Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $482 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
Learn more

Bali Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Arak
Learn more

Arak Living Index

Jump to prices

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Arak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Bali versus $482 in Arak.

Bali $1,236
Arak $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,086 in Bali versus $758 in Arak.

Bali $2,086
Arak $758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,937 in Bali versus $1,034 in Arak.

Bali $2,937
Arak $1,034

Living in Bali is roughly 156% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bali 8% lower, Arak 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

$3.71 $3.71

-25.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 534.8K

$12.65 $12.65

135.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 83.0K

$4.09 $4.09

13.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 $0.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.6K

$1.36 $1.36

70.59%

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

$1.40 Rp 25.0K

$0.48 $0.48

191.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

$1.73 $1.73

-63.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$0.55 $0.55

170.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.7K

$0.57 $0.57

287.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.90 $1.90

-38.42%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

$1.22 $1.22

65.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 296.4K

$2.16 $2.16

664.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 65.9K

$2.56 $2.56

43.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 209.3K

$10.32 $10.32

13.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 61.8K

$0.79 $0.79

335.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.1K

$1.02 $1.02

43.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$0.63 $0.63

255.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

$0.51 $0.51

256.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$0.44 $0.44

306.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.8K

$0.41 $0.41

453.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.7K

$0.48 $0.48

106.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,157

$0.30 $0.30

70.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.6K

$2.54 $2.54

-15.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 384.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,698

$0.10 $0.10

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.0K

$9.52 $9.52

-16.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,619

$0.25 $0.25

92.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,681

$0.12 $0.12

258.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.3K

$1.03 $1.03

447.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$0.09 $0.09

811.11%

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

$23.7K Rp 425.2M

$49.8K $49.8K

-52.41%

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

$31.7K Rp 569.5M

$34.4K $34.4K

-7.61%

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

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$9.84 $9.84

726.42%

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

$6.53 Rp 117.2K

$1.49 $1.49

338.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 328.6K

$3.75 $3.75

388.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 840.7K

$9.87 $9.87

374.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 270.0K

$24.01 $24.01

-37.32%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.2K

$1.12 $1.12

229.46%

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

$445 Rp 8.0M

$83.5 $83.5

433.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.6M

$2,319 $2,319

125.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 765.4K

$13.43 $13.43

217.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 599.3K

$8.95 $8.95

273.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$80.9 $80.9

-7.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$51.4 $51.4

43.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.9M

$295 $295

237.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$211 $211

182.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 54.8M

$806 $806

278.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.1M

$359 $359

321.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.6M

$1,354 $1,354

79.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.2M

$656 $656

199.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 4.0M

$368 $368

-40.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

18.5

-25.51%

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

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Arak

$211 43.7% 64.6% $385

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Arak

$97 20.1% 65% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Arak

$15 3.1% 85.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Arak

$70 14.4% 31.2% $32

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Arak

$67 13.9% 25.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Arak

$12 2.5% 77.7% $42

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Arak

$11 2.2% 7.3% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $996 in Bali and $295 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arak pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Bali vs $13.00 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $97.0 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

09:00 9:00 AM

4 h 30 min behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

526,200

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.95 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,204 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.95 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Arak 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Arak

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 Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 156% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Arak. 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: $996 in Bali versus $295 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,236 per month in Bali versus $482 in Arak – a 156% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Arak runs roughly 19% less than in Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $482 in Arak versus $1,236 in Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arak but tight or insufficient in Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Arak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arak is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bali and Arak 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 Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.