Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,224 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Dubai

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

A single person spends $1,224 per month in Bali vs $2,854 in Dubai, rent included.

Bali $1,224
Dubai $2,854

A couple spends around $2,064 per month in Bali vs $4,321 in Dubai, rent included.

Bali $2,064
Dubai $4,321

A family of three spends $2,904 per month in Bali vs $5,788 in Dubai, rent included.

Bali $2,904
Dubai $5,788

Bali is about 57% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bali sits 9% below the global median, while Dubai is 113% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

$13.04 AED 47.89

-78.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.64 Rp 529.8K

$81.4 AED 299

-63.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

$9.32 AED 34.25

-49.14%

Cappuccino

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

$5.97 AED 21.93

-62.81%

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

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$1.63 AED 5.98

-15.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

$0.81 AED 2.99

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

$13.65 AED 50.1

-83.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

$13.38 AED 49.15

-72.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$1.81 AED 6.64

-20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

$1.57 AED 5.78

38.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

$2.49 AED 9.16

-55.02%

Eggs

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

$3.28 AED 12.04

-39.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.41 Rp 293.2K

$12.67 AED 46.53

29.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

$9.75 AED 35.80

-62.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 Rp 206.2K

$13.18 AED 48.40

-12.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

$2.61 AED 9.57

29.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

$1.93 AED 7.09

-24.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 38.4K

$1.92 AED 7.05

11.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

$1.36 AED 5.00

39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

$1.17 AED 4.29

53.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

$1.01 AED 3.71

121.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

$1.51 AED 5.56

-37.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 Rp 8,577

$0.62 AED 2.29

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$5.85 AED 21.50

-63.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.94 Rp 392.2K

$16.14 AED 59.3

35.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$2.65 AED 9.74

-14.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

$2.95 AED 10.82

-6.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,661

$1.64 AED 6.03

-84.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.08 Rp 144.4K

$73.6 AED 270

-89.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,853

$3.17 AED 11.66

-86.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,491

$0.71 AED 2.63

-40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.1K

$7.96 AED 29.23

-28.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

$0.99 AED 3.64

-9.09%

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

$24.2K Rp 433.4M

$27.4K AED 100.5K

-11.42%

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

$31.5K Rp 563.1M

$22.5K AED 82.8K

39.77%

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

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$250 AED 920

-68.03%

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

$6.63 Rp 118.5K

$54.2 AED 199

-87.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 Rp 327.6K

$91.8 AED 337

-80.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 Rp 814.4K

$98.6 AED 362

-53.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 Rp 272.4K

$42.61 AED 156

-64.23%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

$16.03 AED 58.9

-76.86%

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

$442 Rp 7.9M

$843 AED 3,098

-47.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-71.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 Rp 789.6K

$68.0 AED 250

-34.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 Rp 610.1K

$57.9 AED 213

-41.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

$101 AED 370

-23.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$101 AED 371

-25.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 Rp 17.8M

$2,380 AED 8,741

-58.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 Rp 10.5M

$1,506 AED 5,531

-60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,084 Rp 55.1M

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-30.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 Rp 26.7M

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-50.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-66.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 Rp 36.0M

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-51.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-93.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.54

203.52%

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

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$588 48%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 156% $917

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$274 22.4%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 6.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.6%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 278% $291

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$104 8.5%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 42.1% $44

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.3%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 246% $220

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$53 4.3%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 147% $78

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Dubai

$87 3% 646% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Bali versus $2,380 in Dubai. 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 1420% higher in Dubai, 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 $81.0 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $293 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

10:34 10:34 AM

4 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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 = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Dubai 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai costs about 133% 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 $4,281 in Dubai. 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 $81.0 in Dubai. 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 $2,854 in Dubai. That's a gap of about 133%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,224, than in Dubai at $2,854. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,224 versus $2,854 in Dubai. 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, Dubai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.