Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Makassar

For one person, living is cheaper in Makassar: $632 a month against $1,229 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,229
/mo nomad
Makassar
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$632
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Makassar

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

A single person spends $1,229 per month in Bali vs $632 in Makassar, rent included.

  • Bali $1,229
  • Makassar $632

A couple spends around $2,053 per month in Bali vs $977 in Makassar, rent included.

  • Bali $2,053
  • Makassar $977

A family of three spends $2,877 per month in Bali vs $1,322 in Makassar, rent included.

  • Bali $2,877
  • Makassar $1,322

Bali costs about 94% more than Makassar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Makassar are more affordable than the global median – Bali 9% lower, Makassar 53% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Makassar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.75 Rp 49.5K
$1.62 Rp 29.1K
69.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.09 Rp 523.7K
$8.67 Rp 156.1K
235.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.66 Rp 83.9K
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
44.27%
Cappuccino
$2.31 Rp 41.5K
$1.92 Rp 34.6K
20.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 Rp 25.6K
$0.47 Rp 8,457
202.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.4K
$0.33 Rp 6,013
93.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
$2.45 Rp 44.1K
-8.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 Rp 64.9K
$3.13 Rp 56.4K
15.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Makassar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 Rp 25.8K
$1.53 Rp 27.6K
-6.54%
White Bread (500g)
$2.11 Rp 38.0K
$0.97 Rp 17.5K
117.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.15 Rp 20.6K
$0.57 Rp 10.3K
101.75%
Eggs
$1.96 Rp 35.3K
$1.54 Rp 27.7K
27.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.38 Rp 294.8K
$6.42 Rp 115.5K
155.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.7K
$3.42 Rp 61.6K
5.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.70 Rp 210.6K
$5.23 Rp 94.2K
123.71%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 Rp 62.7K
$2.45 Rp 44.1K
42.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$1.31 Rp 23.6K
11.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.21 Rp 39.8K
$1.96 Rp 35.3K
12.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.3K
$1.26 Rp 22.6K
50.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 Rp 30.9K
$1.28 Rp 23.1K
34.37%
Onion (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 39.4K
$1.48 Rp 26.6K
47.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 17.9K
$0.74 Rp 13.3K
35.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,256
$0.39 Rp 6,988
30.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.08 Rp 37.4K
$2.60 Rp 46.9K
-20.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.20 Rp 381.6K
$22.14 Rp 398.6K
-4.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 Rp 39.2K
$1.82 Rp 32.7K
19.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 Rp 51.9K
$2.87 Rp 51.7K
0.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Makassar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,137
$0.27 Rp 4,851
-14.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.27 Rp 148.8K
$4.18 Rp 75.2K
97.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 Rp 8,030
$0.50 Rp 8,925
-10.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,471
$0.37 Rp 6,710
27.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.42 Rp 97.6K
$2.67 Rp 48.0K
103.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$0.80 Rp 14.3K
3.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.0K Rp 431.7M
$23.8K Rp 428.5M
0.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 573.5M
$31.9K Rp 574.3M
-0.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Makassar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$90.3 Rp 1.6M
-12.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.46 Rp 116.3K
$2.61 Rp 46.9K
147.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69 Rp 336.4K
$25.29 Rp 455.3K
-26.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Makassar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.96 Rp 827.2K
$21.58 Rp 388.5K
112.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.87 Rp 267.7K
$8.40 Rp 151.1K
77.02%
Cinema Ticket
$3.67 Rp 66.1K
$3.36 Rp 60.5K
9.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Makassar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$443 Rp 8.0M
$94.2 Rp 1.7M
369.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,164 Rp 93.0M
$3,803 Rp 68.5M
35.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Makassar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.58 Rp 784.5K
$26.97 Rp 485.5K
61.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.98 Rp 593.7K
$23.43 Rp 421.7K
40.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 Rp 1.3M
$75.0 Rp 1.3M
0.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.0 Rp 1.3M
$39.92 Rp 718.5K
87.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Makassar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$975 Rp 17.5M
$224 Rp 4.0M
334.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$593 Rp 10.7M
$143 Rp 2.6M
315.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,065 Rp 55.2M
$528 Rp 9.5M
480.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,463 Rp 26.3M
$364 Rp 6.6M
301.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,391 Rp 43.0M
$1,151 Rp 20.7M
107.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,945 Rp 35.0M
$794 Rp 14.3M
144.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Makassar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$216 Rp 3.9M
$214 Rp 3.8M
1.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
9.46
45.67%

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

Last update for Bali: October 20, 2026

Last update for Makassar: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$593
Makassar
$143 75.9% $451
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$273
Makassar
$193 29.3% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$105
Makassar
$118 13% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$102
Makassar
$74 27% $28
Eating Out
Bali
$90
Makassar
$67 25.3% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$53
Makassar
$28 46.9% $25
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Makassar
$7.6 36.5% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in Bali versus $224 in Makassar. 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 1% higher in Bali, 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 $29.00 in Bali versus $9.00 in Makassar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $193 – making Makassar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇮🇩 Makassar
🕒 Local time
01:48 1:48 AM
01:48 1:48 AM
Same time as Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,427,619
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Makassar 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Makassar

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 Makassar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Makassar?
Bali costs about 94% more than Makassar, 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 Makassar?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,843 per month in Bali and $948 in Makassar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bali or Makassar?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Makassar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Bali and in Makassar?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Bali and $9.00 in Makassar. 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 Makassar?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,229 in Bali and $632 in Makassar. That's a gap of about 94%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bali or in Makassar?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Makassar, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Bali at $1,229. In Makassar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bali or Makassar?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Makassar costs $632 versus $1,229 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Bali compared to Makassar?
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.
Should I move to Bali or to Makassar?
If budget matters most, go with Makassar. 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.

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