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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,006 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,518 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,029 in Zărnești.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 40% more expensive than Zărnești, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Zărnești is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.7K

$8.44 RON 38.30

-57.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 589.5K

$39.89 RON 181

-18.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 88.2K

$8.79 RON 39.88

-44.71%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.8K

$2.28 RON 10.36

20.61%

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

$1.32 Rp 24.0K

$1.26 RON 5.70

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

$1.12 RON 5.08

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.8K

$2.23 RON 10.12

30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.8K

$2.79 RON 12.65

35.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 31.0K

$1.40 RON 6.36

22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.9K

$1.18 RON 5.36

109.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$1.58 RON 7.17

-24.05%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 44.3K

$3.07 RON 13.94

-20.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 260.9K

$8.74 RON 39.67

64.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 78.1K

$4.98 RON 22.63

-13.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 221.4K

$12.49 RON 56.7

-2.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.8K

$0.99 RON 4.49

271.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

$1.37 RON 6.21

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.5K

$1.39 RON 6.32

100.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 42.3K

$1.40 RON 6.34

66.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

$0.96 RON 4.34

105.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.9K

$0.91 RON 4.14

153.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.3K

$0.80 RON 3.65

32.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.79 RON 3.58

-7.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 59.5K

$5.90 RON 26.79

-44.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 413.4K

$7.84 RON 35.60

190.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.9K

$1.03 RON 4.68

172.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 50.5K

$1.41 RON 6.39

97.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,281

$0.71 RON 3.21

-59.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 146.2K

$20.13 RON 91.4

-59.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,146

$0.96 RON 4.34

-53.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,193

$0.87 RON 3.96

-48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 113.1K

$7.20 RON 32.70

-13.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

$1.54 RON 7.01

-44.81%

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

$26.0K Rp 471.2M

$27.5K RON 124.7K

-5.40%

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

$31.7K Rp 574.1M

$28.3K RON 128.6K

11.76%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$171 RON 778

-52.88%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.6K

$8.33 RON 37.83

-51.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 442.9K

$10.08 RON 45.77

142.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.8M

$42.12 RON 191

131.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$18.98 RON 86.2

-66.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 73.3K

$5.59 RON 25.37

-27.73%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$434 RON 1,970

-29.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 120.1M

$6,944 RON 31.5K

-4.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 983.6K

$48.29 RON 219

12.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 703.2K

$30.48 RON 138

27.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

$75.1 RON 341

14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$80.4 RON 365

-4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.9M

$382 RON 1,736

157.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.9M

$295 RON 1,339

123.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 61.1M

$584 RON 2,653

476.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.5M

$438 RON 1,987

371.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.7M

$2,063 RON 9,367

32.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 40.4M

$1,374 RON 6,238

62.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 3.0M

$518 RON 2,353

-68.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

8.17

62.55%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $382 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zărnești pays 217% 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 $40.00 in Zărnești. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $200, with Zărnești 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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zărnești wins on cost – living expenses run 40% 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, Zărnești earns 217% 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 $382 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $434 in Zărnești. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,006 in Zărnești versus $1,404 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 $1,006 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 40% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.