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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $990 in Harare.

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

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

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 42% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Harare is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$9.92 ZWL 265

-65.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$49.31 ZWL 1,316

-34.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$7.09 ZWL 189

-31.73%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.96 ZWL 78.9

-7.09%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.70 ZWL 18.70

97.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.46 ZWL 12.36

63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.53 ZWL 40.70

95.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

87.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.57 ZWL 42.01

10.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.97 ZWL 25.93

153.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.86 ZWL 49.50

-37.10%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.10 ZWL 55.9

15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$10.83 ZWL 289

33.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$6.23 ZWL 166

-30.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$6.21 ZWL 166

92.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.87 ZWL 76.6

29.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.69 ZWL 45.01

-3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.17 ZWL 57.9

26.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.70 ZWL 45.39

31.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.55 ZWL 41.36

23.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$2.00 ZWL 53.3

14.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.03 ZWL 27.49

2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.95 ZWL 25.31

-24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$1.08 ZWL 28.83

204.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$9.32 ZWL 249

148.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

148.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.71 ZWL 45.70

59.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.98 ZWL 26.27

-72.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$41.84 ZWL 1,116

-80.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$4.98 ZWL 133

-90.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.98 ZWL 52.9

-78.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$5.03 ZWL 134

23.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.55 ZWL 41.37

-47.74%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$19.9K ZWL 531.5K

33.59%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$23.0K ZWL 613.8K

39.91%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$58.0 ZWL 1,547

35.13%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$17.53 ZWL 468

-76.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$92.1 ZWL 2,456

-73.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$54.1 ZWL 1,442

82.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$14.23 ZWL 380

-55.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$10.11 ZWL 270

-60.53%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$277 ZWL 7,384

10.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$7,215 ZWL 192.5K

-7.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$19.55 ZWL 522

176.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$21.55 ZWL 575

75.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$35.11 ZWL 937

147.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$40.98 ZWL 1,093

86.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$398 ZWL 10.6K

149.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$279 ZWL 7,436

141.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$954 ZWL 25.5K

253.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$695 ZWL 18.5K

194.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$934 ZWL 24.9K

200.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$390 ZWL 10.4K

471.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$400 ZWL 10.7K

-58.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

13.31

-0.23%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Harare: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $398 in Harare. 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: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $49.00 in Harare. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $217, 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

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

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 140% lower in Harare. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $398 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $277 in Harare. 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, Ubud, Bali and Harare 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.