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: $4,713 in Zurich versus $1,379 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,973 in Zurich versus $2,363 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,233 in Zurich versus $3,347 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Zurich is roughly 242% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zurich 244% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.19 CHF 29.74

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

1023.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 118

$39.08 Rp 694.5K

277.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.29 CHF 15.42

$5.62 Rp 99.8K

243.24%

Cappuccino

$7.09 CHF 5.67

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

168.56%

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

$6.03 CHF 4.82

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

281.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 CHF 4.30

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

656.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 CHF 7.92

$2.73 Rp 48.5K

262.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 CHF 7.10

$4.32 Rp 76.8K

105.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.77

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

43.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 CHF 3.07

$2.30 Rp 40.8K

66.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 CHF 3.20

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

289.32%

Eggs

$8.45 CHF 6.75

$2.12 Rp 37.7K

298.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.82 CHF 23.05

$17.30 Rp 307.5K

66.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.53 CHF 20.41

$4.03 Rp 71.6K

533.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$59.1 CHF 47.27

$12.42 Rp 220.8K

375.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.31

$3.70 Rp 65.7K

11.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.31

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

78.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.82

$2.27 Rp 40.3K

55.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 CHF 3.82

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

140.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CHF 2.04

$1.83 Rp 32.5K

39.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.82

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

0.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CHF 2.19

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

163.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.02

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.81

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

396.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.82 CHF 11.05

$23.22 Rp 412.7K

-40.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 CHF 2.18

$2.39 Rp 42.5K

14.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CHF 2.64

$2.87 Rp 51.1K

14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.52 CHF 4.42

$0.25 Rp 4,416

2108.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 CHF 86.6

$7.17 Rp 127.4K

1409.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 CHF 6.59

$0.46 Rp 8,163

1691.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.62 CHF 3.70

$0.46 Rp 8,235

904.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.1 CHF 72.8

$5.70 Rp 101.2K

1497.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.82

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

200.00%

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

$41.0K CHF 32.8K

$24.6K Rp 436.7M

66.89%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.9K

$31.0K Rp 551.5M

28.65%

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

$281 CHF 225

$82.2 Rp 1.5M

242.11%

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

$39.77 CHF 31.80

$6.33 Rp 112.5K

528.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 46.48

$18.54 Rp 329.6K

213.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.9 CHF 75.1

$56.1 Rp 996.2K

67.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$62.8 CHF 50.2

$18.41 Rp 327.2K

241.06%

Cinema Ticket

$24.25 CHF 19.39

$4.26 Rp 75.8K

469.25%

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

$3,766 CHF 3,012

$489 Rp 8.7M

669.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.1K CHF 33.7K

$5,793 Rp 103.0M

627.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 CHF 116

$45.98 Rp 817.3K

216.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 CHF 48.85

$35.86 Rp 637.4K

70.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$169 CHF 135

$79.5 Rp 1.4M

113.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$260 CHF 208

$80.9 Rp 1.4M

220.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 CHF 2,489

$1,144 Rp 20.3M

172.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 CHF 1,913

$692 Rp 12.3M

245.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,151 CHF 4,919

$3,532 Rp 62.8M

74.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,264 CHF 3,409

$1,709 Rp 30.4M

149.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.5K CHF 22.0K

$2,785 Rp 49.5M

888.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K CHF 13.2K

$2,261 Rp 40.2M

628.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,410 CHF 6,724

$169 Rp 3.0M

4867.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

13.78

-85.63%

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

Last update for Zurich: August 17, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,113 in Zurich and $1,144 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zurich pays 4867% 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: $147 in Zurich vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $664 vs $293 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 242% 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.

Average pay runs 4867% higher in Zurich, 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: $3,113 in Zurich versus $1,144 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,766 in Zurich versus $489 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in Zurich. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,379 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,713 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 $1,379 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 242% less than in Zurich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.