Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zurich and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $4,519 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $38,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zurich
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$4,519
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,348
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zurich and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zurich and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,519 in Zurich versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Zurich $4,519
  • Ubud, Bali $1,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,911 in Zurich versus $2,312 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Zurich $6,911
  • Ubud, Bali $2,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,303 in Zurich versus $3,276 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Zurich $9,303
  • Ubud, Bali $3,276

Living in Zurich is roughly 235% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 237% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zurich
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$34.88 CHF 28.95
$3.33 Rp 59.6K
947.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$146 CHF 121
$35.42 Rp 633.1K
311.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$18.34 CHF 15.22
$5.76 Rp 102.9K
218.40%
Cappuccino
$6.94 CHF 5.76
$2.63 Rp 47.0K
163.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.94 CHF 4.93
$1.74 Rp 31.0K
241.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 CHF 4.38
$0.77 Rp 13.8K
584.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.91 CHF 8.22
$2.71 Rp 48.4K
265.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.48 CHF 7.04
$4.52 Rp 80.8K
87.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zurich
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.10 CHF 1.74
$1.53 Rp 27.4K
37.25%
White Bread (500g)
$3.82 CHF 3.17
$2.20 Rp 39.2K
73.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.74 CHF 3.11
$1.22 Rp 21.8K
206.56%
Eggs
$8.49 CHF 7.04
$2.14 Rp 38.2K
296.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.67 CHF 22.14
$17.73 Rp 316.9K
50.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$28.17 CHF 23.38
$3.86 Rp 68.9K
629.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$60.8 CHF 50.4
$12.03 Rp 215.0K
405.15%
Apples (1kg)
$4.20 CHF 3.48
$3.61 Rp 64.5K
16.34%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 CHF 2.22
$1.51 Rp 27.1K
77.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.39 CHF 2.81
$2.32 Rp 41.4K
46.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.46 CHF 3.70
$2.00 Rp 35.8K
123.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 CHF 2.13
$1.81 Rp 32.4K
41.99%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 CHF 1.85
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
-7.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.51 CHF 2.09
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
153.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 CHF 1.04
$0.52 Rp 9,373
140.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.91 CHF 9.06
$2.18 Rp 39.0K
400.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.90 CHF 11.54
$22.98 Rp 410.7K
-39.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.77 CHF 2.30
$2.40 Rp 42.8K
15.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 CHF 2.55
$3.00 Rp 53.6K
2.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Zurich
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.59 CHF 4.64
$0.24 Rp 4,255
2229.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$105 CHF 87.4
$6.99 Rp 125.0K
1407.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.94 CHF 6.59
$0.44 Rp 7,876
1704.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.64 CHF 3.85
$0.42 Rp 7,582
1004.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$89.7 CHF 74.4
$5.45 Rp 97.4K
1545.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.33 CHF 1.93
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
177.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.9K CHF 33.1K
$24.3K Rp 434.8M
63.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K CHF 32.5K
$31.9K Rp 570.0M
22.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$275 CHF 228
$80.8 Rp 1.4M
239.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.64 CHF 30.41
$6.58 Rp 117.6K
456.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.5 CHF 46.07
$18.24 Rp 326.1K
204.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.7 CHF 75.3
$55.1 Rp 985.4K
64.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$62.1 CHF 51.6
$18.51 Rp 330.9K
235.60%
Cinema Ticket
$24.25 CHF 20.13
$4.24 Rp 75.9K
471.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zurich
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,617 CHF 3,002
$486 Rp 8.7M
644.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$42.7K CHF 35.5K
$5,676 Rp 101.5M
653.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$140 CHF 117
$45.18 Rp 807.6K
210.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.9 CHF 48.92
$34.57 Rp 617.9K
70.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$166 CHF 138
$79.2 Rp 1.4M
109.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$251 CHF 208
$77.6 Rp 1.4M
223.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zurich
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,960 CHF 2,457
$1,127 Rp 20.1M
162.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,296 CHF 1,906
$674 Rp 12.1M
240.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$6,003 CHF 4,982
$3,618 Rp 64.7M
65.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,217 CHF 3,500
$1,735 Rp 31.0M
143.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$27.7K CHF 23.0K
$2,829 Rp 50.6M
878.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$16.1K CHF 13.3K
$2,307 Rp 41.2M
597.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zurich
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,005 CHF 6,644
$166 Rp 3.0M
4731.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.07
13.78
-84.98%

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

Last update for Zurich: October 3, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zurich
$2.3K
Ubud, Bali
$674 70.6% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Zurich
$669
Ubud, Bali
$290 56.7% $379
Eating Out
Zurich
$529
Ubud, Bali
$108 79.6% $421
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zurich
$367
Ubud, Bali
$106 71.2% $261
Clothing & Footwear
Zurich
$277
Ubud, Bali
$106 61.6% $171
Getting Around
Zurich
$159
Ubud, Bali
$11 93.4% $148
Sport & Entertainment
Zurich
$139
Ubud, Bali
$64 54.3% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,960 in Zurich and $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 4731% 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: $146 in Zurich vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $669 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Zurich
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
09:44 9:44 AM
15:44 3:44 PM
6 h ahead of Zurich
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
443,037
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zurich Ubud, Bali 11,960 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zurich
  • Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Zurich or Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 235% 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.
Are salaries higher in Zurich or in Ubud, Bali?
Average pay runs 4731% higher in Zurich, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Zurich compared to Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,960 in Zurich versus $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Zurich and in Ubud, Bali?
Childcare runs $3,617 in Zurich versus $486 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Zurich or in Ubud, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 131% higher in Zurich. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Zurich or in Ubud, Bali?
At $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,519 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Zurich or Ubud, Bali?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,348 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.
How safe is Zurich compared to Ubud, Bali?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 235% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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