Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Mandalay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandalay: $238 a month against $1,224 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Mandalay

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$238

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Mandalay

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

A single person spends $1,224 per month in Bali vs $238 in Mandalay, rent included.

Bali $1,224
Mandalay $238

A couple spends around $2,064 per month in Bali vs $412 in Mandalay, rent included.

Bali $2,064
Mandalay $412

A family of three spends $2,904 per month in Bali vs $587 in Mandalay, rent included.

Bali $2,904
Mandalay $587

Bali costs about 414% more than Mandalay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Mandalay are more affordable than the global median – Bali 9% lower, Mandalay 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

$1.97 MMK 4,129

39.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.64 Rp 530.3K

$9.89 MMK 20.7K

199.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

Cappuccino

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

$1.33 MMK 2,780

66.92%

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

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$0.83 MMK 1,736

65.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

$1.03 MMK 2,147

-35.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 Rp 39.5K

$1.01 MMK 2,120

118.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 Rp 64.8K

$1.28 MMK 2,689

182.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$0.98 MMK 2,050

46.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

$0.99 MMK 2,066

119.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

$0.54 MMK 1,128

107.41%

Eggs

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.92 MMK 1,929

114.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.41 Rp 293.5K

$10.22 MMK 21.4K

60.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

$6.05 MMK 12.7K

-40.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 Rp 206.4K

$7.04 MMK 14.7K

63.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

$4.11 MMK 8,612

-18.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

$0.98 MMK 2,047

48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

$1.27 MMK 2,666

69.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

$0.72 MMK 1,500

163.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

$1.33 MMK 2,778

35.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$1.19 MMK 2,483

88.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

$0.42 MMK 870

123.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 Rp 8,585

$0.31 MMK 654

54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$1.01 MMK 2,116

111.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.94 Rp 392.5K

$5.03 MMK 10.5K

336.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$0.60 MMK 1,261

276.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,664

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.08 Rp 144.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,859

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,497

$0.42 MMK 879

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.2K

$3.92 MMK 8,210

44.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

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

$24.2K Rp 433.8M

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

$31.5K Rp 563.6M

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

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

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

$6.63 Rp 118.6K

$6.85 MMK 14.4K

-3.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 Rp 327.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 Rp 815.1K

$17.83 MMK 37.3K

155.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 Rp 272.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

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

$442 Rp 7.9M

$233 MMK 488.5K

89.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

$5,748 MMK 12.0M

-8.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 Rp 790.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 Rp 610.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 Rp 17.8M

$203 MMK 426.0K

388.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 Rp 10.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,084 Rp 55.2M

$302 MMK 632.0K

921.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 Rp 26.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 Rp 36.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$204 MMK 426.4K

9.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mandalay: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$588 48%

Mandalay

–

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$274 22.4%

Mandalay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.6%

Mandalay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$104 8.5%

Mandalay

–

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.3%

Mandalay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$53 4.3%

Mandalay

–

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Mandalay

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Bali versus $203 in Mandalay. 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 10% 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 $30.00 in Bali versus $10.00 in Mandalay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $167 – making Mandalay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇲🇲 Mandalay

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

12:54 12:54 PM

1 h 30 min behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,208,099

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,348 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bali Mandalay 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Mandalay

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 Mandalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 414% more than Mandalay, 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 $1,836 per month in Bali and $357 in Mandalay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mandalay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,224 in Bali and $238 in Mandalay. That's a gap of about 414%.

Kindergarten costs $442 per month in Bali and $233 in Mandalay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mandalay, where all-in costs run around $238, than in Bali at $1,224. In Mandalay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mandalay costs $238 versus $1,224 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 Mandalay. 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.