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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,021 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,533 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,045 in Zărnești.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 38% more expensive than Zărnești, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Zărnești is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

$8.74 RON 37.95

-60.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

$39.98 RON 174

-17.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

$9.04 RON 39.23

-43.81%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

$2.20 RON 9.56

28.18%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

$1.32 RON 5.73

3.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$1.14 RON 4.95

-37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

$2.22 RON 9.65

33.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

$2.74 RON 11.91

42.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

$1.40 RON 6.08

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

$1.12 RON 4.84

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

$1.65 RON 7.14

-26.67%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

$3.05 RON 13.25

-23.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

$8.58 RON 37.25

69.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

$5.21 RON 22.61

-16.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

$12.67 RON 55.0

-4.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

$1.03 RON 4.46

270.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$1.37 RON 5.94

17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

$1.35 RON 5.86

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

$1.42 RON 6.14

57.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$0.96 RON 4.17

97.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

$0.91 RON 3.97

139.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

$0.78 RON 3.41

32.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

$0.74 RON 3.23

4.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

$5.66 RON 24.57

-43.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

$7.87 RON 34.18

195.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

$1.03 RON 4.46

176.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

$1.35 RON 5.84

101.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,022

$0.71 RON 3.07

-59.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

$19.64 RON 85.2

-57.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,344

$0.96 RON 4.16

-48.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,812

$0.89 RON 3.85

-49.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

$7.40 RON 32.14

-15.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

$1.53 RON 6.66

-44.44%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

$28.3K RON 122.7K

-7.80%

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

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

$28.5K RON 123.7K

10.61%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$173 RON 752

-53.94%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

$7.88 RON 34.20

-48.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

$10.12 RON 43.91

137.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$40.98 RON 178

134.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

$19.46 RON 84.4

-66.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

$5.60 RON 24.29

-26.25%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$424 RON 1,841

-30.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

$6,918 RON 30.0K

-3.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

$49.26 RON 214

11.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

$29.56 RON 128

31.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

$73.0 RON 317

22.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$82.0 RON 356

-3.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

$395 RON 1,716

157.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.3M

$295 RON 1,278

124.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

$589 RON 2,554

483.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

$446 RON 1,935

360.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

$1,558 RON 6,762

91.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

$1,409 RON 6,115

68.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 Rp 3.0M

$545 RON 2,364

-68.42%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $395 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 in Ubud, Bali vs $40 in Zărnești. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 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 38% 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: $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $395 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $424 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 $1,021 in Zărnești versus $1,408 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 $1,021 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 38% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.