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: $1,021 in Zărnești versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Zărnești versus $2,582 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,045 in Zărnești versus $3,757 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Zărnești costs roughly 27% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zărnești is 24% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 RON 37.95

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

155.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.98 RON 174

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

21.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 RON 39.23

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

77.95%

Cappuccino

$2.20 RON 9.56

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

-21.99%

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

$1.32 RON 5.73

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

-3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 4.95

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

60.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 RON 9.65

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

-25.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 RON 11.91

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

-29.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RON 6.08

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 RON 4.84

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

-55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.14

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

36.36%

Eggs

$3.05 RON 13.25

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

30.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 RON 37.25

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

-40.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 RON 22.61

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

19.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 RON 55.0

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

5.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.46

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

-73.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 RON 5.94

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

-14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 RON 5.86

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.14

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

-36.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.17

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

-49.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 3.97

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

-58.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 RON 3.41

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

-24.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RON 3.23

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

-3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 RON 24.57

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

77.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 RON 34.18

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

-66.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.46

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

-63.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RON 5.84

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

-50.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.07

$0.29 Rp 5,022

144.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.64 RON 85.2

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

132.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 RON 4.16

$0.49 Rp 8,344

95.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 RON 3.85

$0.45 Rp 7,812

97.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 RON 32.14

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

17.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.66

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

80.00%

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

$28.3K RON 122.7K

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

8.47%

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

$28.5K RON 123.7K

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

-9.59%

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

$173 RON 752

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

117.11%

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

$7.88 RON 34.20

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

92.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.12 RON 43.91

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

-57.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.98 RON 178

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

-57.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 RON 84.4

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

198.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 RON 24.29

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

35.59%

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

$424 RON 1,841

$297 Rp 5.1M

42.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,918 RON 30.0K

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

3.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.26 RON 214

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

-10.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.56 RON 128

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

-23.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 RON 317

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

-18.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 RON 356

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 RON 1,716

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

-61.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 RON 1,278

$660 Rp 11.3M

-55.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 RON 2,554

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

-82.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 1,935

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

-78.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,558 RON 6,762

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

-47.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,409 RON 6,115

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

-40.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$545 RON 2,364

$172 Rp 3.0M

216.63%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $395 in Zărnești and $1,018 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 in Zărnești vs $33 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $200 vs $299, 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 38% 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: $395 in Zărnești versus $1,018 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $424 in Zărnești versus $297 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 $1,021 in Zărnești versus $1,408 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 $1,021 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 38% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.