🇲🇽 Oaxaca vs Ubud: which is the better base? 🇮🇩
Oaxaca or Ubud? It is one of the most common questions we get, and the honest answer is that the two cities pull in different directions — Oaxaca wins on budget, but budget is only one line in the spreadsheet.
Oaxaca is in Mexico, Ubud in Indonesia, which matters more than it sounds: it changes your visa options, your tax exposure and how easily you can hop home for a wedding.
Short answer
Oaxaca and Ubud score almost identically overall (4.2/5 vs 4.3/5), so cost is the tiebreaker — and Oaxaca is $100 a month cheaper.
| Metric | 🇲🇽 Oaxaca | 🇮🇩 Ubud |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $1,100 ✓ | $1,200 |
| Nomad score | 4.2/5 | 4.3/5 ✓ |
| Internet | 3.8/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Safety | 4/5 | 4.1/5 ✓ |
| Walkability | 4.4/5 ✓ | 3.4/5 |
| Fun & nightlife | 4.5/5 ✓ | 4/5 |
| Weather | 4.4/5 | 4.5/5 ✓ |
| Air quality | 3.8/5 | 4.1/5 ✓ |
Cost of living: Oaxaca vs Ubud
On raw cost of living, Oaxaca is the cheaper city — about $1,100 a month against $1,200 for Ubud. That is a 8% difference, or $1,200 a year — enough to fund several months of travel, a serious gear upgrade, or simply a much shorter runway to worry about. Both figures are typical all-in nomad budgets: a one-bedroom rental, groceries and regular restaurant meals, local transport, a mobile data plan and a hot desk at a coworking space. Costs move with season and neighbourhood, so treat these as the midpoint of a realistic range rather than a fixed price.
Time zones and the working day
The time difference between Oaxaca and Ubud is 14 hours — Oaxaca runs on UTC-6 and Ubud on UTC+8, putting Ubud ahead. There is effectively no overlap between a normal working day in each city. If your clients or team sit in one of them, the other means permanently unsociable hours.
Internet and wifi for remote work
Internet is a tie: both Oaxaca and Ubud rate 3.8/5 on our connectivity score, which blends typical home fibre speeds, mobile data quality and how easy it is to find a café or coworking space you can actually take a video call from. Both are solid enough for day-to-day remote work; a local data SIM covers you on the odd bad day.
Safety, walkability and nightlife
Ubud rates higher for safety (4.1/5 versus 4/5) — effectively tied in day-to-day terms like walking home late, petty theft and how comfortable solo travellers report feeling. On walkability Oaxaca takes it at 4.4/5 against 3.4/5, which in practice decides whether you can live without a car or a daily ride-hail habit. For nightlife, events and the general odds of meeting people, Oaxaca scores 4.5/5 to Ubud’s 4/5.
Weather and air quality
Ubud has the better climate for year-round remote work, 4.5/5 against 4.4/5 — our weather score rewards mild shoulder seasons and penalises long stretches you would rather not be outside in. The two also sit in opposite hemispheres — Oaxaca is north of the equator, Ubud south — so their seasons run six months out of phase. That is a genuine advantage if you want to chase summer rather than sit through two winters a year. Air quality is the bigger split: Ubud rates 4.1/5 and Oaxaca 3.8/5. If you run, cycle or have any respiratory sensitivity, that gap is worth more than a few hundred dollars of rent.
Visas and how long you can stay
This is where the two genuinely diverge. Mexico offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year, renewable up to 4 (Temporary Resident) and requiring around $4,200 a month in proven income. Indonesia offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year (E33G Remote Worker KITAS) and requiring around $5,000 a month in proven income. Always confirm current rules with the relevant consulate before you book anything long.
Oaxaca vs Ubud: the verdict
- Choose Oaxaca if your priority is stretching your runway — it is the cheaper base at $1,100 a month, saving you $1,200 a year.
- Choose Ubud if you want the higher all-round score (4.3/5 against 4.2/5) and are willing to pay for it.
- Here to meet people rather than hide in a flat? Oaxaca has the livelier scene. If daily life on foot matters, Oaxaca is built better for it. If you train outdoors, Ubud is the easier place to breathe.
Dig deeper on each city
Useful next: the meeting time-zone planner, the digital nomad visa index, and how to get paid while working abroad.
Ready to go? Set up for Oaxaca or Ubud
Whichever you choose, here's the remote-work kit worth sorting before you land:
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Oaxaca vs Ubud: frequently asked questions
Is Oaxaca or Ubud cheaper for digital nomads?
Oaxaca is cheaper, at roughly $1,100 a month against $1,200 for Ubud — a difference of $1,200 a year. Both figures are typical all-in nomad budgets covering rent, groceries, eating out, local transport and coworking.
What is the time difference between Oaxaca and Ubud?
14 hours. Oaxaca is on UTC-6 and Ubud is on UTC+8, and a normal 9–6 working day overlaps by about 0 hours.
Which has better internet, Oaxaca or Ubud?
They are evenly matched, both rating 3.8/5 on our connectivity score.
Which is safer, Oaxaca or Ubud?
Ubud scores 4.1/5 for safety and Oaxaca scores 4/5, giving Ubud the edge for solo travellers and late-night walks home.
Oaxaca or Ubud — which is better overall for remote work?
Overall, Ubud leads with a 4.3/5 nomad score against 4.2/5 for Oaxaca. Treat that as a starting point rather than a verdict: budget, weather and visa access will move the answer for most people.
Can I get a digital nomad visa for Oaxaca or Ubud?
Mexico offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year, renewable up to 4 (Temporary Resident) and requiring around $4,200 a month in proven income. Indonesia offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year (E33G Remote Worker KITAS) and requiring around $5,000 a month in proven income.
Which has better weather, Oaxaca or Ubud?
Ubud rates 4.5/5 for climate and Oaxaca 4.4/5, with air quality at 4.1/5 and 3.8/5 respectively.
Related comparisons
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