Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Jaffna

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $275 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,187

/mo nomad

Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$275

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Jaffna

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

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Bali vs $275 in Jaffna, rent included.

Bali $1,187
Jaffna $275

A couple spends around $2,004 per month in Bali vs $515 in Jaffna, rent included.

Bali $2,004
Jaffna $515

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Bali vs $756 in Jaffna, rent included.

Bali $2,822
Jaffna $756

Bali costs about 332% more than Jaffna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Jaffna are more affordable than the global median – Bali 12% lower, Jaffna 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 Rp 50.6K

$1.06 LKR 354

164.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.85 Rp 520.8K

$38.86 LKR 12.9K

-25.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 Rp 86.0K

$4.44 LKR 1,478

7.21%

Cappuccino

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

$3.29 LKR 1,093

-32.22%

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

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$1.67 LKR 556

-22.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.2K

$0.49 LKR 162

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

$3.46 LKR 1,150

-35.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 Rp 64.1K

$6.11 LKR 2,032

-41.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$0.66 LKR 220

113.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

$0.46 LKR 152

373.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$0.61 LKR 203

72.13%

Eggs

$1.92 Rp 34.7K

$1.15 LKR 382

66.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.84 Rp 267.9K

$4.63 LKR 1,539

220.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 69.7K

$2.95 LKR 981

30.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 Rp 192.9K

$6.06 LKR 2,016

76.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 Rp 60.2K

$3.52 LKR 1,171

-5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

$0.59 LKR 196

147.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 Rp 40.1K

$2.97 LKR 989

-25.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$1.53 LKR 509

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.52 LKR 506

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

$0.73 LKR 242

205.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 Rp 16.5K

$0.58 LKR 194

58.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,308

$0.31 LKR 104

48.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 Rp 37.1K

$12.19 LKR 4,053

-83.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.38 Rp 367.8K

$18.34 LKR 6,097

11.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 Rp 39.1K

$2.94 LKR 977

-26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,531

$0.31 LKR 104

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.68 Rp 156.7K

$3.06 LKR 1,018

183.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,956

$0.44 LKR 146

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,766

$0.25 LKR 83.8

72.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 Rp 97.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

$1.24 LKR 412

-31.45%

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

$23.7K Rp 428.5M

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

$32.9K Rp 592.9M

$45.1K LKR 15.0M

-27.09%

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

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

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

$6.33 Rp 114.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 Rp 341.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 Rp 751.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 Rp 266.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.58 Rp 64.6K

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

$437 Rp 7.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K Rp 199.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.09 Rp 777.7K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.51 Rp 604.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 Rp 1.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 Rp 17.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 Rp 10.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 Rp 54.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 Rp 26.1M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 Rp 37.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,885 Rp 34.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Last update for Jaffna: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$570 48%

Jaffna

–

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$263 22.2%

Jaffna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$102 8.6%

Jaffna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.6%

Jaffna

–

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.5%

Jaffna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$49 4.1%

Jaffna

–

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Jaffna

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali versus $39 in Jaffna. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Bali vs $169 in Jaffna – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

18:29 6:29 PM

2 h 30 min behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 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 = 20,271 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 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

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Highest

Between locations

Bali Jaffna 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Jaffna

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 Jaffna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 332% more than Jaffna, 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 $412 in Jaffna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,187 in Bali and $275 in Jaffna. That makes Jaffna about 77% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali and $39 in Jaffna. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $275 in Jaffna to $1,187 in Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.