Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikpapan and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $668 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$668

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikpapan and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Balikpapan and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $668 in Balikpapan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Balikpapan $668
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,048 in Balikpapan versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Balikpapan $1,048
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,428 in Balikpapan versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Balikpapan $1,428
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Balikpapan costs roughly 75% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balikpapan is 51% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

$20.77 $20.77

-93.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.95 Rp 197.1K

$84.6 $84.6

-87.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 Rp 55.0K

$12.32 $12.32

-75.24%

Cappuccino

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

$5.63 $5.63

-75.84%

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

$0.37 Rp 6,712

$3.72 $3.72

-90.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 Rp 6,871

$2.50 $2.50

-84.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 Rp 40.4K

$8.05 $8.05

-72.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$9.01 $9.01

-63.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

$1.12 $1.12

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$3.75 $3.75

-71.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$3.26 $3.26

-64.42%

Eggs

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

$4.17 $4.17

-39.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 Rp 132.8K

$12.90 $12.90

-42.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 Rp 52.6K

$14.16 $14.16

-79.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.04 Rp 144.7K

$16.22 $16.22

-50.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.5K

$4.33 $4.33

-48.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$1.46 $1.46

-10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

$4.51 $4.51

-60.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$4.34 $4.34

-70.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.7K

$2.58 $2.58

-51.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

$2.35 $2.35

-19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$1.78 $1.78

-56.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

$2.22 $2.22

-67.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 Rp 34.0K

$9.88 $9.88

-80.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.83 Rp 374.9K

$15.08 $15.08

38.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 Rp 33.7K

$2.92 $2.92

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 Rp 54.3K

$3.46 $3.46

-12.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,219

$1.49 $1.49

-80.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$2.73 $2.73

-57.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 Rp 6,777

$1.66 $1.66

-77.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 Rp 46.7K

$35.30 $35.30

-92.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$0.95 $0.95

-18.95%

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

$23.4K Rp 420.6M

$36.0K $36.0K

-35.18%

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

$31.0K Rp 558.8M

$27.1K $27.1K

14.67%

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

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

$229 $229

-70.53%

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

$4.36 Rp 78.4K

$59.4 $59.4

-92.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 Rp 537.4K

$69.9 $69.9

-57.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.74 Rp 427.4K

$57.2 $57.2

-58.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 Rp 152.2K

$16.33 $16.33

-48.19%

Cinema Ticket

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

$14.28 $14.28

-80.11%

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

$93.1 Rp 1.7M

$1,506 $1,506

-93.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,570 Rp 154.3M

$21.5K $21.5K

-60.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.14 Rp 686.6K

$52.8 $52.8

-27.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.66 Rp 335.9K

$43.82 $43.82

-57.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 Rp 2.5M

$84.8 $84.8

65.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

$103 $103

-31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 Rp 3.7M

$1,907 $1,907

-89.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$1,274 $1,274

-88.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 Rp 9.7M

$3,664 $3,664

-85.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 Rp 6.5M

$2,538 $2,538

-85.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,258 Rp 22.6M

$7,614 $7,614

-83.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 Rp 14.7M

$3,157 $3,157

-74.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$238 Rp 4.3M

$5,121 $5,121

-95.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

6.79

39.32%

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

Last update for Balikpapan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Balikpapan

$206 30.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 96% $198

Accommodation & Living

Balikpapan

$148 22.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 762% $1.1K

Clothing & Footwear

Balikpapan

$121 18.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 6% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikpapan

$102 15.2%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 252% $257

Eating Out

Balikpapan

$57 8.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 516% $296

Sport & Entertainment

Balikpapan

$29 4.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 192% $56

Getting Around

Balikpapan

$4.2 * 0.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 1301% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $203 in Balikpapan and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2053% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $11.00 in Balikpapan vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $405 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:59 12:59 PM

23:59 11:59 PM

13 h behind Balikpapan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,066

974,447

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balikpapan Austin, TX 15,140 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Balikpapan
Austin, TX

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

Balikpapan vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balikpapan wins on cost – living expenses run 299% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Balikpapan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2053% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $203 in Balikpapan versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $93.1 in Balikpapan versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Balikpapan – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Balikpapan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Balikpapan and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 299% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.