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: $1,102 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,765 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,428 in Zihuatanejo versus $3,723 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 21% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zihuatanejo is 17% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.41 MX$180

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

191.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.43 MX$665

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 MX$135

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

55.49%

Cappuccino

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

15.60%

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

$1.29 MX$22.36

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

-4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.03

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MX$40.55

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

-20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 MX$65.9

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

-3.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.01

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 MX$59.7

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

40.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.22

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

36.52%

Eggs

$4.33 MX$74.9

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

79.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$140

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

-43.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 MX$140

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

92.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 MX$185

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

-11.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.73

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

-25.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.30

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.54

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

-38.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.50

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

-29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.79

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

-7.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.43

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

-12.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$21.92

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

20.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.73

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

29.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$71.5

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

29.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 MX$201

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

-50.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$27.78

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

-44.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 MX$48.17

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.18

$0.27 Rp 4,813

140.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 MX$43.82

$0.45 Rp 8,167

462.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.63

$0.46 Rp 8,298

234.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 MX$141

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

34.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.81

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

53.49%

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

$20.9K MX$361.3K

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

-21.44%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

-30.08%

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

$56.6 MX$979

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

-28.40%

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

$10.35 MX$179

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

153.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.61 MX$495

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

19.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.59 MX$616

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-63.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.59 MX$270

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

145.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 MX$77.9

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

12.22%

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

$206 MX$3,570

$297 Rp 5.4M

-30.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,651 MX$63.2K

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

-44.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 MX$919

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

-0.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 MX$680

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 MX$1,544

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 MX$1,399

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

5.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 MX$8,697

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

-50.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 MX$6,901

$680 Rp 12.3M

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 MX$16.3K

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

-72.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 MX$13.1K

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

-63.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,712 MX$29.6K

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

-37.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,257 MX$21.7K

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

-45.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Zihuatanejo and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Zihuatanejo vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $298, 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 26% 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 $1,654 in Zihuatanejo and $2,088 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: $503 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,102 per month in Zihuatanejo versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,102 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,392 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 $1,102 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 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.