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: $1,379 in Ubud, Bali versus $913 in Zalau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,386 in Zalau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,347 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,858 in Zalau.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 51% more expensive than in Zalau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Zalau is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

$7.89 RON 35.42

-58.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.08 Rp 694.5K

$36.35 RON 163

7.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 Rp 99.8K

$5.36 RON 24.09

4.85%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

$2.38 RON 10.68

10.92%

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

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

$1.56 RON 7.01

1.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

$1.30 RON 5.82

-45.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 Rp 48.5K

$1.96 RON 8.79

39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 Rp 76.8K

$2.36 RON 10.59

83.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

$1.42 RON 6.37

8.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 40.8K

$1.13 RON 5.07

103.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$1.31 RON 5.87

-21.37%

Eggs

$2.12 Rp 37.7K

$2.16 RON 9.72

-1.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 Rp 307.5K

$8.45 RON 37.97

104.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 71.6K

$5.91 RON 26.53

-31.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 Rp 220.8K

$10.57 RON 47.47

17.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 Rp 65.7K

$0.92 RON 4.14

302.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.33 RON 5.95

21.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.3K

$1.46 RON 6.54

55.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

$1.97 RON 8.84

1.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Rp 32.5K

$0.63 RON 2.85

190.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

$0.57 RON 2.57

294.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

$0.65 RON 2.90

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

$0.74 RON 3.34

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$5.24 RON 23.54

-57.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.22 Rp 412.7K

$5.38 RON 24.16

331.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 Rp 42.5K

$1.08 RON 4.84

121.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.1K

$1.24 RON 5.57

131.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,416

$0.86 RON 3.88

-70.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 Rp 127.4K

$24.68 RON 111

-70.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,163

$0.84 RON 3.76

-45.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,235

$0.86 RON 3.86

-46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 Rp 101.2K

$7.84 RON 35.21

-27.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$1.54 RON 6.93

-50.65%

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

$24.6K Rp 436.7M

$29.6K RON 133.0K

-17.00%

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

$31.0K Rp 551.5M

$27.2K RON 122.2K

14.10%

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

$82.2 Rp 1.5M

$104 RON 469

-21.30%

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

$6.33 Rp 112.5K

$4.46 RON 20.03

41.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.54 Rp 329.6K

$6.71 RON 30.15

176.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 Rp 996.2K

$34.36 RON 154

63.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 Rp 327.2K

$19.92 RON 89.5

-7.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 Rp 75.8K

$5.38 RON 24.17

-20.82%

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

$489 Rp 8.7M

$443 RON 1,990

10.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,793 Rp 103.0M

$7,229 RON 32.5K

-19.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.98 Rp 817.3K

$54.1 RON 243

-15.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 Rp 637.4K

$31.86 RON 143

12.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 Rp 1.4M

$61.2 RON 275

29.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 Rp 1.4M

$65.6 RON 295

23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 Rp 20.3M

$409 RON 1,839

179.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 Rp 12.3M

$299 RON 1,343

131.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 Rp 62.8M

$639 RON 2,869

453.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 Rp 30.4M

$469 RON 2,107

264.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,785 Rp 49.5M

$2,001 RON 8,987

39.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 Rp 40.2M

$1,455 RON 6,538

55.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$644 RON 2,891

-73.69%

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: August 15, 2026

Last update for Zalau: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ubud, Bali and $409 in Zalau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zalau pays 280% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $36.00 in Zalau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $187 per month, with Zalau 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 Zalau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zalau wins on cost – living expenses run 51% 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 280% 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: $1,144 in Ubud, Bali versus $409 in Zalau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $489 in Ubud, Bali versus $443 in Zalau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Zalau versus $1,379 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 $913 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 51% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.