Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Chennai (Madras)

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $441 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,187

/mo nomad

Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$441

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Chennai (Madras)

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 Chennai (Madras) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Bali vs $441 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Bali $1,187
Chennai (Madras) $441

A couple spends around $2,004 per month in Bali vs $741 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Bali $2,004
Chennai (Madras) $741

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Bali vs $1,041 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Bali $2,822
Chennai (Madras) $1,041

Bali costs about 169% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Chennai (Madras) are more affordable than the global median – Bali 12% lower, Chennai (Madras) 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 Rp 50.7K

$2.07 ₹196

35.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.85 Rp 521.5K

$15.09 ₹1,425

91.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 Rp 86.1K

$4.17 ₹394

14.15%

Cappuccino

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$1.94 ₹184

14.95%

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

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$0.32 ₹30.13

306.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.2K

$0.18 ₹16.67

211.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$1.59 ₹150

40.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 Rp 64.2K

$3.12 ₹294

13.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$0.59 ₹55.5

138.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

$0.52 ₹48.79

319.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$0.71 ₹66.7

47.89%

Eggs

$1.92 Rp 34.7K

$0.89 ₹84.5

115.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.84 Rp 268.3K

$6.06 ₹573

144.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 69.8K

$3.15 ₹298

22.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 Rp 193.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 Rp 60.3K

$2.91 ₹275

14.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

$0.83 ₹78.1

75.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 Rp 40.2K

$1.42 ₹134

56.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$0.46 ₹43.71

291.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.45 ₹42.55

282.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

$0.45 ₹42.04

395.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 Rp 16.5K

$0.54 ₹50.8

70.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,320

$0.30 ₹28.75

53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 Rp 37.2K

$4.94 ₹467

-58.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.38 Rp 368.3K

$7.42 ₹701

174.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 Rp 39.1K

$1.79 ₹169

20.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 51.5K

$2.83 ₹268

0.71%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.85 ₹648

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,537

$0.30 ₹28.78

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.68 Rp 157.0K

$10.40 ₹983

-16.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,968

$1.03 ₹97.4

-57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,777

$0.33 ₹31.50

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 Rp 97.3K

$2.06 ₹195

161.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

$1.11 ₹105

-23.42%

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

$23.7K Rp 429.1M

$11.5K ₹1.1M

106.43%

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

$32.9K Rp 593.8M

$20.2K ₹1.9M

62.56%

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

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$38.94 ₹3,678

97.07%

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

$6.33 Rp 114.4K

$4.05 ₹383

56.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 Rp 342.1K

$8.47 ₹801

123.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 Rp 752.8K

$14.01 ₹1,324

197.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 Rp 267.1K

$6.60 ₹624

123.94%

Cinema Ticket

$3.58 Rp 64.7K

$2.41 ₹228

48.55%

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

$437 Rp 7.9M

$87.3 ₹8,247

400.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K Rp 199.5M

$3,410 ₹322.1K

223.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.09 Rp 778.8K

$20.35 ₹1,923

111.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.51 Rp 605.6K

$16.94 ₹1,601

97.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$35.90 ₹3,391

109.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 Rp 1.3M

$30.15 ₹2,848

144.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 Rp 17.3M

$191 ₹18.0K

402.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 Rp 10.3M

$125 ₹11.9K

354.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 Rp 54.7M

$565 ₹53.3K

436.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 Rp 26.1M

$346 ₹32.7K

317.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 Rp 37.9M

$1,882 ₹177.8K

11.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,885 Rp 34.1M

$805 ₹76.0K

134.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$644 ₹60.8K

-66.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.86

39.76%

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

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$570 48%

Chennai (Madras)

$125 28.4% 78% $444

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$263 22.2%

Chennai (Madras)

$116 26.4% 55.8% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$102 8.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$51 11.7% 49.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.6%

Chennai (Madras)

$47 10.5% 54.2% $55

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.5%

Chennai (Madras)

$69 15.5% 23.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$49 4.1%

Chennai (Madras)

$19 4.3% 61.4% $30

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Chennai (Madras)

$14 3.2% 16.6% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Bali versus $191 in Chennai (Madras). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chennai (Madras) are about 3 times higher, 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 $15 in Chennai (Madras). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $116 – making Chennai (Madras) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

2 h 30 min behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,681,087

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.53 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,075 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.53 USD). 1 EUR = 20,291 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Chennai (Madras) 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Chennai (Madras)

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 Chennai (Madras): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 169% more than Chennai (Madras), 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,780 per month in Bali and $662 in Chennai (Madras). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $191 there versus $957 in Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali and $15 in Chennai (Madras). That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,187 in Bali and $441 in Chennai (Madras). That makes Chennai (Madras) about 63% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Chennai (Madras), where all-in costs run around $441, than in Bali at $1,187. In Chennai (Madras) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $441 versus $1,187 in Bali. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.