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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,247 in Zurich versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,522 in Zurich versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,798 in Zurich versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Zurich is roughly 195% more expensive than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 217% above, Ubud, Bali 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.49 CHF 24.12

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

754.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 115

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

345.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.33 CHF 16.87

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

320.71%

Cappuccino

$6.65 CHF 5.26

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

134.98%

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

$6.13 CHF 4.85

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

357.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.13

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

656.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 CHF 7.83

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

231.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.64 CHF 6.83

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

124.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.72

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 CHF 2.57

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

27.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 CHF 3.10

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

229.41%

Eggs

$7.27 CHF 5.75

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

199.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.79 CHF 23.57

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

103.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$34.09 CHF 26.97

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

715.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.4 CHF 39.85

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

321.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.28

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

12.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 CHF 2.31

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

81.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.37

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

11.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 CHF 4.04

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

119.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CHF 2.19

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

45.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.79

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CHF 1.94

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

132.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 CHF 1.33

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.71

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

252.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 CHF 12.21

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

-34.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CHF 2.06

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

-4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 CHF 2.63

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

15.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 CHF 4.01

$0.29 Rp 5,029

1651.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 84.6

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

1208.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 CHF 6.18

$0.45 Rp 7,863

1637.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.29 CHF 3.39

$0.42 Rp 7,305

921.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.5 CHF 70.8

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

1352.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.82

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

173.81%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.6K

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

52.20%

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

$39.1K CHF 30.9K

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

20.35%

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

$258 CHF 204

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

229.44%

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

$35.85 CHF 28.36

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

807.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 CHF 47.33

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

145.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.4 CHF 70.7

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-7.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.22 CHF 38.93

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

675.12%

Cinema Ticket

$24.46 CHF 19.35

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

505.45%

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

$3,419 CHF 2,704

$303 Rp 5.2M

1029.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K CHF 31.4K

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

508.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 112

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

161.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.0 CHF 49.04

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

63.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

73.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 CHF 161

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

157.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,743 CHF 2,169

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

170.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 CHF 1,721

$674 Rp 11.7M

222.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,897 CHF 3,873

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

44.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,823 CHF 3,024

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

82.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$25.1K CHF 19.8K

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

739.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K CHF 12.6K

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

582.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,594 CHF 6,798

$173 Rp 3.0M

4863.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

13.28

-84.26%

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

Last update for Zurich: April 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,743 in Zurich and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 4864% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $145 in Zurich vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $679 vs $298 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 195% lower than in Zurich. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Zurich pays 4864% 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: $2,743 in Zurich versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,419 in Zurich 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 128% higher in Zurich. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,247 in Zurich, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Zurich. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,438 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zurich 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 195% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.