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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Harare versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Harare versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,327 in Harare versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Harare costs roughly 30% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harare is 26% below, Ubud, Bali is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.14 ZWL 272

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

184.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 ZWL 1,347

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

53.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 ZWL 189

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

42.02%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ZWL 77.7

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

6.64%

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

$0.67 ZWL 17.95

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZWL 12.67

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

-32.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ZWL 39.53

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

-49.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

-47.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ZWL 43.68

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

-9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZWL 27.54

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

-59.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 ZWL 50.7

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

62.93%

Eggs

$2.16 ZWL 58.0

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ZWL 289

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

-26.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 ZWL 168

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

44.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.24 ZWL 168

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

-48.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ZWL 79.9

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

-22.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 44.15

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ZWL 61.3

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

-19.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ZWL 44.55

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

-28.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ZWL 40.67

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

-20.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ZWL 53.3

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

-9.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ZWL 26.22

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

-2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ZWL 26.01

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

24.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

-66.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 ZWL 247

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

-61.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ZWL 31.79

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

-57.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ZWL 45.84

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

-40.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZWL 26.15

$0.27 Rp 4,800

259.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.15 ZWL 1,159

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

437.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ZWL 131

$0.46 Rp 8,150

963.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ZWL 55.1

$0.45 Rp 8,037

355.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 ZWL 133

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

-18.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ZWL 42.13

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

98.73%

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

$19.8K ZWL 530.5K

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

-24.44%

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

$23.9K ZWL 640.7K

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

-25.70%

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

$58.6 ZWL 1,573

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-26.72%

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

$17.79 ZWL 478

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

338.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.2 ZWL 2,501

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

296.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ZWL 1,437

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-45.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.20 ZWL 381

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

114.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 ZWL 267

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

139.28%

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

$283 ZWL 7,599

$304 Rp 5.4M

-6.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,356 ZWL 197.5K

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

11.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.00 ZWL 510

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

-65.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.04 ZWL 565

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

-45.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.77 ZWL 934

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

-60.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.05 ZWL 1,075

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

-48.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ZWL 10.8K

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

-59.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ZWL 7,527

$675 Rp 12.1M

-58.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 ZWL 25.3K

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

-72.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 ZWL 18.5K

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

-66.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$899 ZWL 24.1K

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

-68.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$390 ZWL 10.5K

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

-82.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 ZWL 10.6K

$165 Rp 3.0M

138.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.31

13.28

0.23%

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

Last update for Harare: May 30, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Harare and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harare pays 138% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Harare vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $302, with Harare 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

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

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Clothing & Footwear. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Harare pays 138% more on average, 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: $403 in Harare versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Harare versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $991 in Harare versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harare 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 Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.