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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $876 in Lusaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,489 in Lusaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,103 in Lusaka.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 62% more expensive than Lusaka, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Lusaka is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$7.11 ZMW 127

-49.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$24.96 ZMW 446

31.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$3.63 ZMW 64.8

36.36%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.01 ZMW 35.86

34.83%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.73 ZMW 13.05

83.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.34 ZMW 6.04

105.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$0.96 ZMW 17.05

204.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$1.82 ZMW 32.42

117.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.26 ZMW 22.53

43.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$0.74 ZMW 13.16

240.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.58 ZMW 28.26

-26.58%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.77 ZMW 31.65

38.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$7.86 ZMW 140

87.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.83 ZMW 68.4

12.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$4.57 ZMW 81.6

165.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.50 ZMW 44.69

53.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.58 ZMW 28.28

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.69 ZMW 47.96

5.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.17 ZMW 20.91

99.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.87 ZMW 33.43

2.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.38 ZMW 24.63

59.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.87 ZMW 15.54

16.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.52 ZMW 9.30

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.54 ZMW 45.39

30.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$10.95 ZMW 195

116.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.13 ZMW 20.24

146.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.50 ZMW 26.75

90.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.96 ZMW 17.11

-71.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$38.24 ZMW 683

-79.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$2.79 ZMW 49.72

-83.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.15 ZMW 20.50

-60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$8.92 ZMW 159

-31.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.19 ZMW 21.29

-33.61%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$7,968 ZMW 142.2K

228.20%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$28.4K ZMW 506.8K

13.14%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$90.1 ZMW 1,608

-11.26%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$53.6 ZMW 956

-92.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$127 ZMW 2,263

-81.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$45.11 ZMW 805

118.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$13.99 ZMW 250

-52.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$4.29 ZMW 76.6

-3.26%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$177 ZMW 3,161

71.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$9,528 ZMW 170.1K

-30.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$19.25 ZMW 344

188.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$17.27 ZMW 308

121.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$86.0 ZMW 1,535

3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$73.7 ZMW 1,316

5.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$224 ZMW 4,007

348.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$120 ZMW 2,148

461.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$1,053 ZMW 18.8K

226.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$585 ZMW 10.4K

248.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$1,973 ZMW 35.2K

43.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$4,281 ZMW 76.4K

-47.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$296 ZMW 5,286

-44.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

-46.88%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $224 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lusaka pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $177 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Lusaka differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $876 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lusaka earns 79% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $224 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $876 in Lusaka – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 376% 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 $1,419 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, Ubud, Bali and Lusaka 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 62% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.