

$297 Rp 5.3M

-31.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,552 MX$61.1K

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

-46.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 MX$896

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

-5.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 MX$686

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

3.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 MX$1,513

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 MX$1,388

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MX$8,678

$985 Rp 17.5M

-48.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,829

$665 Rp 11.8M

-40.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 MX$15.8K

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

-73.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 MX$13.0K

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

-62.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,187 MX$37.6K

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

-22.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 MX$24.2K

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

-38.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.28

-13.55%

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

Last update for Zihuatanejo: June 16, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $504 in Zihuatanejo and $985 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Zihuatanejo vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $299, 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

Zihuatanejo vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zihuatanejo wins on cost – living expenses run 23% 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 $1,694 in Zihuatanejo and $2,091 in Ubud, Bali 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: $504 in Zihuatanejo versus $985 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,129 per month in Zihuatanejo versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,129 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,394 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 $1,129 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zihuatanejo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.