Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Alice Springs

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,224 a month against $1,828 in Alice Springs, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,224
/mo nomad
Alice Springs
🇦🇺 Australia
$1,828
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Alice Springs

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 Alice Springs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,224 in Bali versus $1,828 in Alice Springs.

  • Bali $1,224
  • Alice Springs $1,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,064 in Bali versus $2,745 in Alice Springs.

  • Bali $2,064
  • Alice Springs $2,745

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,904 in Bali versus $3,662 in Alice Springs.

  • Bali $2,904
  • Alice Springs $3,662

Living in Bali costs roughly 33% less than in Alice Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bali is 9% below, Alice Springs is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Alice Springs
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.74 Rp 49.1K
$17.52 A$25.16
-84.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.64 Rp 530.3K
$83.1 A$119
-64.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.74 Rp 84.7K
$10.85 A$15.59
-56.31%
Cappuccino
$2.22 Rp 39.7K
$4.14 A$5.95
-46.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 Rp 24.5K
$2.84 A$4.08
-51.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 Rp 11.8K
$2.82 A$4.05
-76.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.21 Rp 39.5K
$6.62 A$9.50
-66.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.62 Rp 64.8K
$9.67 A$13.90
-62.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Alice Springs
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 Rp 25.8K
$1.45 A$2.09
-0.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.17 Rp 38.7K
$2.13 A$3.07
1.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.12 Rp 20.0K
$1.82 A$2.61
-38.46%
Eggs
$1.97 Rp 35.3K
$5.33 A$7.66
-63.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.41 Rp 293.5K
$8.11 A$11.64
102.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.63 Rp 65.0K
$8.29 A$11.91
-56.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.53 Rp 206.4K
$14.27 A$20.50
-19.20%
Apples (1kg)
$3.37 Rp 60.2K
$3.83 A$5.50
-12.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.0K
$3.10 A$4.45
-52.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.15 Rp 38.5K
$2.50 A$3.58
-14.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.0K
$6.85 A$9.84
-72.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.80 Rp 32.2K
$2.50 A$3.60
-28.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.1K
$2.41 A$3.46
-7.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 Rp 16.8K
$2.41 A$3.46
-61.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 Rp 8,585
$2.37 A$3.41
-79.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.14 Rp 38.2K
$29.01 A$41.67
-92.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.94 Rp 392.5K
$13.78 A$19.80
59.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 40.4K
$3.35 A$4.81
-32.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 Rp 49.6K
$5.69 A$8.18
-51.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Alice Springs
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 Rp 4,664
$2.77 A$3.98
-90.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.08 Rp 144.5K
$91.1 A$131
-91.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,859
$5.02 A$7.21
-91.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,497
$1.64 A$2.36
-74.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.66 Rp 101.2K
$27.71 A$39.81
-79.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 Rp 16.0K
$1.30 A$1.87
-30.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K Rp 433.8M
$37.7K A$54.1K
-35.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5K Rp 563.6M
$23.4K A$33.6K
34.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Alice Springs
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.1 Rp 1.4M
$208 A$299
-61.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.63 Rp 118.6K
$27.26 A$39.16
-75.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.33 Rp 327.9K
$45.55 A$65.4
-59.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Alice Springs
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.56 Rp 815.1K
$56.8 A$81.6
-19.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.24 Rp 272.7K
$17.66 A$25.37
-13.70%
Cinema Ticket
$3.71 Rp 66.4K
$13.86 A$19.91
-73.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Alice Springs
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$442 Rp 7.9M
$1,910 A$2,744
-76.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,246 Rp 93.8M
$20.6K A$29.6K
-74.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Alice Springs
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.18 Rp 790.3K
$72.2 A$104
-38.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.13 Rp 610.6K
$12.26 A$17.61
178.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.2 Rp 1.4M
$137 A$197
-43.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.0 Rp 1.3M
$123 A$176
-38.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Alice Springs
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$994 Rp 17.8M
$1,393 A$2,001
-28.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$588 Rp 10.5M
$519 A$745
13.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,084 Rp 55.2M
$1,290 A$1,853
139.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,496 Rp 26.8M
$758 A$1,089
97.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,383 Rp 42.6M
$4,528 A$6,504
-47.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,015 Rp 36.1M
$4,795 A$6,888
-57.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Alice Springs
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$223 Rp 4.0M
$4,404 A$6,326
-94.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.84
135.96%

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

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Alice Springs: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$588
Alice Springs
$519 11.9% $70
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$274
Alice Springs
$361 31.7% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$105
Alice Springs
$281 168% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$104
Alice Springs
$155 49.6% $51
Eating Out
Bali
$89
Alice Springs
$297 234% $208
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$53
Alice Springs
$85 59.6% $32
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Alice Springs
$115 891% $104

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Bali and $1,393 in Alice Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 1874% 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 $83.0 in Alice Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $361 per month, with Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇦🇺 Alice Springs
🕒 Local time
17:46 5:46 PM
19:16 7:16 PM
1 h 30 min ahead of Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,855
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,047 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Alice Springs 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Alice Springs

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 Alice Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Alice Springs?
Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Alice Springs. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bali or in Alice Springs?
On paper, salaries run 1874% lower in Alice Springs. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bali compared to Alice Springs?
Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Bali versus $1,393 in Alice Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Bali or in Alice Springs?
Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Alice Springs. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Bali and in Alice Springs?
Dining out is cheaper in Bali – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $83.0 in Alice Springs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bali or in Alice Springs?
At $1,224 in Bali versus $1,828 in Alice Springs, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bali but tight or insufficient in Alice Springs. The gap between the two cities makes Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bali or Alice Springs?
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.
How safe is Bali compared to Alice Springs?
Safety-wise, Bali and Alice Springs 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 Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Alice Springs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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