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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $731 in Zamboanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,099 in Zamboanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,467 in Zamboanga.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 87% more expensive than in Zamboanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Zamboanga is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$1.32 ₱82.7

160.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.5K

$16.92 ₱1,061

114.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.3K

$3.51 ₱220

62.68%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$2.08 ₱130

28.37%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.1K

$0.87 ₱54.2

101.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.42 ₱26.50

107.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$1.46 ₱91.6

102.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$1.99 ₱125

127.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.73 ₱108

-6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$1.43 ₱89.5

62.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.7K

$1.11 ₱69.7

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.1K

$1.52 ₱95.0

44.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 314.0K

$10.08 ₱632

75.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$4.06 ₱254

0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.1K

$3.16 ₱198

285.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$3.07 ₱192

20.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$1.17 ₱73.2

35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$3.69 ₱231

-38.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$1.14 ₱71.3

71.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$1.18 ₱74.3

61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$2.44 ₱153

-4.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.83 ₱52.0

21.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,795

$0.50 ₱31.55

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$2.79 ₱175

-20.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.5K

$4.11 ₱257

461.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$1.31 ₱82.1

84.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$1.96 ₱123

53.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,825

$0.22 ₱13.80

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

$11.85 ₱743

-24.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,586

$0.77 ₱48.02

-37.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,697

$0.21 ₱13.16

104.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$1.67 ₱105

237.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$0.97 ₱60.9

-17.53%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.7M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

20.92%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.8M

$18.5K ₱1.2M

71.27%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$122 ₱7,667

-33.42%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$14.78 ₱926

-56.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.1K

$47.02 ₱2,947

-60.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$36.01 ₱2,257

57.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.4K

$4.65 ₱291

302.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$5.09 ₱319

-10.81%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$131 ₱8,182

268.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.4M

$7,834 ₱490.9K

-27.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.9K

$32.17 ₱2,016

41.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.9K

$18.84 ₱1,181

90.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$71.0 ₱4,448

13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$54.5 ₱3,417

44.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$263 ₱16.5K

324.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$174 ₱10.9K

301.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$340 ₱21.3K

969.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$354 ₱22.2K

390.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$2,560 ₱160.4K

8.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$1,002 ₱62.8K

128.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$188 ₱11.8K

-10.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.75

104.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $263 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zamboanga pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $17.00 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $181 per month, with Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zamboanga wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zamboanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Zamboanga. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $263 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $131 in Zamboanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $731 in Zamboanga versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zamboanga but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zamboanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zamboanga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zamboanga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.