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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $949 in Zărnești.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,486 in Zărnești.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,022 in Zărnești.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 45% more expensive than in Zărnești, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Zărnești is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.8K

$9.10 RON 41.08

-63.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 631.6K

$44.58 RON 201

-19.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.3K

$8.83 RON 39.86

-36.24%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.32 RON 10.50

21.55%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$1.54 RON 6.95

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.1K

$1.26 RON 5.68

-36.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.7K

$2.00 RON 9.04

52.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.8K

$2.45 RON 11.07

75.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.4K

$1.30 RON 5.85

23.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 40.0K

$1.12 RON 5.08

102.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.48 RON 6.69

-20.95%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.98 RON 13.43

-27.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.9K

$8.42 RON 38.02

109.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.5K

$4.96 RON 22.41

-18.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.8K

$10.64 RON 48.04

14.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$1.01 RON 4.55

258.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.33 RON 6.02

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.31 RON 5.89

76.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.32 RON 5.95

48.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.80 RON 3.61

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.8K

$0.53 RON 2.40

347.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.90 RON 4.07

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,573

$0.74 RON 3.34

-27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$5.59 RON 25.23

-58.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.9K

$7.82 RON 35.32

195.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.09 RON 4.94

114.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.1K

$1.36 RON 6.12

125.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,371

$0.73 RON 3.30

-65.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 166.1K

$22.44 RON 101

-58.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,643

$0.93 RON 4.20

-47.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,361

$0.85 RON 3.84

-44.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.8K

$7.76 RON 35.03

-27.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.51 RON 6.80

-46.36%

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

$25.0K Rp 441.0M

$29.5K RON 133.0K

-15.10%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.7M

$27.2K RON 122.7K

14.34%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$106 RON 481

-22.32%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.4K

$9.87 RON 44.57

-34.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 331.3K

$8.57 RON 38.68

119.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 974.0K

$39.96 RON 180

38.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 321.1K

$21.97 RON 99.2

-17.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.8K

$6.72 RON 30.33

-36.01%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$454 RON 2,051

8.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.3M

$8,146 RON 36.8K

-27.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 816.0K

$46.24 RON 209

0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 642.5K

$28.75 RON 130

26.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$70.9 RON 320

13.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$80.8 RON 365

-2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$397 RON 1,792

180.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$312 RON 1,410

121.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.2M

$651 RON 2,939

458.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.2M

$534 RON 2,411

220.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.7M

$1,993 RON 9,000

38.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$1,386 RON 6,258

65.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$526 RON 2,375

-68.24%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $397 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zărnești pays 215% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $45.00 in Zărnești. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $189, 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 45% 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 215% 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $397 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $454 in Zărnești. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $949 in Zărnești versus $1,378 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 $949 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 45% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.