Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Bulawayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulawayo: $747 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Bulawayo
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
$747
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $747 in Bulawayo, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Bulawayo $747

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,194 in Bulawayo, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Bulawayo $1,194

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,642 in Bulawayo, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Bulawayo $1,642

Ubud, Bali costs about 81% more than Bulawayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Bulawayo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.2K
$4.37 ZWL 116
-24.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 645.8K
$29.90 ZWL 795
19.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.3K
$5.10 ZWL 136
8.43%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$2.14 ZWL 56.8
27.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.8K
$0.52 ZWL 13.79
226.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.36 ZWL 9.59
111.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
$1.46 ZWL 38.92
81.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.4K
$1.97 ZWL 52.3
122.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Bulawayo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$1.63 ZWL 43.27
-8.59%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.2K
$0.98 ZWL 26.05
132.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$1.55 ZWL 41.16
-23.23%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$1.86 ZWL 49.36
9.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 320.8K
$9.42 ZWL 250
87.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.8K
$3.82 ZWL 102
3.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 220.9K
$4.60 ZWL 122
165.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.2K
$1.80 ZWL 47.79
103.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$1.55 ZWL 41.15
-1.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$2.40 ZWL 63.8
-7.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.7K
$1.04 ZWL 27.65
89.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$1.26 ZWL 33.50
46.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$1.44 ZWL 38.16
68.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$1.10 ZWL 29.27
-10.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,303
$0.77 ZWL 20.45
-33.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$1.51 ZWL 40.16
47.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.0K
$5.02 ZWL 133
343.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$1.36 ZWL 36.09
66.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
$1.83 ZWL 48.67
62.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Bulawayo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,548
$0.72 ZWL 19.06
-65.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 141.8K
$29.51 ZWL 784
-73.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,964
$3.06 ZWL 81.2
-85.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,793
$1.98 ZWL 52.6
-78.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.0K
$5.03 ZWL 134
7.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 14.9K
$1.69 ZWL 44.95
-51.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.0M
$25.1K ZWL 667.3K
-5.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.3M
$25.4K ZWL 674.8K
25.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Bulawayo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$93.0 ZWL 2,472
-15.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.8K
$17.52 ZWL 466
-63.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 336.7K
$107 ZWL 2,831
-82.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Bulawayo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 896.7K
$30.99 ZWL 823
59.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 319.8K
$20.38 ZWL 542
-13.40%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.4K
$10.09 ZWL 268
-57.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Bulawayo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$228 ZWL 6,051
115.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 102.8M
$3,484 ZWL 92.6K
62.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Bulawayo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 808.9K
$20.95 ZWL 557
113.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 633.4K
$11.80 ZWL 314
196.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$46.98 ZWL 1,248
70.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$57.8 ZWL 1,536
37.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Bulawayo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$172 ZWL 4,573
553.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$106 ZWL 2,803
536.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.6M
$406 ZWL 10.8K
778.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.2M
$323 ZWL 8,574
434.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
$2,061 ZWL 54.8K
32.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$2,031 ZWL 54.0K
12.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Bulawayo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$303 ZWL 8,056
-45.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
15
-8.13%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Bulawayo
$106 84.3% $566
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Bulawayo
$175 39.4% $114
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Bulawayo
$91 15.8% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Bulawayo
$62 42.4% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Bulawayo
$217 109% $113
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Bulawayo
$51 11.8% $6.9
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Bulawayo
$45 297% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $172 in Bulawayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 85% higher in Bulawayo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $30 in Bulawayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $175 – making Bulawayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇿🇼 Bulawayo
🕒 Local time
14:21 2:21 PM
08:21 8:21 AM
6 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
653,337
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.67 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Bulawayo 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Bulawayo

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
Ubud, Bali vs Bulawayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bulawayo cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,120 in Bulawayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulawayo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $172 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
What are total monthly expenses in Ubud, Bali and in Bulawayo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $747 in Bulawayo. That makes Bulawayo about 45% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 74% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Bulawayo?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bulawayo, where all-in costs run around $747, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Bulawayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ubud, Bali or Bulawayo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bulawayo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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