Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Pekanbaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $628 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Pekanbaru
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Pekanbaru Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Pekanbaru

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

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Bali vs $628 in Pekanbaru, rent included.

Bali $1,236
Pekanbaru $628

A couple spends around $2,086 per month in Bali vs $983 in Pekanbaru, rent included.

Bali $2,086
Pekanbaru $983

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Bali vs $1,339 in Pekanbaru, rent included.

Bali $2,937
Pekanbaru $1,339

Bali costs about 97% more than Pekanbaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Pekanbaru are more affordable than the global median – Bali 8% lower, Pekanbaru 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

93.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

$8.20 Rp 147.6K

263.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

92.12%

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

78.46%

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

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

141.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$0.33 Rp 5,954

93.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$2.07 Rp 37.3K

5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

3.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

14.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

92.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

31.46%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

$1.68 Rp 30.3K

20.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

$7.30 Rp 131.3K

126.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

55.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

$6.49 Rp 116.9K

79.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

$2.70 Rp 48.5K

27.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

-7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

43.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

18.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.35 Rp 6,350

45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

-0.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

$21.45 Rp 386.0K

-0.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

$3.01 Rp 54.2K

-4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,713

$0.29 Rp 5,230

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

$8.44 Rp 152.0K

-5.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,646

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

-47.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,705

$0.40 Rp 7,154

7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

$2.68 Rp 48.2K

110.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

7.89%

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

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

$23.3K Rp 418.9M

1.82%

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

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

$26.0K Rp 468.5M

21.93%

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

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

30.99%

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

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

$5.99 Rp 107.9K

9.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

$23.78 Rp 428.1K

-23.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

$28.34 Rp 510.2K

65.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

$8.31 Rp 149.7K

81.11%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

21.78%

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

$445 Rp 8.0M

$96.0 Rp 1.7M

363.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

$7,773 Rp 139.9M

-32.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

$31.96 Rp 575.3K

33.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

$28.42 Rp 511.6K

17.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$54.8 Rp 985.5K

37.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.9M

$262 Rp 4.7M

280.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$145 Rp 2.6M

311.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

$540 Rp 9.7M

465.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

$356 Rp 6.4M

323.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

$1,070 Rp 19.3M

127.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

$807 Rp 14.5M

143.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 4.0M

$176 Rp 3.2M

25.17%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Pekanbaru: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Pekanbaru

$145 23.1% 75.7% $451

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Pekanbaru

$201 32% 27.4% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Pekanbaru

$92 14.6% 13.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Pekanbaru

$88 14% 12.8% $13

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Pekanbaru

$55 8.8% 38.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Pekanbaru

$34 5.5% 36.6% $20

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Pekanbaru

$13 2% 7.6% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in Bali versus $262 in Pekanbaru. 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 25% 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 Pekanbaru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $201 – making Pekanbaru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇮🇩 Pekanbaru

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

12:01 12:01 PM

1 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,308

💱 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 Pekanbaru 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Pekanbaru

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 Pekanbaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 97% more than Pekanbaru, 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 $942 in Pekanbaru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pekanbaru, 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 Pekanbaru. 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 $628 in Pekanbaru. That's a gap of about 97%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pekanbaru, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Bali at $1,236. In Pekanbaru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pekanbaru costs $628 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 Pekanbaru. 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.