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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $745 in Zamboanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,076 in Zamboanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,408 in Zamboanga.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 91% more expensive than Zamboanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Zamboanga is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$1.55 ₱95.5

129.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$9.47 ₱584

245.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$2.73 ₱168

81.32%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.81 ₱111

49.72%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.91 ₱56.0

47.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.42 ₱25.84

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.22 ₱75.5

139.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$1.64 ₱101

141.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.94 ₱120

-6.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.65 ₱101

52.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.28 ₱79.2

-9.38%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.66 ₱102

48.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$11.23 ₱692

30.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$4.51 ₱278

-4.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$3.57 ₱220

240.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$3.37 ₱208

13.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.32 ₱81.2

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$4.22 ₱260

-32.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$2.68 ₱166

-13.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.38 ₱85.0

38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$2.76 ₱170

-20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.90 ₱55.3

12.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.57 ₱34.90

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.99 ₱185

11.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$4.38 ₱270

442.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.47 ₱90.4

89.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$2.18 ₱134

31.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.24 ₱14.85

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.93 ₱57.5

-50.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.22 ₱13.56

104.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$2.11 ₱130

189.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.22 ₱75.0

-35.25%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$26.9K ₱1.7M

-2.73%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

55.23%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$167 ₱10.3K

-52.06%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$48.00 ₱2,960

-91.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$52.8 ₱3,254

-55.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$39.54 ₱2,438

149.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$4.31 ₱266

53.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$6.95 ₱429

-40.29%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$53.2 ₱3,283

470.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$1,223 ₱75.4K

440.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$24.61 ₱1,517

125.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$26.58 ₱1,639

44.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$88.5 ₱5,458

0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$61.8 ₱3,808

26.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$140 ₱8,603

621.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$71.1 ₱4,384

849.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$370 ₱22.8K

829.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$143 ₱8,818

1326.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$2,275 ₱140.3K

24.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$1,099 ₱67.7K

106.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$193 ₱11.9K

-14.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $140 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zamboanga pays 17% 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 $9.00 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $210 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 91% 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, Zamboanga earns 17% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $140 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $745 in Zamboanga – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $745 in Zamboanga versus $1,419 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 $745 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 91% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.