Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $876 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$876

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lusaka and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lusaka and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Lusaka versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Lusaka $876
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,497 in Lusaka versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Lusaka $1,497
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,117 in Lusaka versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Lusaka $2,117
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Lusaka costs roughly 36% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lusaka is 35% below, Ubud, Bali is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 ZMW 112

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

69.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.45 ZMW 606

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-13.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 ZMW 102

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

-11.38%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ZMW 56.8

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

4.76%

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

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-52.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZMW 8.92

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-45.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ZMW 25.56

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-52.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ZMW 46.24

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-46.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ZMW 33.20

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

11.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ZMW 24.48

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-46.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 ZMW 41.62

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

77.12%

Eggs

$1.90 ZMW 37.77

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

-11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ZMW 206

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-40.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ZMW 128

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

59.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.47 ZMW 129

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-47.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 ZMW 68.5

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-2.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ZMW 48.71

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

56.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 ZMW 72.1

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

61.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 31.35

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

-18.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 ZMW 52.0

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

39.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ZMW 37.39

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-17.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 22.93

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

16.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZMW 14.96

$0.53 Rp 9,475

41.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ZMW 61.1

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

34.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ZMW 203

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-55.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ZMW 28.24

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-39.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ZMW 44.47

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

-23.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZMW 20.44

$0.24 Rp 4,315

329.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 ZMW 1,003

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

471.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ZMW 49.14

$0.48 Rp 8,684

414.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 ZMW 30.29

$0.46 Rp 8,233

230.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 ZMW 102

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

-6.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ZMW 29.71

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

69.32%

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

$7,550 ZMW 150.2K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

-69.27%

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

$27.2K ZMW 540.1K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-12.94%

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

$79.3 ZMW 1,577

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-4.47%

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

$10.56 ZMW 210

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

63.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 ZMW 1,093

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

195.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ZMW 1,072

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 ZMW 303

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-16.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 ZMW 121

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

38.36%

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

$141 ZMW 2,802

$493 Rp 8.9M

-71.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ZMW 331.8K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

189.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.49 ZMW 467

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

-49.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 ZMW 308

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

-56.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.00 ZMW 895

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-43.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ZMW 1,429

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 ZMW 7,794

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-65.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ZMW 3,597

$676 Rp 12.2M

-73.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 ZMW 21.8K

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-68.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 ZMW 12.0K

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-64.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,949 ZMW 38.8K

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

-29.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,934 ZMW 98.1K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

120.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$311 ZMW 6,182

$165 Rp 3.0M

88.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

110.45%

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

Last update for Lusaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Lusaka

$239 27.3%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 21.5% $51

Accommodation & Living

Lusaka

$181 20.6%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 274% $495

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lusaka

$145 16.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 25.4% $37

Eating Out

Lusaka

$111 12.6%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 1.8% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Lusaka

$70 8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 53.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Lusaka

$66 7.5%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 2.2% $1.4

Getting Around

Lusaka

$65 7.4%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 80.6% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $392 in Lusaka and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lusaka pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Lusaka vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $290 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

13:58 1:58 PM

6 h ahead of Lusaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,742,979 Capital

74,800

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lusaka Ubud, Bali 9,440 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lusaka
Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Lusaka and Ubud, Bali differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($876 vs $1,368 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Lusaka, 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: $392 in Lusaka versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $876 per month in Lusaka versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 472% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $876 in Lusaka versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lusaka 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 Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.