Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Batam

For one person, living is cheaper in Batam: $586 a month against $1,214 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bali, Indonesia
Batam, Indonesia
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,214
/mo nomad
Batam
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$586
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Batam

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

A single person spends $1,214 per month in Bali vs $586 in Batam, rent included.

  • Bali $1,214
  • Batam $586

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Bali vs $984 in Batam, rent included.

  • Bali $2,047
  • Batam $984

A family of three spends $2,880 per month in Bali vs $1,382 in Batam, rent included.

  • Bali $2,880
  • Batam $1,382

Bali costs about 107% more than Batam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Batam are more affordable than the global median – Bali 11% lower, Batam 57% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Batam
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.73 Rp 49.5K
$1.95 Rp 35.3K
40.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.91 Rp 523.9K
$8.07 Rp 146.3K
258.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.56 Rp 82.6K
$3.90 Rp 70.7K
16.92%
Cappuccino
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$2.05 Rp 37.1K
10.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 Rp 25.8K
$0.61 Rp 11.0K
134.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 Rp 12.4K
$0.30 Rp 5,449
126.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
$2.47 Rp 44.7K
-9.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 Rp 66.7K
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
0.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Batam
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$1.12 Rp 20.3K
33.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 Rp 39.6K
$1.09 Rp 19.8K
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 Rp 20.6K
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
40.74%
Eggs
$2.02 Rp 36.6K
$1.22 Rp 22.1K
65.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.81 Rp 304.5K
$7.45 Rp 135.0K
125.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.57 Rp 64.7K
$2.47 Rp 44.8K
44.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.31 Rp 204.9K
$4.31 Rp 78.1K
162.41%
Apples (1kg)
$3.44 Rp 62.4K
$2.17 Rp 39.2K
58.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.4K
$2.00 Rp 36.2K
-24.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 39.7K
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
11.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
$1.03 Rp 18.7K
82.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 Rp 31.0K
$0.95 Rp 17.2K
80.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 Rp 42.0K
$1.96 Rp 35.5K
18.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$1.29 Rp 23.4K
-23.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 Rp 9,057
$0.44 Rp 8,036
13.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.03 Rp 36.8K
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
-25.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.49 Rp 389.4K
$13.78 Rp 249.8K
55.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 Rp 38.7K
$1.68 Rp 30.4K
27.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 Rp 52.0K
$2.33 Rp 42.3K
23.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Batam
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,557
$0.41 Rp 7,419
-39.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 159.9K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 Rp 8,145
$1.13 Rp 20.5K
-60.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.44 Rp 7,967
$0.58 Rp 10.6K
-24.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.48 Rp 99.3K
$3.42 Rp 62.0K
60.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
5.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 440.3M
$27.6K Rp 499.6M
-11.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 578.8M
$24.6K Rp 445.8M
29.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Batam
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
17.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.55 Rp 118.7K
$4.09 Rp 74.2K
60.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.48 Rp 334.9K
$22.58 Rp 409.2K
-18.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Batam
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.66 Rp 736.7K
$27.03 Rp 489.9K
50.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.93 Rp 270.5K
$5.66 Rp 102.5K
163.78%
Cinema Ticket
$3.67 Rp 66.4K
$2.66 Rp 48.3K
37.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Batam
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$437 Rp 7.9M
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
426.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,063 Rp 91.7M
$3,186 Rp 57.7M
58.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Batam
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.62 Rp 790.4K
$31.46 Rp 570.0K
38.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.69 Rp 592.4K
$17.99 Rp 326.0K
81.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.6 Rp 1.3M
$64.4 Rp 1.2M
14.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.3 Rp 1.3M
$23.72 Rp 429.9K
213.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Batam
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$984 Rp 17.8M
$265 Rp 4.8M
271.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$583 Rp 10.6M
$145 Rp 2.6M
301.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,121 Rp 56.5M
$796 Rp 14.4M
291.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 Rp 26.7M
$499 Rp 9.0M
195.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,447 Rp 44.3M
$542 Rp 9.8M
351.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,963 Rp 35.6M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Batam
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$215 Rp 3.9M
$334 Rp 6.0M
-35.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
13.17
4.63%

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

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Last update for Batam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$583
Batam
$145 75.1% $438
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$275
Batam
$172 37.6% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$105
Batam
$94 9.9% $10
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$101
Batam
$62 38.7% $39
Eating Out
Bali
$90
Batam
$75 16.2% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$48
Batam
$32 32.6% $16
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Batam
$5.7 * 54.4% $6.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $984 in Bali versus $265 in Batam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Batam, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali versus $8 in Batam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $172 – making Batam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇮🇩 Batam
🕒 Local time
13:19 1:19 PM
12:19 12:19 PM
1 h behind Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,196,396
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Batam 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Batam

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 Batam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Batam?
Bali costs about 107% more than Batam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bali and in Batam?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,821 per month in Bali and $880 in Batam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bali or Batam?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Batam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $265 there versus $984 in Bali.
How much does it cost to live in Bali compared to Batam?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,214 in Bali and $586 in Batam. That makes Batam about 52% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Bali and in Batam?
Kindergarten costs $437 per month in Bali and $83 in Batam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bali or in Batam?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Batam, where all-in costs run around $586, than in Bali at $1,214. In Batam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Batam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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