Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Zalau

For one person, living is cheaper in Zalau: $871 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Zalau
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Zalau Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Zalau

🇷🇴 Romania

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Zalau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $871 in Zalau.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Zalau $871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,327 in Zalau.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Zalau $1,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,783 in Zalau.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Zalau $1,783

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 55% more expensive than in Zalau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Zalau is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$7.52 RON 35.59

-57.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$35.18 RON 166

-0.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$5.25 RON 24.83

8.57%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$2.18 RON 10.30

20.18%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.49 RON 7.07

15.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.24 RON 5.86

-34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$1.87 RON 8.83

41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$2.37 RON 11.19

84.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.38 RON 6.53

13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.13 RON 5.34

93.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.23 RON 5.84

-4.07%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.97 RON 9.31

9.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$7.88 RON 37.28

123.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$5.50 RON 26.01

-31.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$10.45 RON 49.45

14.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$0.80 RON 3.79

350.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.29 RON 6.09

23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$1.44 RON 6.83

60.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.89 RON 8.96

1.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.66 RON 3.13

169.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$0.56 RON 2.63

316.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$0.61 RON 2.89

63.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.73 RON 3.44

-27.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$4.94 RON 23.39

-53.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$5.20 RON 24.59

324.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.07 RON 5.06

119.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$1.14 RON 5.40

161.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.81 RON 3.84

-71.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$21.39 RON 101

-58.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$0.82 RON 3.89

-42.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.82 RON 3.86

-47.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$7.61 RON 36.03

-28.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.50 RON 7.08

-44.67%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$28.5K RON 135.0K

-16.32%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$25.7K RON 121.8K

27.34%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$102 RON 481

-21.39%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$4.27 RON 20.22

53.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$6.29 RON 29.74

195.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$33.09 RON 157

63.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$21.48 RON 102

-14.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$5.38 RON 25.46

-21.00%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$420 RON 1,985

17.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$7,019 RON 33.2K

-20.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$52.5 RON 248

-13.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$30.12 RON 143

16.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$56.8 RON 269

36.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$62.1 RON 294

26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$383 RON 1,812

195.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$288 RON 1,362

133.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$586 RON 2,772

516.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$445 RON 2,104

282.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$1,818 RON 8,602

49.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,323 RON 6,257

69.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$621 RON 2,936

-73.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.85

101.17%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zalau: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Zalau

$288 33.1% 57.2% $385

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Zalau

$180 20.6% 37.4% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Zalau

$91 10.4% 14.9% $16

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Zalau

$127 14.6% 19.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Zalau

$112 12.9% 6.8% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Zalau

$44 5% 30% $19

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Zalau

$30 3.4% 138% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $383 in Zalau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zalau pays 273% 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 $35.00 in Zalau. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $180, with Zalau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇷🇴 Zalau

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

14:41 2:41 PM

5 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

56,202

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Zalau 10,870 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Zalau

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 Zalau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zalau wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zalau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 273% lower in Zalau. 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: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $383 in Zalau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $420 in Zalau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $871 in Zalau versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zalau but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zalau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zalau delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $871 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zalau hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zalau 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 Zalau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.