Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Tsukuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsukuba: $1,104 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,236
/mo nomad
Tsukuba
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,104
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Tsukuba

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

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Bali vs $1,104 in Tsukuba, rent included.

  • Bali $1,236
  • Tsukuba $1,104

A couple spends around $2,086 per month in Bali vs $1,754 in Tsukuba, rent included.

  • Bali $2,086
  • Tsukuba $1,754

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Bali vs $2,404 in Tsukuba, rent included.

  • Bali $2,937
  • Tsukuba $2,404

Bali costs about 12% more than Tsukuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bali and Tsukuba are more affordable than the global median – Bali 8% lower, Tsukuba 18% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Tsukuba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.76 Rp 49.7K
$6.48 ¥1,024
-57.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.80 Rp 536.4K
$33.35 ¥5,269
-10.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.63 Rp 83.3K
$5.01 ¥791
-7.58%
Cappuccino
$2.32 Rp 41.7K
$2.74 ¥433
-15.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 Rp 25.1K
$1.03 ¥162
35.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.5K
$0.74 ¥118
-13.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 Rp 39.4K
$2.19 ¥347
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 Rp 64.5K
$3.21 ¥506
11.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Tsukuba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 26.7K
$1.45 ¥229
2.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.21 Rp 39.8K
$1.67 ¥264
32.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
$3.09 ¥488
-62.14%
Eggs
$2.02 Rp 36.4K
$2.09 ¥330
-3.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 Rp 297.4K
$10.21 ¥1,614
61.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.68 Rp 66.2K
$6.03 ¥952
-38.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.67 Rp 210.0K
$14.35 ¥2,267
-18.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.44 Rp 62.0K
$5.83 ¥921
-40.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.2K
$2.82 ¥445
-48.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
$2.80 ¥443
-20.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 Rp 32.8K
$4.12 ¥650
-55.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 Rp 32.2K
$2.63 ¥416
-31.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.27 Rp 40.9K
$2.56 ¥405
-11.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$0.85 ¥134
16.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,186
$0.81 ¥128
-37.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.15 Rp 38.7K
$3.76 ¥594
-42.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.44 Rp 386.0K
$6.16 ¥973
248.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$1.80 ¥284
27.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 Rp 51.5K
$2.11 ¥333
35.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Tsukuba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 Rp 4,713
$1.45 ¥230
-82.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.97 Rp 143.5K
$52.8 ¥8,337
-84.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,646
$3.18 ¥502
-84.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,705
$2.70 ¥426
-84.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.64 Rp 101.6K
$20.78 ¥3,282
-72.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
$1.05 ¥166
-21.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K Rp 426.6M
$21.6K ¥3.4M
9.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 571.3M
$18.5K ¥2.9M
71.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Tsukuba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.3 Rp 1.5M
$129 ¥20.4K
-37.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.53 Rp 117.6K
$24.48 ¥3,868
-73.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.31 Rp 329.7K
$32.65 ¥5,158
-43.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Tsukuba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.85 Rp 843.4K
$53.6 ¥8,472
-12.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.05 Rp 270.8K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.69 Rp 66.5K
$12.38 ¥1,955
-70.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Tsukuba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$445 Rp 8.0M
$94.2 ¥14.9K
372.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,218 Rp 93.9M
$14.8K ¥2.3M
-64.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Tsukuba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.66 Rp 767.8K
$46.72 ¥7,382
-8.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.40 Rp 601.2K
$37.27 ¥5,888
-10.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
$38.06 ¥6,013
97.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.7 Rp 1.3M
$41.11 ¥6,495
79.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Tsukuba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$996 Rp 17.9M
$466 ¥73.6K
113.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$596 Rp 10.7M
$281 ¥44.4K
112.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,054 Rp 55.0M
$1,081 ¥170.7K
182.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,511 Rp 27.2M
$629 ¥99.4K
139.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,430 Rp 43.7M
$4,648 ¥734.4K
-47.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,963 Rp 35.3M
$1,980 ¥312.8K
-0.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Tsukuba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$220 Rp 4.0M
$1,449 ¥228.8K
-84.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
2
589.00%

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

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$596
Tsukuba
$281 52.9% $315
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$277
Tsukuba
$285 3.1% $8.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$106
Tsukuba
$187 75.7% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$101
Tsukuba
$73 27.4% $28
Eating Out
Bali
$90
Tsukuba
$124 38% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$54
Tsukuba
$78 44.5% $24
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Tsukuba
$75 547% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in Bali versus $466 in Tsukuba. 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 558% higher in Tsukuba, 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 $30.00 in Bali versus $33.00 in Tsukuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $285 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇯🇵 Tsukuba
🕒 Local time
00:50 12:50 AM
01:50 1:50 AM
1 h ahead of Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
230,398
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Tsukuba 5,590 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Tsukuba

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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Tsukuba?
Bali costs about 12% more than Tsukuba, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Tsukuba?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,854 per month in Bali and $1,656 in Tsukuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bali or Tsukuba?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tsukuba, 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 Tsukuba?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali and $33.00 in Tsukuba. 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 Tsukuba?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,236 in Bali and $1,104 in Tsukuba. That's a gap of about 12%.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Bali or in Tsukuba?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tsukuba, where all-in costs run around $1,104, than in Bali at $1,236. In Tsukuba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bali or Tsukuba?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tsukuba costs $1,104 versus $1,236 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Bali compared to Tsukuba?
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 Tsukuba?
If budget matters most, go with Tsukuba. 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.

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