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: $949 in Zărnești versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,486 in Zărnești versus $2,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,022 in Zărnești versus $3,275 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Zărnești costs roughly 31% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zărnești is 31% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 RON 41.08

$3.33 Rp 58.8K

173.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.58 RON 201

$35.82 Rp 631.6K

24.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.83 RON 39.86

$5.63 Rp 99.3K

56.84%

Cappuccino

$2.32 RON 10.50

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

-17.73%

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

$1.54 RON 6.95

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.68

$0.80 Rp 14.1K

57.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 RON 9.04

$3.04 Rp 53.7K

-34.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 RON 11.07

$4.30 Rp 75.8K

-43.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 RON 5.85

$1.61 Rp 28.4K

-19.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 RON 5.08

$2.27 Rp 40.0K

-50.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 RON 6.69

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

26.50%

Eggs

$2.98 RON 13.43

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

37.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 RON 38.02

$17.63 Rp 310.9K

-52.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 RON 22.41

$4.05 Rp 71.5K

22.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 RON 48.04

$12.18 Rp 214.8K

-12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.55

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

-72.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.02

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

-18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 RON 5.89

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

-43.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 RON 5.95

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

-32.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.61

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

-56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 RON 2.40

$2.37 Rp 41.8K

-77.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.07

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 RON 3.34

$0.54 Rp 9,573

37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 RON 25.23

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

143.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 RON 35.32

$23.08 Rp 406.9K

-66.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.94

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 RON 6.12

$3.07 Rp 54.1K

-55.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 RON 3.30

$0.25 Rp 4,371

192.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.44 RON 101

$9.42 Rp 166.1K

138.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 RON 4.20

$0.49 Rp 8,643

89.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 3.84

$0.47 Rp 8,361

80.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 RON 35.03

$5.60 Rp 98.8K

38.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 RON 6.80

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

86.42%

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

$29.5K RON 133.0K

$25.0K Rp 441.0M

17.79%

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

$27.2K RON 122.7K

$31.1K Rp 547.7M

-12.54%

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

$106 RON 481

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

28.74%

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

$9.87 RON 44.57

$6.49 Rp 114.4K

52.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.57 RON 38.68

$18.79 Rp 331.3K

-54.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.96 RON 180

$55.2 Rp 974.0K

-27.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.97 RON 99.2

$18.21 Rp 321.1K

20.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 RON 30.33

$4.30 Rp 75.8K

56.28%

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

$454 RON 2,051

$494 Rp 8.7M

-8.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,146 RON 36.8K

$5,917 Rp 104.3M

37.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.24 RON 209

$46.28 Rp 816.0K

-0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.75 RON 130

$36.44 Rp 642.5K

-21.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 RON 320

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

-12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 RON 365

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

2.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 RON 1,792

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

-64.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 RON 1,410

$693 Rp 12.2M

-54.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 RON 2,939

$3,639 Rp 64.2M

-82.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 RON 2,411

$1,712 Rp 30.2M

-68.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,993 RON 9,000

$2,761 Rp 48.7M

-27.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,386 RON 6,258

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

-39.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$526 RON 2,375

$167 Rp 2.9M

214.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

13.78

-45.79%

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

Last update for Zărnești: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $397 in Zărnești and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zărnești pays 215% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Zărnești vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $294, 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 45% 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 215% 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: $397 in Zărnești versus $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $454 in Zărnești versus $494 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $949 in Zărnești versus $1,378 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 $949 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 45% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.