Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Zărnești

For one person, living is cheaper in Zărnești: $889 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Zărnești
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Zărnești Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Zărnești

🇷🇴 Romania

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $889 in Zărnești.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Zărnești $889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,383 in Zărnești.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Zărnești $1,383

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,877 in Zărnești.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Zărnești $1,877

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 52% more expensive than in Zărnești, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Zărnești is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$9.00 RON 42.60

-64.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$42.40 RON 201

-17.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$8.36 RON 39.57

-31.82%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$2.18 RON 10.34

20.18%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.46 RON 6.90

17.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.20 RON 5.66

-32.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$1.90 RON 9.00

39.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$2.28 RON 10.79

91.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.27 RON 6.02

23.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.07 RON 5.06

104.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.44 RON 6.81

-18.06%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.79 RON 13.20

-22.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$7.89 RON 37.33

123.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$4.74 RON 22.42

-20.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$10.40 RON 49.21

14.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$0.93 RON 4.41

287.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.33 RON 6.30

19.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$1.27 RON 6.02

81.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.28 RON 6.06

49.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.78 RON 3.67

128.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$0.52 RON 2.45

348.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$0.80 RON 3.80

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.77 RON 3.63

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$5.15 RON 24.37

-55.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$7.42 RON 35.09

197.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.07 RON 5.08

119.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$1.29 RON 6.12

131.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.70 RON 3.32

-67.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$21.32 RON 101

-58.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$0.88 RON 4.15

-46.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.86 RON 4.05

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$7.45 RON 35.26

-26.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.51 RON 7.16

-45.03%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$28.5K RON 134.9K

-16.25%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$26.0K RON 122.9K

26.21%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$99.0 RON 468

-19.16%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$9.28 RON 43.89

-29.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$8.00 RON 37.86

132.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$37.82 RON 179

43.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$19.41 RON 91.9

-5.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$6.24 RON 29.55

-31.89%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$429 RON 2,031

14.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$7,733 RON 36.6K

-27.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$44.43 RON 210

2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$27.26 RON 129

28.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$68.9 RON 326

12.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$76.8 RON 363

2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$434 RON 2,054

160.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$266 RON 1,258

153.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$576 RON 2,727

526.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$424 RON 2,008

300.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$1,751 RON 8,283

55.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,329 RON 6,288

68.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$510 RON 2,415

-67.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.47

84.47%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Zărnești

$266 29.9% 60.5% $407

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Zărnești

$182 20.4% 36.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Zărnești

$98 11% 8.2% $8.8

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Zărnești

$148 16.7% 39.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Zărnești

$116 13.1% 10.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Zărnești

$50 5.7% 19.7% $12

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Zărnești

$29 3.3% 136% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $434 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zărnești pays 207% 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 $42.00 in Zărnești. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $182, with Zărnești cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇷🇴 Zărnești

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

03:07 3:07 AM

5 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

24,926

💱 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 24, 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 24, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Zărnești 10,680 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Zărnești

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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zărnești wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zărnești the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 207% lower in Zărnești. 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 $434 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $429 in Zărnești. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $889 in Zărnești versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zărnești but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zărnești the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zărnești delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $889 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zărnești hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zărnești 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 Zărnești gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.