Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Sharjah

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,224 a month against $1,841 in Sharjah, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
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Sharjah Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Sharjah

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

A single person spends $1,224 per month in Bali vs $1,841 in Sharjah, rent included.

Bali $1,224
Sharjah $1,841

A couple spends around $2,064 per month in Bali vs $2,576 in Sharjah, rent included.

Bali $2,064
Sharjah $2,576

A family of three spends $2,904 per month in Bali vs $3,312 in Sharjah, rent included.

Bali $2,904
Sharjah $3,312

Bali is about 33% cheaper than Sharjah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Bali sits 9% below the global median, while Sharjah is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

$5.97 AED 21.92

-54.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.64 Rp 529.8K

$32.91 AED 121

-9.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

$8.29 AED 30.45

-42.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.54 AED 35.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.35 AED 34.35

Cappuccino

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

$3.82 AED 14.02

-41.88%

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

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$0.80 AED 2.93

71.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

$0.29 AED 1.05

127.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$1.54 AED 5.64

-6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

$1.19 AED 4.38

82.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

$1.83 AED 6.71

-38.80%

Eggs

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

$3.21 AED 11.80

-38.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.41 Rp 293.2K

$8.64 AED 31.73

89.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

$6.63 AED 24.36

-45.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 Rp 206.2K

$11.46 AED 42.09

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

$2.27 AED 8.33

48.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

$1.67 AED 6.12

-12.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 38.4K

$1.30 AED 4.78

65.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

$1.28 AED 4.72

48.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

$1.03 AED 3.79

74.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

$1.12 AED 4.12

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

$1.43 AED 5.26

-34.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 Rp 8,577

$0.61 AED 2.23

-21.31%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.53 AED 57.0

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 AED 8.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 AED 9.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$6.31 AED 23.19

-66.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.94 Rp 392.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,661

$2.16 AED 7.92

-87.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.08 Rp 144.4K

$27.07 AED 99.4

-70.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,853

$3.65 AED 13.42

-87.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,491

$0.52 AED 1.91

-19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.1K

$12.07 AED 44.33

-53.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

$0.94 AED 3.46

-4.26%

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

$24.2K Rp 433.4M

$45.2K AED 166.0K

-46.35%

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

$31.5K Rp 563.1M

$22.0K AED 80.9K

43.04%

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

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$208 AED 766

-61.60%

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

$6.63 Rp 118.5K

$49.40 AED 181

-86.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 Rp 327.6K

$96.1 AED 353

-80.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 Rp 814.4K

$53.5 AED 196

-14.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 Rp 272.4K

$22.29 AED 81.9

-31.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

$13.54 AED 49.72

-72.60%

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

$442 Rp 7.9M

$325 AED 1,194

36.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

$8,433 AED 31.0K

-37.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 Rp 789.6K

$57.6 AED 212

-23.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 Rp 610.1K

$78.0 AED 286

-56.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

$109 AED 401

-29.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$96.1 AED 353

-21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 Rp 17.8M

$823 AED 3,024

20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 Rp 10.5M

$906 AED 3,329

-35.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,084 Rp 55.1M

$1,797 AED 6,598

71.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 Rp 26.7M

$1,402 AED 5,148

6.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

$8,241 AED 30.3K

-71.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 Rp 36.0M

$2,748 AED 10.1K

-26.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$2,191 AED 8,045

-89.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.5

206.22%

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

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$588 48%

Sharjah

$906 49% 54% $318

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$274 22.4%

Sharjah

$192 10.4% 29.9% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.6%

Sharjah

$354 19.1% 237% $249

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$104 8.5%

Sharjah

$153 8.3% 47.9% $50

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.3%

Sharjah

$123 6.6% 37.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$53 4.3%

Sharjah

$81 4.4% 52% $28

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Sharjah

$42 2.3% 260% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Bali versus $823 in Sharjah. 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 882% higher in Sharjah, 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 $33.00 in Sharjah. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Bali vs $192 in Sharjah – so Sharjah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

15:24 3:24 PM

4 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,400,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Sharjah 7,480 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Sharjah

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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah costs about 50% more than Bali, 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 $1,836 per month in Bali and $2,761 in Sharjah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali and $33.00 in Sharjah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,224 in Bali and $1,841 in Sharjah. That's a gap of about 50%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,224, than in Sharjah at $1,841. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sharjah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,224 versus $1,841 in Sharjah. 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 Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sharjah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.