Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Malda

For one person, living is cheaper in Malda: $428 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bali, Indonesia
Malda, India
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,187
/mo nomad
Malda
🇮🇳 India
$428
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Malda

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

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Bali vs $428 in Malda, rent included.

  • Bali $1,187
  • Malda $428

A couple spends around $2,004 per month in Bali vs $613 in Malda, rent included.

  • Bali $2,004
  • Malda $613

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Bali vs $799 in Malda, rent included.

  • Bali $2,822
  • Malda $799

Bali costs about 177% more than Malda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Malda are more affordable than the global median – Bali 12% lower, Malda 68% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Malda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.80 Rp 50.6K
$1.08 ₹102
159.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.85 Rp 520.8K
$14.11 ₹1,333
104.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.76 Rp 86.0K
$4.26 ₹403
11.74%
Cappuccino
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
$1.62 ₹153
37.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 Rp 23.4K
$0.45 ₹42.25
188.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 Rp 10.2K
$0.14 ₹13.52
300.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
$1.88 ₹178
18.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 Rp 64.1K
$3.07 ₹290
15.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Malda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 Rp 25.4K
$0.65 ₹61.0
116.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 Rp 39.4K
$0.50 ₹47.10
336.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.05 Rp 18.9K
$0.55 ₹51.7
90.91%
Eggs
$1.92 Rp 34.7K
$0.86 ₹81.1
123.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.84 Rp 267.9K
$6.05 ₹572
145.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 69.7K
$2.35 ₹222
64.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.69 Rp 192.9K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 Rp 60.2K
$2.41 ₹228
38.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$0.77 ₹72.3
89.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 Rp 40.1K
$1.38 ₹130
60.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 Rp 32.6K
$0.50 ₹47.65
260.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$0.22 ₹20.80
681.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
$0.42 ₹39.23
430.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 Rp 16.5K
$0.33 ₹30.74
178.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,308
$0.14 ₹13.39
228.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.06 Rp 37.1K
$5.10 ₹481
-59.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.38 Rp 367.8K
$10.54 ₹996
93.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 Rp 39.1K
$1.76 ₹166
22.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 Rp 51.4K
$2.80 ₹265
1.79%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$2.26 ₹214
-
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Malda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,531
$0.21 ₹20.02
19.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.68 Rp 156.7K
$6.73 ₹636
28.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,956
$0.56 ₹52.5
-21.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,766
$0.31 ₹29.08
38.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 Rp 97.2K
$1.61 ₹152
234.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$1.17 ₹111
-27.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K Rp 428.5M
$13.1K ₹1.2M
81.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K Rp 592.9M
$23.2K ₹2.2M
41.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Malda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.7 Rp 1.4M
$52.4 ₹4,950
46.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.33 Rp 114.2K
$3.15 ₹298
100.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.93 Rp 341.6K
$4.10 ₹388
361.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Malda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.65 Rp 751.7K
$13.19 ₹1,246
215.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.78 Rp 266.7K
$6.54 ₹617
125.99%
Cinema Ticket
$3.58 Rp 64.6K
$3.26 ₹308
9.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Malda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$437 Rp 7.9M
$41.59 ₹3,929
950.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K Rp 199.2M
$3,771 ₹356.2K
192.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Malda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.09 Rp 777.7K
$5.34 ₹505
706.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.51 Rp 604.8K
$25.87 ₹2,444
29.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
$34.36 ₹3,246
118.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.9 Rp 1.3M
$27.64 ₹2,611
167.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Malda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$957 Rp 17.3M
$162 ₹15.3K
490.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 Rp 10.3M
$127 ₹12.0K
350.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,028 Rp 54.6M
$281 ₹26.5K
977.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,446 Rp 26.1M
$157 ₹14.9K
819.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,096 Rp 37.8M
$880 ₹83.1K
138.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,885 Rp 34.0M
$591 ₹55.8K
219.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Malda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$215 Rp 3.9M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
9
53.11%

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

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Last update for Malda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$570
Malda
$127 77.8% $443
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$263
Malda
$112 57.6% $151
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$102
Malda
$60 41.5% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$101
Malda
$42 58.7% $60
Eating Out
Bali
$89
Malda
$59 34.1% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$49
Malda
$20 59.6% $29
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Malda
$9.7 21.3% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Bali versus $162 in Malda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali versus $14 in Malda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $112 – making Malda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇮🇳 Malda
🕒 Local time
18:58 6:58 PM
16:28 4:28 PM
2 h 30 min behind Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
324,237
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Malda 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Malda

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 Malda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Malda?
Bali costs about 177% more than Malda, 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 Malda?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,780 per month in Bali and $642 in Malda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bali or Malda?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Malda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $162 there versus $957 in Bali.
How do dining costs compare in Bali and in Malda?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali and $14 in Malda. 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 Malda?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,187 in Bali and $428 in Malda. That makes Malda about 64% cheaper.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bali or in Malda?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Malda, where all-in costs run around $428, than in Bali at $1,187. In Malda 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 Malda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Malda is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 64% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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