Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Medan

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

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Bali vs $613 in Medan, rent included.

Bali $1,236
Medan $613

A couple spends around $2,086 per month in Bali vs $940 in Medan, rent included.

Bali $2,086
Medan $940

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Bali vs $1,266 in Medan, rent included.

Bali $2,937
Medan $1,266

Bali costs about 102% more than Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Medan are more affordable than the global median – Bali 8% lower, Medan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

61.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

259.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

56.95%

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

51.63%

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

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

$0.35 Rp 6,215

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$0.25 Rp 4,534

156.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

31.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

-0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

34.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

87.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

44.44%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

53.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

103.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

83.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

43.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

39.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

57.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

95.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

113.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

26.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$0.38 Rp 6,905

160.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.44 Rp 7,872

15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

-25.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

36.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

25.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

-4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,713

$0.27 Rp 4,816

-3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

34.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,646

$0.51 Rp 9,186

-5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,705

$0.19 Rp 3,465

126.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

2.50%

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

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

-3.94%

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

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

-1.48%

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

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

-4.15%

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

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

105.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

-22.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

176.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

78.95%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

12.16%

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

$445 Rp 8.0M

$112 Rp 2.0M

298.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

208.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

-21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

-13.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$108 Rp 1.9M

-30.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$111 Rp 2.0M

-33.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.9M

$233 Rp 4.2M

327.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

564.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

$494 Rp 8.9M

517.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

$212 Rp 3.8M

613.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

109.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

$560 Rp 10.1M

250.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 4.0M

$215 Rp 3.9M

2.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.25

48.97%

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

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Medan

$90 14.6% 84.9% $506

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Medan

$181 29.5% 34.6% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Medan

$112 18.2% 5.1% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Medan

$140 22.9% 38.6% $39

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Medan

$59 9.6% 34.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Medan

$24 3.8% 56.6% $31

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 27.2% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in Bali versus $233 in Medan. 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 2% 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 $8.00 in Medan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $181 – making Medan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

16:29 4:29 PM

1 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bali Medan 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 102% more than Medan, 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 $920 in Medan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medan, 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 $8.00 in Medan. 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 $613 in Medan. That's a gap of about 102%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medan, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Bali at $1,236. In Medan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medan costs $613 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 Medan. 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.