Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Kathmandu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kathmandu: $496 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bali, Indonesia
Kathmandu, Nepal
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,187
/mo nomad
Kathmandu
🇳🇵 Nepal
$496
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Kathmandu

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

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Bali vs $496 in Kathmandu, rent included.

  • Bali $1,187
  • Kathmandu $496

A couple spends around $2,004 per month in Bali vs $795 in Kathmandu, rent included.

  • Bali $2,004
  • Kathmandu $795

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Bali vs $1,094 in Kathmandu, rent included.

  • Bali $2,822
  • Kathmandu $1,094

Bali costs about 139% more than Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Kathmandu are more affordable than the global median – Bali 12% lower, Kathmandu 63% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Kathmandu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.80 Rp 50.7K
$2.03 NPR 305
37.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.85 Rp 522.3K
$21.67 NPR 3,260
33.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.76 Rp 86.2K
$7.92 NPR 1,192
-39.90%
Cappuccino
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$1.56 NPR 234
42.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 Rp 23.5K
$0.56 NPR 83.7
132.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 Rp 10.2K
$0.13 NPR 19.99
330.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$3.11 NPR 468
-28.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 Rp 64.3K
$3.39 NPR 509
4.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Kathmandu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 Rp 25.4K
$0.76 NPR 114
85.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 Rp 39.5K
$0.63 NPR 94.7
246.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.05 Rp 18.9K
$0.94 NPR 142
11.70%
Eggs
$1.92 Rp 34.8K
$1.70 NPR 256
12.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.84 Rp 268.7K
$7.70 NPR 1,158
92.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 69.9K
$3.17 NPR 477
21.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.69 Rp 193.4K
$5.72 NPR 860
86.89%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 Rp 60.4K
$2.02 NPR 304
65.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$1.16 NPR 175
25.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$1.34 NPR 201
65.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 Rp 32.7K
$0.55 NPR 82.5
227.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 Rp 31.1K
$0.39 NPR 58.2
341.03%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
$0.55 NPR 82.3
305.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 Rp 16.6K
$0.48 NPR 72.6
91.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,333
$0.24 NPR 36.20
91.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.06 Rp 37.2K
$2.63 NPR 396
-21.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.38 Rp 368.9K
$9.00 NPR 1,354
126.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 Rp 39.2K
$2.20 NPR 331
-1.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 Rp 51.6K
$3.08 NPR 463
-7.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Kathmandu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,544
$0.22 NPR 33.00
13.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.68 Rp 157.2K
$9.88 NPR 1,486
-12.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,980
$1.68 NPR 253
-73.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,789
$1.22 NPR 183
-64.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 Rp 97.5K
$3.25 NPR 489
65.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 Rp 15.4K
$1.42 NPR 213
-40.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K Rp 429.8M
$35.7K NPR 5.4M
-33.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K Rp 594.7M
$36.2K NPR 5.4M
-9.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Kathmandu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.7 Rp 1.4M
$31.50 NPR 4,738
143.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.33 Rp 114.5K
$3.53 NPR 531
79.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.93 Rp 342.7K
$8.96 NPR 1,347
111.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Kathmandu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.65 Rp 754.0K
$24.91 NPR 3,747
67.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.78 Rp 267.5K
$7.01 NPR 1,054
110.84%
Cinema Ticket
$3.58 Rp 64.8K
$2.89 NPR 434
23.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Kathmandu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$437 Rp 7.9M
$67.5 NPR 10.2K
547.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K Rp 199.8M
$14.9K NPR 2.2M
-25.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Kathmandu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.09 Rp 780.0K
$21.64 NPR 3,256
99.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.51 Rp 606.6K
$26.51 NPR 3,988
26.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
$63.1 NPR 9,487
18.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.9 Rp 1.3M
$28.01 NPR 4,214
163.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Kathmandu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$957 Rp 17.3M
$233 NPR 35.1K
310.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 Rp 10.3M
$109 NPR 16.3K
424.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,028 Rp 54.8M
$444 NPR 66.8K
582.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,446 Rp 26.2M
$207 NPR 31.2K
597.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,096 Rp 37.9M
$2,324 NPR 349.6K
-9.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,885 Rp 34.1M
$1,315 NPR 197.8K
43.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Kathmandu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$215 Rp 3.9M
$285 NPR 42.9K
-24.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
9.98
38.08%

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

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$570
Kathmandu
$109 80.9% $461
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$263
Kathmandu
$148 43.7% $115
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$102
Kathmandu
$44 56.9% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$101
Kathmandu
$63 38.3% $39
Eating Out
Bali
$89
Kathmandu
$84 6.2% $5.5
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$49
Kathmandu
$31 37.1% $18
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Kathmandu
$19 50.9% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Bali versus $233 in Kathmandu. 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 32% higher in Kathmandu, 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 $22 in Kathmandu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $148 – making Kathmandu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇳🇵 Kathmandu
🕒 Local time
05:11 5:11 AM
02:56 2:56 AM
2 h 15 min behind Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
975,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Nepalese Rupee NPR रु
Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,231 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 150 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.65 USD). 1 EUR = 168 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.95 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Kathmandu 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Kathmandu

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 Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Kathmandu?
Bali costs about 139% more than Kathmandu, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bali and in Kathmandu?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,780 per month in Bali and $744 in Kathmandu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bali or Kathmandu?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kathmandu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $233 there versus $957 in Bali.
How do dining costs compare in Bali and in Kathmandu?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali and $22 in Kathmandu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Bali compared to Kathmandu?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,187 in Bali and $496 in Kathmandu. That makes Kathmandu about 58% cheaper.
Can you live on $800/month in Bali or in Kathmandu?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kathmandu, where all-in costs run around $496, than in Bali at $1,187. In Kathmandu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Kathmandu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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