Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Abu Dhabi

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,224 a month against $2,588 in Abu Dhabi, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Abu Dhabi
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Abu Dhabi Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Abu Dhabi

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Abu Dhabi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,224 in Bali versus $2,588 in Abu Dhabi.

Bali $1,224
Abu Dhabi $2,588

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,064 in Bali versus $3,950 in Abu Dhabi.

Bali $2,064
Abu Dhabi $3,950

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,904 in Bali versus $5,312 in Abu Dhabi.

Bali $2,904
Abu Dhabi $5,312

Living in Bali costs roughly 53% less than in Abu Dhabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bali is 9% below, Abu Dhabi is 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

$8.05 AED 29.58

-65.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.64 Rp 529.8K

$53.7 AED 197

-44.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

$9.63 AED 35.38

-50.78%

Cappuccino

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

$5.79 AED 21.27

-61.66%

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

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$1.17 AED 4.28

17.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

$0.44 AED 1.61

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

$11.40 AED 41.86

-80.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

$11.76 AED 43.18

-69.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$2.00 AED 7.36

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

$1.60 AED 5.89

35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

$2.27 AED 8.33

-50.66%

Eggs

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

$3.44 AED 12.64

-42.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.41 Rp 293.2K

$11.56 AED 42.47

41.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

$9.47 AED 34.80

-61.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 Rp 206.2K

$10.21 AED 37.51

12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

$2.51 AED 9.20

34.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

$2.04 AED 7.49

-28.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 38.4K

$1.87 AED 6.88

14.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

$1.60 AED 5.89

18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

$1.20 AED 4.40

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

$1.21 AED 4.44

85.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

$1.66 AED 6.08

-43.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 Rp 8,577

$0.57 AED 2.10

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$6.49 AED 23.83

-67.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.94 Rp 392.2K

$13.52 AED 49.65

62.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$2.54 AED 9.32

-11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

$2.55 AED 9.38

8.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,661

$0.67 AED 2.45

-61.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.08 Rp 144.4K

$26.63 AED 97.8

-69.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,853

$3.29 AED 12.08

-86.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,491

$0.57 AED 2.08

-26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.1K

$8.30 AED 30.50

-31.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

$0.98 AED 3.60

-8.16%

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

$24.2K Rp 433.4M

$29.9K AED 109.8K

-18.90%

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

$31.5K Rp 563.1M

$21.9K AED 80.6K

43.62%

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

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$193 AED 708

-58.46%

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

$6.63 Rp 118.5K

$56.8 AED 209

-88.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 Rp 327.6K

$88.8 AED 326

-79.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 Rp 814.4K

$96.1 AED 353

-52.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 Rp 272.4K

$43.64 AED 160

-65.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

$15.20 AED 55.8

-75.59%

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

$442 Rp 7.9M

$781 AED 2,867

-43.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

$14.9K AED 54.6K

-64.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 Rp 789.6K

$62.7 AED 230

-29.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 Rp 610.1K

$48.25 AED 177

-29.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

$110 AED 404

-29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$112 AED 411

-33.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 Rp 17.8M

$1,945 AED 7,143

-48.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 Rp 10.5M

$1,387 AED 5,095

-57.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,084 Rp 55.1M

$3,954 AED 14.5K

-21.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 Rp 26.7M

$2,722 AED 9,998

-45.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

$4,896 AED 18.0K

-51.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 Rp 36.0M

$2,856 AED 10.5K

-29.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$2,881 AED 10.6K

-92.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.55

202.86%

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

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$588 48%

Abu Dhabi

$1.4K 54.1% 136% $799

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$274 22.4%

Abu Dhabi

$276 10.8% 0.7% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.6%

Abu Dhabi

$338 13.2% 222% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$104 8.5%

Abu Dhabi

$150 5.9% 44.5% $46

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.3%

Abu Dhabi

$250 9.7% 180% $161

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$53 4.3%

Abu Dhabi

$127 4.9% 139% $74

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Abu Dhabi

$35 1.4% 204% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Bali and $1,945 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 1192% 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: $30.00 in Bali vs $54.0 in Abu Dhabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $276 per month, with Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

11:03 11:03 AM

4 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

921,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Abu Dhabi 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Abu Dhabi

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

Bali vs Abu Dhabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Abu Dhabi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1192% lower in Abu Dhabi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Bali versus $1,945 in Abu Dhabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bali runs roughly 230% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $442 in Bali versus $781 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,224 in Bali versus $2,588 in Abu Dhabi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bali but tight or insufficient in Abu Dhabi. The gap between the two cities makes Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,224 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bali and Abu Dhabi 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 Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.