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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Zalau versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,442 in Zalau versus $2,549 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,925 in Zalau versus $3,694 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Zalau costs roughly 32% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zalau is 29% below, Ubud, Bali is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.12 RON 36.74

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

127.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.00 RON 154

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

4.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 RON 25.72

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

17.08%

Cappuccino

$2.08 RON 9.41

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

-24.36%

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

$2.07 RON 9.37

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

56.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 7.85

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

147.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 RON 12.60

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 RON 12.64

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

-26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 RON 6.84

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 RON 5.67

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

-49.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 RON 6.13

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

12.50%

Eggs

$2.23 RON 10.07

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

-8.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 RON 35.63

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

-45.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 RON 27.97

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

43.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 RON 38.84

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

-29.65%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.36

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

-73.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.89

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

-1.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.17

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

-43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 RON 9.67

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

-8.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 RON 3.04

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

-65.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.20

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

-69.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 RON 2.99

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

-37.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.13

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

24.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 RON 24.95

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

68.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.35 RON 24.22

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

-76.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.68

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

-62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 RON 5.88

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

-53.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 RON 4.25

$0.29 Rp 5,217

224.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.41 RON 87.8

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

140.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 RON 4.37

$0.45 Rp 8,047

115.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 RON 3.57

$0.45 Rp 8,094

75.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.12 RON 41.26

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

46.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.22

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

88.24%

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

$27.7K RON 125.1K

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

6.46%

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

$26.8K RON 121.4K

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

-15.26%

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

$143 RON 645

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

76.56%

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

$4.54 RON 20.53

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

11.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.11 RON 32.16

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

-70.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.50 RON 161

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

-63.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 RON 88.4

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

202.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 RON 25.51

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

39.60%

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

$423 RON 1,912

$304 Rp 5.4M

39.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,962 RON 31.5K

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

5.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 RON 258

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.03 RON 172

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

-1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.4 RON 282

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

-27.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 RON 310

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

-10.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 RON 1,788

$986 Rp 17.7M

-59.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 RON 1,329

$658 Rp 11.8M

-55.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 RON 2,703

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

-82.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 RON 1,956

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

-79.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,961 RON 8,872

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

-28.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,385 RON 6,265

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

-37.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$649 RON 2,936

$163 Rp 2.9M

297.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

13.28

-51.05%

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

Last update for Zalau: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $395 in Zalau and $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zalau pays 297% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Zalau vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $297, with Zalau 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

Zalau vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zalau wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zalau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Zalau pays 297% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $395 in Zalau versus $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $423 in Zalau versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $958 in Zalau versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zalau but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zalau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zalau delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $958 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zalau hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zalau and Ubud, Bali 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 Zalau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.