Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Mount Isa

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,229 a month against $2,466 in Mount Isa, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,229
/mo nomad
Mount Isa
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,466
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Mount Isa

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

A single person spends $1,229 per month in Bali vs $2,466 in Mount Isa, rent included.

  • Bali $1,229
  • Mount Isa $2,466

A couple spends around $2,053 per month in Bali vs $3,582 in Mount Isa, rent included.

  • Bali $2,053
  • Mount Isa $3,582

A family of three spends $2,877 per month in Bali vs $4,699 in Mount Isa, rent included.

  • Bali $2,877
  • Mount Isa $4,699

Bali is about 50% cheaper than Mount Isa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bali sits 9% below the global median, while Mount Isa is 82% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.75 Rp 49.5K
$17.59 A$25.32
-84.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.09 Rp 523.7K
$83.5 A$120
-65.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.66 Rp 83.9K
$10.30 A$14.82
-54.76%
Cappuccino
$2.31 Rp 41.5K
$4.09 A$5.88
-43.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 Rp 25.6K
$2.83 A$4.08
-49.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.4K
$2.19 A$3.15
-70.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
$7.58 A$10.90
-70.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 Rp 64.9K
$7.88 A$11.34
-54.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 Rp 25.8K
$1.58 A$2.28
-9.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.11 Rp 38.0K
$2.66 A$3.82
-20.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.15 Rp 20.6K
$2.27 A$3.27
-49.34%
Eggs
$1.96 Rp 35.3K
$4.88 A$7.03
-59.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.38 Rp 294.8K
$9.12 A$13.12
79.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.7K
$9.46 A$13.62
-61.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.70 Rp 210.6K
$14.45 A$20.79
-19.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 Rp 62.7K
$3.93 A$5.65
-11.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$3.11 A$4.48
-53.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.21 Rp 39.8K
$3.20 A$4.61
-30.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.3K
$4.67 A$6.72
-59.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 Rp 30.9K
$2.68 A$3.85
-35.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 39.4K
$2.42 A$3.48
-9.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 17.9K
$2.44 A$3.51
-59.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,256
$1.50 A$2.16
-66.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.08 Rp 37.4K
$41.02 A$59.0
-94.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.20 Rp 381.6K
$13.90 A$20.00
52.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 Rp 39.2K
$4.59 A$6.60
-52.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 Rp 51.9K
$5.31 A$7.64
-45.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,137
$2.79 A$4.01
-91.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.27 Rp 148.8K
$81.0 A$117
-89.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 Rp 8,030
$3.51 A$5.04
-87.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,471
$1.54 A$2.22
-69.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.42 Rp 97.6K
$39.28 A$56.5
-86.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.37 A$1.97
-39.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.0K Rp 431.7M
$26.4K A$38.0K
-9.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 573.5M
$29.9K A$43.0K
6.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$202 A$291
-60.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.46 Rp 116.3K
$27.99 A$40.27
-76.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69 Rp 336.4K
$57.2 A$82.4
-67.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.96 Rp 827.2K
$55.3 A$79.6
-16.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.87 Rp 267.7K
$17.57 A$25.29
-15.37%
Cinema Ticket
$3.67 Rp 66.1K
$14.80 A$21.29
-75.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$443 Rp 8.0M
$2,134 A$3,071
-79.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,164 Rp 93.0M
$20.5K A$29.5K
-74.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.58 Rp 784.5K
$77.6 A$112
-43.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.98 Rp 593.7K
$55.1 A$79.3
-40.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 Rp 1.3M
$107 A$154
-29.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.0 Rp 1.3M
$123 A$176
-38.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$975 Rp 17.5M
$1,395 A$2,007
-30.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$593 Rp 10.7M
$1,167 A$1,680
-49.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,065 Rp 55.2M
$2,102 A$3,025
45.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,463 Rp 26.3M
$1,785 A$2,568
-18.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,391 Rp 43.0M
$5,804 A$8,352
-58.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,945 Rp 35.0M
$4,848 A$6,976
-59.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$216 Rp 3.9M
$4,368 A$6,286
-95.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.84
135.96%

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

Last update for Bali: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mount Isa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$593
Mount Isa
$1.2K 96.7% $574
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$273
Mount Isa
$365 33.7% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$105
Mount Isa
$287 175% $183
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$102
Mount Isa
$163 59.9% $61
Eating Out
Bali
$90
Mount Isa
$294 226% $204
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$53
Mount Isa
$85 59.3% $32
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Mount Isa
$103 763% $91

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in Bali versus $1,395 in Mount Isa. 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 1920% higher in Mount Isa, 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 $84.0 in Mount Isa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $365 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇦🇺 Mount Isa
🕒 Local time
06:55 6:55 AM
08:55 8:55 AM
2 h ahead of Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,936
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Mount Isa 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Mount Isa

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 Mount Isa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Mount Isa?
Mount Isa costs about 101% more than Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 Mount Isa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,843 per month in Bali and $3,698 in Mount Isa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bali or Mount Isa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bali, 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 Mount Isa?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Bali and $84.0 in Mount Isa. 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 Mount Isa?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,229 in Bali and $2,466 in Mount Isa. That's a gap of about 101%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bali or in Mount Isa?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,229, than in Mount Isa at $2,466. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mount Isa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bali or Mount Isa?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,229 versus $2,466 in Mount Isa. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Bali compared to Mount Isa?
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 Mount Isa?
If budget matters most, go with Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mount Isa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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