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: $1,007 in Zărnești versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,518 in Zărnești versus $2,588 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Zărnești versus $3,778 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 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 RON 40.37

$3.43 Rp 61.6K

156.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.16 RON 184

$31.97 Rp 574.4K

25.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 RON 41.50

$5.05 Rp 90.8K

79.21%

Cappuccino

$2.31 RON 10.58

$2.71 Rp 48.8K

-14.76%

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

$1.32 RON 6.04

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

-5.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 RON 5.26

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

55.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 RON 10.15

$2.89 Rp 52.0K

-23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 RON 13.01

$3.79 Rp 68.1K

-25.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 RON 6.18

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

-24.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RON 5.39

$2.51 Rp 45.0K

-53.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.48

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

34.71%

Eggs

$2.93 RON 13.43

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

23.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 RON 40.75

$14.43 Rp 259.3K

-38.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 RON 23.62

$4.15 Rp 74.6K

24.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.34 RON 56.6

$12.11 Rp 217.7K

1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.71

$3.77 Rp 67.7K

-72.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 RON 6.19

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

-17.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 RON 6.46

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

-47.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 RON 6.23

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

-39.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.09

$1.93 Rp 34.6K

-53.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.22

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

-57.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 RON 3.36

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

-28.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.59

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 RON 25.91

$3.18 Rp 57.2K

77.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 RON 34.03

$23.84 Rp 428.3K

-68.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 4.96

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

-61.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RON 6.21

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

-50.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 3.03

$0.27 Rp 4,802

144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.98 RON 91.6

$8.20 Rp 147.3K

143.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 RON 4.34

$0.48 Rp 8,684

97.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.76

$0.42 Rp 7,571

95.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.56 RON 34.68

$6.03 Rp 108.3K

25.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.36

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

95.12%

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

$28.4K RON 130.2K

$26.6K Rp 477.3M

6.90%

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

$27.6K RON 126.4K

$32.2K Rp 578.6M

-14.39%

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

$169 RON 773

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

115.40%

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

$7.92 RON 36.33

$3.91 Rp 70.3K

102.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.90 RON 45.39

$23.91 Rp 429.7K

-58.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 RON 191

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

-56.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.16 RON 87.8

$6.53 Rp 117.3K

193.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 RON 26.04

$4.01 Rp 72.1K

41.65%

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

$422 RON 1,935

$303 Rp 5.4M

39.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,960 RON 31.9K

$6,551 Rp 117.7M

6.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.29 RON 221

$55.3 Rp 993.9K

-12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 RON 140

$38.32 Rp 688.6K

-20.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 RON 335

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

-17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 RON 366

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 RON 1,769

$986 Rp 17.7M

-60.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 RON 1,308

$682 Rp 12.3M

-58.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 RON 2,723

$3,420 Rp 61.5M

-82.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 RON 2,017

$2,075 Rp 37.3M

-78.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,728 RON 7,924

$2,762 Rp 49.6M

-37.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,427 RON 6,543

$2,243 Rp 40.3M

-36.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$525 RON 2,408

$169 Rp 3.0M

211.26%

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $386 in Zărnești and $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zărnești pays 211% 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $298, 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 39% 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.

Average pay runs 211% higher in Zărnești, 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: $386 in Zărnești versus $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Zărnești versus $303 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,007 in Zărnești versus $1,397 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 $1,007 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 39% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.