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: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,007 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,518 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,030 in Zărnești.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 39% more expensive than in Zărnești, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Zărnești is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.6K

$8.80 RON 40.37

-61.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 574.4K

$40.16 RON 184

-20.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.8K

$9.05 RON 41.50

-44.20%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.8K

$2.31 RON 10.58

17.32%

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

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

$1.32 RON 6.04

5.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$1.15 RON 5.26

-35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 52.0K

$2.21 RON 10.15

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.1K

$2.84 RON 13.01

33.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$1.35 RON 6.18

32.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 45.0K

$1.17 RON 5.39

114.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$1.63 RON 7.48

-25.77%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

$2.93 RON 13.43

-19.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 259.3K

$8.89 RON 40.75

62.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.6K

$5.15 RON 23.62

-19.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 217.7K

$12.34 RON 56.6

-1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.7K

$1.03 RON 4.71

266.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.35 RON 6.19

20.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$1.41 RON 6.46

92.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$1.36 RON 6.23

66.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.6K

$0.89 RON 4.09

116.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$0.92 RON 4.22

138.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$0.73 RON 3.36

39.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.78 RON 3.59

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.2K

$5.65 RON 25.91

-43.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 428.3K

$7.42 RON 34.03

221.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

$1.08 RON 4.96

156.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.35 RON 6.21

103.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,802

$0.66 RON 3.03

-59.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 147.3K

$19.98 RON 91.6

-58.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$0.95 RON 4.34

-49.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,571

$0.82 RON 3.76

-48.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 108.3K

$7.56 RON 34.68

-20.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.60 RON 7.36

-48.75%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.3M

$28.4K RON 130.2K

-6.45%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.6M

$27.6K RON 126.4K

16.81%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$169 RON 773

-53.57%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.3K

$7.92 RON 36.33

-50.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 429.7K

$9.90 RON 45.39

141.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$41.70 RON 191

130.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 117.3K

$19.16 RON 87.8

-65.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.1K

$5.68 RON 26.04

-29.40%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$422 RON 1,935

-28.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.7M

$6,960 RON 31.9K

-5.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 993.9K

$48.29 RON 221

14.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 688.6K

$30.50 RON 140

25.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$73.1 RON 335

21.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$79.8 RON 366

-3.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$386 RON 1,769

155.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.3M

$285 RON 1,308

139.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.5M

$594 RON 2,723

475.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.3M

$440 RON 2,017

371.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.6M

$1,728 RON 7,924

59.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.3M

$1,427 RON 6,543

57.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$525 RON 2,408

-67.87%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $386 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zărnești pays 211% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $40.00 in Zărnești. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $198, 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 39% 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 211% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $386 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $422 in Zărnești. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,007 in Zărnești versus $1,397 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 $1,007 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 39% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.