Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $579 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$579

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zanzibar and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $579 in Zanzibar versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

Zanzibar $579
Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $864 in Zanzibar versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

Zanzibar $864
Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,148 in Zanzibar versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

Zanzibar $1,148
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Zanzibar costs roughly 57% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zanzibar is 57% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 TZS 12.3K

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

45.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.08 TZS 57.8K

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

-36.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 TZS 14.6K

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

-1.93%

Cappuccino

$2.20 TZS 5,769

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

-16.03%

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

$0.58 TZS 1,520

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-66.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TZS 776

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 TZS 4,879

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

-29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 TZS 6,764

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

-40.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 TZS 5,521

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

34.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 TZS 1,859

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-67.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,058

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-33.05%

Eggs

$2.71 TZS 7,092

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

25.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 TZS 19.9K

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-57.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 TZS 5,776

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

-41.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.87 TZS 15.4K

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

-50.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 TZS 7,271

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-22.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 TZS 3,001

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-27.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,050

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

-66.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 TZS 1,428

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-71.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 TZS 2,351

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-49.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 TZS 4,063

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-33.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 TZS 2,003

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

-24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,274

$0.53 Rp 9,509

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 TZS 5,445

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

-9.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 TZS 25.0K

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-56.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 TZS 3,921

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 TZS 3,536

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-54.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 825

$0.23 Rp 4,112

34.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 TZS 9,672

$0.47 Rp 8,466

685.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 TZS 1,920

$0.43 Rp 7,737

69.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 TZS 6,964

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

-51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 TZS 3,180

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

45.78%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

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

$48.9K TZS 128.1M

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

49.22%

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

$74.3 TZS 194.6K

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

-7.10%

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

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

72.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.43 TZS 126.8K

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

160.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.77 TZS 75.3K

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-46.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.26 TZS 24.3K

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

117.88%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.12 TZS 34.3K

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

-71.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 TZS 44.2K

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

-51.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.05 TZS 39.4K

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

-80.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

-83.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 TZS 385.1K

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-87.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 TZS 262.1K

$673 Rp 12.1M

-85.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 TZS 518.2K

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-94.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 TZS 388.8K

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-91.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.8K TZS 99.1M

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

1292.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

413.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$312 TZS 816.7K

$166 Rp 3.0M

87.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-27.43%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.3%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 75% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$134 23.2%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 21.5% $29

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$100 17.3%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 573% $573

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$99 17.1%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 7.8% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$47 8.2%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 32.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 308% $80

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.6 * 1.5%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 44.2% $3.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $147 in Zanzibar and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zanzibar pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Zanzibar vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $287 per month, with Zanzibar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

5 h ahead of Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

74,800

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zanzibar Ubud, Bali 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Zanzibar wins on cost – living expenses run 134% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zanzibar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Zanzibar, 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: $147 in Zanzibar versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $579 per month in Zanzibar versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $579 in Zanzibar versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zanzibar but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zanzibar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zanzibar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $579 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zanzibar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.