Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Lake Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,236 a month against $2,211 in Lake Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Lake Macquarie
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Lake Macquarie Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Lake Macquarie

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

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Bali vs $2,211 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Bali $1,236
Lake Macquarie $2,211

A couple spends around $2,086 per month in Bali vs $3,516 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Bali $2,086
Lake Macquarie $3,516

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Bali vs $4,821 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Bali $2,937
Lake Macquarie $4,821

Bali is about 44% cheaper than Lake Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bali sits 8% below the global median, while Lake Macquarie is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.4K

$17.09 A$24.48

-83.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 533.2K

$85.1 A$122

-64.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 82.8K

$10.24 A$14.67

-54.79%

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

$3.58 A$5.13

-35.20%

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

$1.40 Rp 25.0K

$3.12 A$4.47

-55.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

$2.07 A$2.97

-69.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.2K

$7.07 A$10.12

-69.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.1K

$7.10 A$10.17

-49.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.6K

$1.15 A$1.65

29.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.6K

$1.45 A$2.08

52.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.61 A$2.31

-27.33%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

$3.13 A$4.48

-35.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 295.6K

$7.95 A$11.39

107.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 65.8K

$7.47 A$10.70

-50.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 208.7K

$12.57 A$18.01

-7.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 61.6K

$3.01 A$4.32

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.1K

$2.57 A$3.69

-43.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

$2.54 A$3.64

-11.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

$3.73 A$5.35

-51.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.0K

$2.29 A$3.28

-21.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.7K

$2.08 A$2.98

9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.7K

$1.71 A$2.46

-42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,131

$1.59 A$2.27

-67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

$28.25 A$40.47

-92.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 383.6K

$8.05 A$11.53

166.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

$2.80 A$4.02

-18.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$2.27 A$3.25

25.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,685

$2.58 A$3.70

-89.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 142.6K

$80.5 A$115

-90.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,594

$2.11 A$3.02

-77.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,659

$3.10 A$4.44

-86.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.0K

$58.4 A$83.7

-90.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$1.38 A$1.97

-40.58%

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

$23.7K Rp 424.0M

$27.6K A$39.6K

-14.26%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.9M

$24.7K A$35.4K

28.52%

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

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$231 A$331

-64.78%

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

$6.53 Rp 116.9K

$10.95 A$15.69

-40.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 327.7K

$41.65 A$59.7

-56.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 838.3K

$54.6 A$78.3

-14.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 269.2K

$17.33 A$24.83

-13.16%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.1K

$9.41 A$13.47

-60.79%

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

$445 Rp 8.0M

$1,486 A$2,128

-70.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.4M

$18.6K A$26.6K

-71.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 763.2K

$69.8 A$100.0

-38.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 597.6K

$35.77 A$51.2

-6.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$97.0 A$139

-22.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$108 A$154

-31.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.8M

$1,375 A$1,970

-27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$1,051 A$1,505

-43.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 54.6M

$2,182 A$3,125

40.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.0M

$2,210 A$3,166

-31.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.5M

$5,048 A$7,232

-51.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.1M

$5,001 A$7,164

-60.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 3.9M

$5,002 A$7,166

-95.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.35

216.78%

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

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lake Macquarie: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Lake Macquarie

$1.1K 47.5% 76.3% $455

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Lake Macquarie

$275 12.4% 0.7% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Lake Macquarie

$284 12.8% 167% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Lake Macquarie

$140 6.3% 38% $38

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Lake Macquarie

$281 12.7% 212% $191

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Lake Macquarie

$73 3.3% 35.4% $19

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Lake Macquarie

$108 4.9% 832% $97

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in Bali versus $1,375 in Lake Macquarie. 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 2171% higher in Lake Macquarie, 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 $85.0 in Lake Macquarie. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Bali vs $275 in Lake Macquarie – so Lake Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇦🇺 Lake Macquarie

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

11:16 11:16 AM

3 h ahead of Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,059

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 17,892 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,022 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Lake Macquarie 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Lake Macquarie

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 Lake Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Macquarie costs about 79% 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 $1,854 per month in Bali and $3,317 in Lake Macquarie. 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 $85.0 in Lake Macquarie. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,236 in Bali and $2,211 in Lake Macquarie. That's a gap of about 79%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,236, than in Lake Macquarie at $2,211. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lake Macquarie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,236 versus $2,211 in Lake Macquarie. 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, Lake Macquarie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.