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: $990 in Harare versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,688 in Harare versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,385 in Harare versus $3,763 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 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ZWL 265

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

187.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.31 ZWL 1,316

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

52.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 ZWL 189

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

46.49%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ZWL 78.9

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

7.64%

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

$0.70 ZWL 18.70

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

-49.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZWL 12.36

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ZWL 40.70

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

-48.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

-46.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ZWL 42.01

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

-9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ZWL 25.93

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

-60.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 ZWL 49.50

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

58.97%

Eggs

$2.10 ZWL 55.9

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

-13.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ZWL 289

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

-25.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ZWL 166

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

43.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 ZWL 166

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

-48.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 ZWL 76.6

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

-22.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ZWL 45.01

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

3.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 ZWL 57.9

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

-20.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 45.39

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-24.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.36

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

-19.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ZWL 53.3

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

-12.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ZWL 27.49

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

-2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ZWL 25.31

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.08 ZWL 28.83

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

-67.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 ZWL 249

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

-59.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

-59.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ZWL 45.70

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

-37.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZWL 26.27

$0.27 Rp 4,778

262.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.84 ZWL 1,116

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

415.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 ZWL 133

$0.48 Rp 8,659

937.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ZWL 52.9

$0.42 Rp 7,532

371.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZWL 134

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

-19.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ZWL 41.37

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

91.36%

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

$19.9K ZWL 531.5K

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

-25.14%

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

$23.0K ZWL 613.8K

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

-28.53%

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

$58.0 ZWL 1,547

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-26.00%

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

$17.53 ZWL 468

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

330.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.1 ZWL 2,456

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

278.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ZWL 1,442

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-45.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 ZWL 380

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

124.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 ZWL 270

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

153.38%

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

$277 ZWL 7,384

$305 Rp 5.5M

-9.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,215 ZWL 192.5K

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

8.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.55 ZWL 522

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

-63.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.55 ZWL 575

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

-43.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.11 ZWL 937

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

-59.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.98 ZWL 1,093

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

-46.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 ZWL 10.6K

$992 Rp 17.8M

-59.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 ZWL 7,436

$673 Rp 12.1M

-58.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 ZWL 25.5K

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

-71.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 ZWL 18.5K

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-66.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$934 ZWL 24.9K

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

-66.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$390 ZWL 10.4K

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

-82.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$400 ZWL 10.7K

$167 Rp 3.0M

139.52%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Harare and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harare pays 140% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Harare vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $297, 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 140% higher in Harare, 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: $398 in Harare versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $277 in Harare versus $305 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $990 in Harare versus $1,408 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 42% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.