Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Sendai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sendai: $1,161 a month against $1,229 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Sendai
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Sendai Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,229

/mo nomad

Sendai

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Sendai

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

A single person spends $1,229 per month in Bali vs $1,161 in Sendai, rent included.

Bali $1,229
Sendai $1,161

A couple spends around $2,053 per month in Bali vs $1,835 in Sendai, rent included.

Bali $2,053
Sendai $1,835

A family of three spends $2,877 per month in Bali vs $2,510 in Sendai, rent included.

Bali $2,877
Sendai $2,510

Bali costs about 6% more than Sendai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bali and Sendai are more affordable than the global median – Bali 9% lower, Sendai 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 Rp 49.5K

$6.23 ¥984

-55.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.09 Rp 523.7K

$34.65 ¥5,474

-16.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 Rp 83.9K

$4.50 ¥711

3.56%

Cappuccino

$2.31 Rp 41.5K

$3.62 ¥571

-36.19%

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

$1.42 Rp 25.6K

$0.94 ¥149

51.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

$0.78 ¥124

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

$1.87 ¥295

19.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 Rp 64.9K

$3.20 ¥505

12.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

$1.45 ¥229

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 Rp 38.0K

$1.44 ¥227

46.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$6.64 ¥1,048

-82.68%

Eggs

$1.96 Rp 35.3K

$2.09 ¥330

-6.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.38 Rp 294.8K

$10.89 ¥1,721

50.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.7K

$11.91 ¥1,881

-69.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 Rp 210.6K

$9.00 ¥1,422

30.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 Rp 62.7K

$3.55 ¥560

-1.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

$2.20 ¥348

-33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$4.47 ¥707

-50.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.3K

$3.24 ¥512

-41.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 Rp 30.9K

$2.58 ¥407

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$2.27 ¥358

-3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 17.9K

$1.41 ¥222

-29.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,256

$1.25 ¥198

-59.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 Rp 37.4K

$4.44 ¥701

-53.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.20 Rp 381.6K

$7.01 ¥1,107

202.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 Rp 39.2K

$1.57 ¥248

38.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 51.9K

$2.61 ¥413

10.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,137

$1.47 ¥232

-84.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.27 Rp 148.8K

$37.26 ¥5,886

-77.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,030

$5.23 ¥826

-91.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,471

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 Rp 97.6K

$18.42 ¥2,910

-70.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.06 ¥168

-21.70%

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

$24.0K Rp 431.7M

$15.8K ¥2.5M

51.48%

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

$31.9K Rp 573.5M

$24.8K ¥3.9M

28.35%

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

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$138 ¥21.8K

-42.43%

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

$6.46 Rp 116.3K

$30.52 ¥4,822

-78.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 Rp 336.4K

$34.78 ¥5,495

-46.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.96 Rp 827.2K

$44.60 ¥7,046

3.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 Rp 267.7K

$12.84 ¥2,029

15.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.67 Rp 66.1K

$10.07 ¥1,590

-63.56%

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

$443 Rp 8.0M

$229 ¥36.2K

93.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,164 Rp 93.0M

$3,792 ¥599.0K

36.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.58 Rp 784.5K

$56.1 ¥8,868

-22.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.98 Rp 593.7K

$33.92 ¥5,359

-2.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$35.34 ¥5,583

112.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$53.5 ¥8,455

40.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 Rp 17.5M

$560 ¥88.4K

74.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 Rp 10.7M

$327 ¥51.7K

81.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 Rp 55.2M

$692 ¥109.4K

342.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 Rp 26.3M

$715 ¥112.9K

104.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 Rp 43.0M

$2,638 ¥416.8K

-9.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,945 Rp 35.0M

$1,424 ¥225.0K

36.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$216 Rp 3.9M

$996 ¥157.3K

-78.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

2.73

404.76%

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

Last update for Bali: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sendai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$593 48.3%

Sendai

$327 28.2% 44.9% $266

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$273 22.3%

Sendai

$308 26.5% 12.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.5%

Sendai

$203 17.5% 94.4% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$102 8.3%

Sendai

$81 6.9% 21% $21

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Sendai

$129 11.1% 43.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$53 4.3%

Sendai

$65 5.6% 21.4% $11

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Sendai

$48 * 4.2% 304% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in Bali versus $560 in Sendai. 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 361% higher in Sendai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Bali versus $35.00 in Sendai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $308 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇯🇵 Sendai

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

07:17 7:17 AM

1 h ahead of Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,082,159

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bali Sendai 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Sendai

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 Sendai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 6% more than Sendai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,843 per month in Bali and $1,742 in Sendai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sendai, 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 $29.00 in Bali and $35.00 in Sendai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,229 in Bali and $1,161 in Sendai. That's a gap of about 6%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sendai, where all-in costs run around $1,161, than in Bali at $1,229. In Sendai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sendai costs $1,161 versus $1,229 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 Sendai. 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.