Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Cairns

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,224 a month against $2,529 in Cairns, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Cairns

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

A single person spends $1,224 per month in Bali vs $2,529 in Cairns, rent included.

Bali $1,224
Cairns $2,529

A couple spends around $2,064 per month in Bali vs $3,731 in Cairns, rent included.

Bali $2,064
Cairns $3,731

A family of three spends $2,904 per month in Bali vs $4,933 in Cairns, rent included.

Bali $2,904
Cairns $4,933

Bali is about 52% cheaper than Cairns, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bali sits 9% below the global median, while Cairns is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

$17.69 A$25.31

-84.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.64 Rp 529.8K

$97.6 A$140

-69.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

$12.79 A$18.30

-62.94%

Cappuccino

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

$4.32 A$6.18

-48.61%

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

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$3.14 A$4.50

-56.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

$2.74 A$3.92

-75.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

$6.84 A$9.79

-67.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

$8.34 A$11.94

-56.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$1.94 A$2.78

-25.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

$2.63 A$3.77

-17.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

$2.57 A$3.68

-56.42%

Eggs

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

$5.39 A$7.71

-63.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.41 Rp 293.2K

$9.17 A$13.12

78.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

$13.48 A$19.29

-73.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 Rp 206.2K

$15.26 A$21.83

-24.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

$4.17 A$5.97

-19.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

$2.75 A$3.93

-46.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 38.4K

$3.54 A$5.06

-39.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

$5.65 A$8.08

-66.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

$2.56 A$3.66

-29.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

$2.58 A$3.70

-13.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

$2.71 A$3.88

-65.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 Rp 8,577

$2.59 A$3.70

-81.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$43.78 A$62.7

-95.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.94 Rp 392.2K

$13.96 A$19.97

57.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$3.55 A$5.08

-36.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

$5.22 A$7.46

-46.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,661

$3.56 A$5.10

-92.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.08 Rp 144.4K

$15.43 A$22.08

-47.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,853

$2.65 A$3.79

-83.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,491

$1.96 A$2.81

-78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.1K

$42.21 A$60.4

-86.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

$1.28 A$1.83

-29.69%

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

$24.2K Rp 433.4M

$31.3K A$44.8K

-22.61%

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

$31.5K Rp 563.1M

$40.8K A$58.4K

-22.84%

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

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$164 A$234

-51.09%

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

$6.63 Rp 118.5K

$34.95 A$50.0

-81.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 Rp 327.6K

$65.0 A$93.0

-71.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 Rp 814.4K

$44.38 A$63.5

2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 Rp 272.4K

$27.37 A$39.16

-44.32%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

$13.97 A$20.00

-73.44%

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

$442 Rp 7.9M

$2,069 A$2,961

-78.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

$14.2K A$20.3K

-62.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 Rp 789.6K

$89.1 A$127

-50.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 Rp 610.1K

$71.7 A$103

-52.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

$122 A$174

-36.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$129 A$185

-42.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 Rp 17.8M

$1,466 A$2,098

-32.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 Rp 10.5M

$1,223 A$1,751

-51.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,084 Rp 55.1M

$2,250 A$3,221

37.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 Rp 26.7M

$1,944 A$2,783

-23.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

$6,629 A$9,487

-64.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 Rp 36.0M

$5,015 A$7,177

-59.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$4,289 A$6,138

-94.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.32

118.04%

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

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cairns: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$588 48%

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9% 108% $635

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$274 22.4%

Cairns

$409 16.3% 49.1% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.6%

Cairns

$264 10.5% 151% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$104 8.5%

Cairns

$185 7.4% 78.7% $82

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.3%

Cairns

$306 12.2% 243% $217

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$53 4.3%

Cairns

$72 2.9% 36.5% $19

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Cairns

$42 1.7% 262% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Bali versus $1,466 in Cairns. 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 1823% higher in Cairns, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali versus $98.0 in Cairns. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $409 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇦🇺 Cairns

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

2 h ahead of Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,181

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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 = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Cairns 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Cairns

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 Cairns: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 107% more than Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,836 per month in Bali and $3,793 in Cairns. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali and $98.0 in Cairns. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,224 in Bali and $2,529 in Cairns. That's a gap of about 107%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,224, than in Cairns at $2,529. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,224 versus $2,529 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.