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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,006 in Zărnești versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,518 in Zărnești versus $2,549 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Zărnești versus $3,694 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Zărnești costs roughly 28% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zărnești is 25% below, Ubud, Bali is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 RON 38.30

$3.57 Rp 64.7K

136.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 RON 181

$32.50 Rp 589.5K

22.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 RON 39.88

$4.86 Rp 88.2K

80.86%

Cappuccino

$2.28 RON 10.36

$2.75 Rp 49.8K

-17.09%

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

$1.26 RON 5.70

$1.32 Rp 24.0K

-4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 RON 5.08

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 RON 10.12

$2.91 Rp 52.8K

-23.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 RON 12.65

$3.79 Rp 68.8K

-26.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RON 6.36

$1.71 Rp 31.0K

-18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 RON 5.36

$2.47 Rp 44.9K

-52.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.17

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

31.67%

Eggs

$3.07 RON 13.94

$2.44 Rp 44.3K

25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 RON 39.67

$14.38 Rp 260.9K

-39.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 RON 22.63

$4.31 Rp 78.1K

15.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 RON 56.7

$12.21 Rp 221.4K

2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$3.68 Rp 66.8K

-73.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.21

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

-11.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.32

$2.79 Rp 50.5K

-50.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.34

$2.33 Rp 42.3K

-39.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.34

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

-51.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.14

$2.31 Rp 41.9K

-60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.65

$1.06 Rp 19.3K

-24.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RON 3.58

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

8.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 RON 26.79

$3.28 Rp 59.5K

79.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 RON 35.60

$22.79 Rp 413.4K

-65.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.68

$2.81 Rp 50.9K

-63.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 RON 6.39

$2.78 Rp 50.5K

-49.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.21

$0.29 Rp 5,281

144.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.13 RON 91.4

$8.06 Rp 146.2K

149.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 RON 4.34

$0.45 Rp 8,146

113.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 3.96

$0.45 Rp 8,193

93.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.20 RON 32.70

$6.24 Rp 113.1K

15.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 7.01

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

81.18%

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

$27.5K RON 124.7K

$26.0K Rp 471.2M

5.71%

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

$28.3K RON 128.6K

$31.7K Rp 574.1M

-10.53%

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

$171 RON 778

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

112.21%

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

$8.33 RON 37.83

$4.06 Rp 73.6K

105.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.08 RON 45.77

$24.42 Rp 442.9K

-58.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.12 RON 191

$97.7 Rp 1.8M

-56.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 RON 86.2

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

194.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 RON 25.37

$4.04 Rp 73.3K

38.37%

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

$434 RON 1,970

$304 Rp 5.5M

42.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,944 RON 31.5K

$6,621 Rp 120.1M

4.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.29 RON 219

$54.2 Rp 983.6K

-10.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.48 RON 138

$38.78 Rp 703.2K

-21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 RON 341

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

-12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 RON 365

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 RON 1,736

$986 Rp 17.9M

-61.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 RON 1,339

$658 Rp 11.9M

-55.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 RON 2,653

$3,369 Rp 61.1M

-82.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 RON 1,987

$2,066 Rp 37.5M

-78.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,063 RON 9,367

$2,741 Rp 49.7M

-24.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,374 RON 6,238

$2,228 Rp 40.4M

-38.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 RON 2,353

$163 Rp 3.0M

217.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

13.28

-38.48%

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

Last update for Zărnești: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $382 in Zărnești and $986 in Ubud, Bali. 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: $40.00 in Zărnești vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $200 vs $297, 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

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

Zărnești wins on cost – living expenses run 40% 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.

Zărnești pays 217% 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: $382 in Zărnești versus $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $434 in Zărnești 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 49% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,006 in Zărnești versus $1,404 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 $1,006 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zărnești hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zărnești 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 Zărnești gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.