Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Ardabil

For one person, living is cheaper in Ardabil: $575 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
Learn more

Bali Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Ardabil
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Ardabil Living Index

Jump to prices

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Ardabil

🇮🇷 Iran

$575

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Ardabil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Bali versus $575 in Ardabil.

Bali $1,236
Ardabil $575

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,086 in Bali versus $879 in Ardabil.

Bali $2,086
Ardabil $879

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,937 in Bali versus $1,182 in Ardabil.

Bali $2,937
Ardabil $1,182

Living in Bali is roughly 115% more expensive than in Ardabil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bali 8% lower, Ardabil 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.84 $2.84

-2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

$19.40 $19.40

53.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

$4.34 $4.34

6.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 $0.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

$1.22 $1.22

90.16%

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

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

$0.54 $0.54

159.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$1.02 $1.02

-37.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$0.69 $0.69

115.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$0.48 $0.48

360.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$2.06 $2.06

-43.20%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

$1.17 $1.17

72.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

$4.33 $4.33

281.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

$3.35 $3.35

9.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

$10.52 $10.52

10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

$1.05 $1.05

227.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

$1.51 $1.51

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.96 $0.96

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$0.59 $0.59

208.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$0.50 $0.50

258.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$0.49 $0.49

363.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$0.57 $0.57

73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.25 $0.25

104.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.86 $0.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

$2.51 $2.51

-14.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,713

$0.16 $0.16

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

$10.95 $10.95

-27.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,646

$0.42 $0.42

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,705

$0.30 $0.30

43.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

$2.33 $2.33

142.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$0.10 $0.10

720.00%

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

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

$52.0K $52.0K

-54.39%

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

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

$43.2K $43.2K

-26.52%

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

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$13.78 $13.78

490.13%

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

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

$1.74 $1.74

275.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

$4.08 $4.08

348.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

$19.38 $19.38

141.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

$11.55 $11.55

30.30%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

$2.24 $2.24

64.73%

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

$445 Rp 8.0M

$94.9 $94.9

369.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

$2,610 $2,610

99.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

$24.54 $24.54

73.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

$27.61 $27.61

20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$110 $110

-31.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$69.0 $69.0

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.9M

$291 $291

242.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$242 $242

145.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

$677 $677

351.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

$353 $353

327.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

$1,108 $1,108

119.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

$590 $590

232.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 4.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

24.3

-43.29%

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

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ardabil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Ardabil

$242 42.2% 59.3% $354

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Ardabil

$115 20% 58.5% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Ardabil

$20 3.4% 81.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Ardabil

$104 18.1% 2.9% $2.9

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Ardabil

$57 9.9% 37.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Ardabil

$24 4.2% 56% $30

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Ardabil

$14 2.4% 16.1% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $996 in Bali and $291 in Ardabil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Bali vs $19.00 in Ardabil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $115 per month, with Ardabil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇮🇷 Ardabil

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

03:07 3:07 AM

4 h 30 min behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

482,632

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Bali Ardabil 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Ardabil

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 Ardabil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ardabil is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,854 in Bali and $862 in Ardabil to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $996 in Bali versus $291 in Ardabil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ardabil runs roughly 37% less than in Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $445 in Bali versus $94.9 in Ardabil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $575 in Ardabil versus $1,236 in Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ardabil but tight or insufficient in Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ardabil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ardabil 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 Ardabil 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 Ardabil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.