Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $522 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
Learn more

Mahabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Mahabad

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

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Bali vs $522 in Mahabad, rent included.

Bali $1,236
Mahabad $522

A couple spends around $2,086 per month in Bali vs $849 in Mahabad, rent included.

Bali $2,086
Mahabad $849

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Bali vs $1,177 in Mahabad, rent included.

Bali $2,937
Mahabad $1,177

Bali costs about 137% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Mahabad are more affordable than the global median – Bali 8% lower, Mahabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.97 $2.97

-7.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

$17.06 $17.06

74.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

$4.06 $4.06

14.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 $0.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

$1.13 $1.13

105.31%

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

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

$0.52 $0.52

169.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$0.94 $0.94

-31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$0.65 $0.65

129.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$0.51 $0.51

333.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$2.07 $2.07

-43.48%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

$1.18 $1.18

71.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

$4.30 $4.30

284.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

$3.21 $3.21

14.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

$7.58 $7.58

53.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

$1.00 $1.00

244.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

$1.55 $1.55

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.86 $0.86

160.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$0.61 $0.61

198.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$0.54 $0.54

231.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$0.47 $0.47

382.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$0.53 $0.53

86.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.26 $0.26

96.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.92 $0.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

$2.14 $2.14

0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,713

$0.15 $0.15

73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

$8.76 $8.76

-9.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,646

$0.44 $0.44

9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,705

$0.29 $0.29

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

$2.87 $2.87

96.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$0.10 $0.10

720.00%

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

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

$47.7K $47.7K

-50.35%

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

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

$47.6K $47.6K

-33.39%

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

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$12.32 $12.32

560.06%

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

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

$1.58 $1.58

313.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

$3.76 $3.76

386.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

$18.63 $18.63

151.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

$11.75 $11.75

28.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

$1.97 $1.97

87.31%

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

$445 Rp 8.0M

$106 $106

318.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

$2,234 $2,234

133.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

$23.20 $23.20

83.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

$28.48 $28.48

17.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$96.3 $96.3

-22.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$71.4 $71.4

3.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.9M

$264 $264

277.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$211 $211

182.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

$728 $728

319.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

$408 $408

270.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

$1,131 $1,131

114.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

$530 $530

270.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 4.0M

$253 $253

-12.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

24.3

-43.29%

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

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Mahabad

$211 40.5% 64.6% $385

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Mahabad

$105 20.1% 62.1% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Mahabad

$18 3.4% 83.4% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Mahabad

$99 18.9% 2.4% $2.5

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Mahabad

$55 10.6% 38.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Mahabad

$23 4.3% 58.4% $32

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Mahabad

$11 2.2% 3.2% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in Bali versus $264 in Mahabad. 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 Mahabad, 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 $30.00 in Bali versus $17.00 in Mahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $105 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

23:41 11:41 PM

4 h 30 min behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

208,541

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,238 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Mahabad 8,800 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Mahabad

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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 137% more than Mahabad, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,854 per month in Bali and $783 in Mahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, 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 $17.00 in Mahabad. 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 $522 in Mahabad. That's a gap of about 137%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Bali at $1,236. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mahabad costs $522 versus $1,236 in Bali. 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 Mahabad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.