Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Semarang

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $593 a month against $1,214 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
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Semarang Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Semarang

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

A single person spends $1,214 per month in Bali vs $593 in Semarang, rent included.

Bali $1,214
Semarang $593

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Bali vs $938 in Semarang, rent included.

Bali $2,047
Semarang $938

A family of three spends $2,880 per month in Bali vs $1,282 in Semarang, rent included.

Bali $2,880
Semarang $1,282

Bali costs about 105% more than Semarang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Semarang are more affordable than the global median – Bali 11% lower, Semarang 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 Rp 49.6K

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

103.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.91 Rp 525.5K

$10.53 Rp 191.3K

174.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 Rp 82.9K

$3.04 Rp 55.3K

50.00%

Cappuccino

$2.26 Rp 41.2K

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

76.56%

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

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

$0.43 Rp 7,808

232.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 Rp 12.4K

$0.16 Rp 2,847

325.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 Rp 66.9K

$3.25 Rp 59.1K

13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

41.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 Rp 39.7K

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

136.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 Rp 20.7K

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

44.30%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.7K

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

71.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.81 Rp 305.5K

$3.86 Rp 70.2K

335.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 Rp 64.9K

$2.33 Rp 42.4K

53.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 Rp 205.5K

$7.55 Rp 137.3K

49.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.6K

$1.96 Rp 35.7K

75.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.5K

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

17.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

21.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

27.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 Rp 31.1K

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

33.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 42.1K

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

22.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.1K

$0.93 Rp 17.0K

6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 Rp 9,085

$0.40 Rp 7,359

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 Rp 36.9K

$1.87 Rp 34.1K

8.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.49 Rp 390.6K

$25.05 Rp 455.2K

-14.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 Rp 38.8K

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

47.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,571

$0.21 Rp 3,816

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 160.3K

$13.93 Rp 253.1K

-36.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,169

$0.50 Rp 9,128

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 Rp 7,991

$0.29 Rp 5,331

51.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 Rp 99.6K

$2.69 Rp 48.8K

103.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

15.58%

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

$24.3K Rp 441.6M

$24.5K Rp 446.0M

-0.98%

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

$31.9K Rp 580.5M

$32.2K Rp 585.5M

-0.85%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

-7.29%

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

$6.55 Rp 119.0K

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

145.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.48 Rp 335.9K

$18.96 Rp 344.7K

-2.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.66 Rp 739.0K

$20.30 Rp 368.9K

100.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 Rp 271.3K

$4.49 Rp 81.5K

232.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.67 Rp 66.6K

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

63.11%

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

$437 Rp 7.9M

$49.33 Rp 896.6K

786.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,063 Rp 92.0M

$2,076 Rp 37.7M

143.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.62 Rp 792.8K

$34.61 Rp 629.1K

26.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.69 Rp 594.2K

$29.31 Rp 532.7K

11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

30.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 Rp 1.4M

$38.07 Rp 691.9K

95.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 Rp 17.9M

$226 Rp 4.1M

335.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 Rp 10.6M

$136 Rp 2.5M

327.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,121 Rp 56.7M

$477 Rp 8.7M

553.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 Rp 26.8M

$380 Rp 6.9M

288.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,447 Rp 44.5M

$1,223 Rp 22.2M

100.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.7M

$833 Rp 15.1M

135.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$186 Rp 3.4M

15.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.82

56.24%

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

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Last update for Semarang: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$583 48%

Semarang

$136 23% 76.6% $446

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$275 22.7%

Semarang

$184 31% 33.2% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.6%

Semarang

$108 18.2% 2.7% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.3%

Semarang

$71 12% 29.4% $30

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.4%

Semarang

$52 8.8% 41.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$48 4%

Semarang

$25 4.2% 48.3% $23

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Semarang

$17 2.8% 34.1% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $984 in Bali versus $226 in Semarang. 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 16% 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 $29 in Bali versus $11 in Semarang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $184 – making Semarang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇮🇩 Semarang

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

1 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,555,984

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bali Semarang 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Semarang

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 Semarang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 105% more than Semarang, 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 $1,821 per month in Bali and $890 in Semarang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Semarang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $984 in Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali and $11 in Semarang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,214 in Bali and $593 in Semarang. That makes Semarang about 51% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Semarang, where all-in costs run around $593, than in Bali at $1,214. In Semarang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Semarang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Semarang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.