Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Colombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $811 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,187

/mo nomad

Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Colombo

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

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Bali vs $811 in Colombo, rent included.

Bali $1,187
Colombo $811

A couple spends around $2,004 per month in Bali vs $1,298 in Colombo, rent included.

Bali $2,004
Colombo $1,298

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Bali vs $1,785 in Colombo, rent included.

Bali $2,822
Colombo $1,785

Bali costs about 46% more than Colombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bali and Colombo are more affordable than the global median – Bali 12% lower, Colombo 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 Rp 50.6K

$3.92 LKR 1,304

-28.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.85 Rp 520.8K

$24.58 LKR 8,174

17.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 Rp 86.0K

$7.39 LKR 2,458

-35.59%

Cappuccino

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

$2.44 LKR 813

-8.61%

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

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$0.67 LKR 222

94.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.2K

$0.25 LKR 83.0

124.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

$2.14 LKR 710

4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 Rp 64.1K

$3.03 LKR 1,006

17.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$1.58 LKR 525

-10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

$0.53 LKR 176

311.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$0.81 LKR 270

29.63%

Eggs

$1.92 Rp 34.7K

$1.62 LKR 539

18.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.84 Rp 267.9K

$15.14 LKR 5,033

-1.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 69.7K

$5.12 LKR 1,701

-24.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 Rp 192.9K

$7.66 LKR 2,546

39.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 Rp 60.2K

$6.62 LKR 2,200

-49.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

$0.88 LKR 292

65.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 Rp 40.1K

$4.15 LKR 1,381

-46.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$1.28 LKR 425

40.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.04 LKR 347

65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

$0.82 LKR 271

171.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 Rp 16.5K

$1.21 LKR 404

-23.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,308

$0.45 LKR 150

2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 Rp 37.1K

$10.04 LKR 3,337

-79.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.38 Rp 367.8K

$13.69 LKR 4,553

48.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 Rp 39.1K

$1.93 LKR 643

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

$2.97 LKR 987

-4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,531

$0.18 LKR 58.8

38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.68 Rp 156.7K

$8.15 LKR 2,708

6.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,956

$0.37 LKR 123

18.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,766

$0.34 LKR 111

26.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 Rp 97.2K

$0.89 LKR 296

504.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

$1.32 LKR 439

-35.61%

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

$23.7K Rp 428.5M

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

-45.49%

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

$32.9K Rp 592.9M

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

-27.15%

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

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$57.7 LKR 19.2K

33.04%

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

$6.33 Rp 114.2K

$4.28 LKR 1,424

47.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 Rp 341.6K

$20.66 LKR 6,870

-8.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 Rp 751.7K

$20.37 LKR 6,773

104.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 Rp 266.7K

$6.14 LKR 2,042

140.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.58 Rp 64.6K

$4.63 LKR 1,541

-22.68%

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

$437 Rp 7.9M

$40.83 LKR 13.6K

969.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K Rp 199.2M

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

-35.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.09 Rp 777.7K

$18.12 LKR 6,025

137.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.51 Rp 604.8K

$17.34 LKR 5,766

93.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

-3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 Rp 1.3M

$41.29 LKR 13.7K

78.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 Rp 17.3M

$565 LKR 187.8K

69.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 Rp 10.3M

$271 LKR 90.1K

110.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 Rp 54.6M

$1,691 LKR 562.2K

79.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 Rp 26.1M

$574 LKR 191.0K

151.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 Rp 37.8M

$3,735 LKR 1.2M

-43.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,885 Rp 34.0M

$1,158 LKR 385.1K

62.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$248 LKR 82.6K

-13.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

12.5

10.24%

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

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Last update for Colombo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$570 48%

Colombo

$271 33.4% 52.4% $299

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$263 22.2%

Colombo

$244 30.1% 7.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$102 8.6%

Colombo

$83 10.2% 19% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.6%

Colombo

$69 8.6% 31.5% $32

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.5%

Colombo

$103 12.7% 15.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$49 4.1%

Colombo

$30 3.7% 39.3% $19

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Colombo

$11 1.3% 11.2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Bali versus $565 in Colombo. 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 15% higher in Colombo, 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 $25 in Colombo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $244 – making Colombo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇱🇰 Colombo

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

2 h 30 min behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,262 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Colombo 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Colombo

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 Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 46% more than Colombo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,217 in Colombo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Colombo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $565 there versus $957 in Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali and $25 in Colombo. 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 $811 in Colombo. That makes Colombo about 32% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,187 in Bali and $811 in Colombo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Colombo costs $811 versus $1,187 in Bali. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Colombo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 32% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.