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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $958 in Zalau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,442 in Zalau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,925 in Zalau.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 47% more expensive than Zalau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Zalau is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$8.12 RON 36.74

-56.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$34.00 RON 154

-4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$5.69 RON 25.72

-14.59%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$2.08 RON 9.41

32.21%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$2.07 RON 9.37

-36.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$1.73 RON 7.85

-59.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$2.78 RON 12.60

4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.80 RON 12.64

35.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.51 RON 6.84

13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.25 RON 5.67

97.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.35 RON 6.13

-11.11%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.23 RON 10.07

9.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$7.88 RON 35.63

82.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$6.18 RON 27.97

-30.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$8.59 RON 38.84

42.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$0.96 RON 4.36

283.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.52 RON 6.89

1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.58 RON 7.17

76.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$2.14 RON 9.67

8.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.67 RON 3.04

194.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.71 RON 3.20

225.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.66 RON 2.99

60.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.91 RON 4.13

-19.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$5.52 RON 24.95

-40.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$5.35 RON 24.22

325.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.04 RON 4.68

170.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.30 RON 5.88

113.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.94 RON 4.25

-69.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$19.41 RON 87.8

-58.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.97 RON 4.37

-53.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.79 RON 3.57

-43.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$9.12 RON 41.26

-31.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.60 RON 7.22

-46.88%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$27.7K RON 125.1K

-6.07%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$26.8K RON 121.4K

18.00%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$143 RON 645

-43.36%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$4.54 RON 20.53

-10.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$7.11 RON 32.16

243.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$35.50 RON 161

175.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$19.54 RON 88.4

-66.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$5.64 RON 25.51

-28.37%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$423 RON 1,912

-28.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$6,962 RON 31.5K

-4.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$57.1 RON 258

-5.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$38.03 RON 172

1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$62.4 RON 282

38.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$68.6 RON 310

11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$395 RON 1,788

149.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$294 RON 1,329

123.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$598 RON 2,703

463.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$432 RON 1,956

377.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$1,961 RON 8,872

39.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$1,385 RON 6,265

60.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$649 RON 2,936

-74.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.5

104.31%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Zalau: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $395 in Zalau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zalau pays 297% 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 $34.00 in Zalau. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $189, with Zalau 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 Zalau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zalau wins on cost – living expenses run 47% 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, Zalau earns 297% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $395 in Zalau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $423 in Zalau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $958 in Zalau versus $1,404 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 $958 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 47% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.