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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,337 in Zaandam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,474 in Zaandam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,610 in Zaandam.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 1% more expensive than in Zaandam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, Zaandam 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.7K

$21.48 €19.08

-84.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.42 Rp 634.2K

$82.1 €73.0

-56.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 Rp 103.1K

$13.66 €12.14

-57.83%

Cappuccino

$2.63 Rp 47.1K

$4.28 €3.80

-38.55%

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

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$3.88 €3.44

-55.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$3.24 €2.87

-76.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$5.59 €4.97

-51.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.9K

$5.24 €4.65

-13.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$1.31 €1.16

16.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$2.78 €2.47

-20.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$2.69 €2.39

-54.65%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.3K

$4.80 €4.27

-55.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.73 Rp 317.5K

$13.53 €12.02

31.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 69.0K

$12.54 €11.14

-69.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 Rp 215.3K

$17.39 €15.45

-30.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 Rp 64.6K

$2.67 €2.38

35.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

$2.43 €2.16

-37.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 41.5K

$1.90 €1.68

22.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.9K

$4.35 €3.86

-54.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.82 €1.62

-0.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

$2.21 €1.96

8.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$1.24 €1.11

-20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,389

$1.03 €0.92

-49.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 Rp 39.1K

$14.26 €12.67

-84.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.98 Rp 411.4K

$7.17 €6.37

220.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 Rp 42.9K

$1.44 €1.28

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.7K

$2.45 €2.17

22.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,262

$3.50 €3.11

-93.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 Rp 125.2K

$83.8 €74.4

-91.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,889

$6.34 €5.64

-93.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,595

$2.28 €2.03

-81.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 97.6K

$26.19 €23.26

-79.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$2.46 €2.19

-65.85%

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

$24.3K Rp 435.6M

$41.5K €36.8K

-41.32%

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

$31.9K Rp 571.0M

$38.8K €34.5K

-17.77%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$264 €235

-69.41%

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

$6.58 Rp 117.8K

$23.59 €20.96

-72.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.24 Rp 326.6K

$57.0 €50.6

-67.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 Rp 987.1K

$47.11 €41.85

17.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 Rp 331.5K

$28.56 €25.37

-35.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 76.0K

$16.22 €14.41

-73.86%

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

$486 Rp 8.7M

$2,465 €2,190

-80.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,676 Rp 101.6M

$6,642 €5,901

-14.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.18 Rp 809.0K

$84.7 €75.3

-46.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 Rp 619.0K

$40.63 €36.10

-14.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

$100 €88.9

-20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

$104 €92.0

-25.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 Rp 20.2M

$1,334 €1,185

-15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 12.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,618 Rp 64.8M

$1,679 €1,491

115.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 Rp 31.1M

$2,569 €2,282

-32.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.7M

$5,419 €4,814

-47.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 Rp 41.3M

$4,383 €3,894

-47.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$4,628 €4,111

-96.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.8

262.63%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Zaandam: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali and $1,334 in Zaandam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zaandam pays 2693% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $82.0 in Zaandam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $337 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Zaandam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Zaandam differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,348 vs $1,337 including rent). Zaandam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2693% lower in Zaandam. 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: $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,334 in Zaandam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $486 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,465 in Zaandam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,337 in Zaandam versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zaandam but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zaandam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zaandam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,337 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zaandam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zaandam 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 Zaandam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.