Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikpapan and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $668 in Balikpapan, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Balikpapan
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$668
/mo nomad
Delhi
🇮🇳 India
$522
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikpapan and in Delhi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $668 in Balikpapan versus $522 in Delhi.

  • Balikpapan $668
  • Delhi $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,048 in Balikpapan versus $872 in Delhi.

  • Balikpapan $1,048
  • Delhi $872

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,428 in Balikpapan versus $1,222 in Delhi.

  • Balikpapan $1,428
  • Delhi $1,222

Living in Balikpapan is roughly 28% more expensive than in Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Balikpapan 51% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Balikpapan
Delhi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.39 Rp 25.0K
$3.70 ₹351
-62.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.95 Rp 197.1K
$21.05 ₹1,999
-47.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.05 Rp 55.0K
$3.73 ₹354
-18.23%
Cappuccino
$1.36 Rp 24.5K
$2.35 ₹223
-42.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 Rp 6,712
$0.37 ₹35.21
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 Rp 6,871
$0.15 ₹13.93
153.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 Rp 40.4K
$2.14 ₹203
5.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$3.06 ₹291
8.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Balikpapan
Delhi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 Rp 20.3K
$0.69 ₹65.1
63.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.07 Rp 19.2K
$0.53 ₹50.0
101.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.16 Rp 20.8K
$0.77 ₹73.1
50.65%
Eggs
$2.54 Rp 45.8K
$1.11 ₹105
128.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.38 Rp 132.8K
$4.63 ₹440
59.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.92 Rp 52.6K
$3.52 ₹334
-17.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.04 Rp 144.7K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 Rp 40.5K
$2.00 ₹190
12.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.30 Rp 23.4K
$0.74 ₹70.5
75.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 Rp 31.7K
$0.97 ₹92.6
81.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 Rp 22.8K
$0.53 ₹49.92
139.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 Rp 22.7K
$0.30 ₹28.61
320.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.2K
$0.40 ₹37.82
375.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.78 Rp 14.0K
$0.42 ₹39.62
85.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 Rp 13.0K
$0.31 ₹29.81
132.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.89 Rp 34.0K
$4.94 ₹469
-61.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.83 Rp 374.9K
$8.21 ₹779
153.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 Rp 33.7K
$1.58 ₹150
18.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 Rp 54.3K
$2.69 ₹255
12.27%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$6.19 ₹588
-
🚌 Getting Around
Balikpapan
Delhi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 Rp 5,219
$0.46 ₹43.46
-36.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$15.78 ₹1,498
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.15 Rp 20.7K
$1.07 ₹102
7.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 Rp 6,777
$0.27 ₹25.66
40.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.59 Rp 46.7K
$1.58 ₹150
63.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.77 Rp 13.8K
$1.07 ₹101
-28.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K Rp 420.6M
$10.7K ₹1.0M
119.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.0K Rp 558.8M
$18.9K ₹1.8M
63.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Balikpapan
Delhi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$67.5 Rp 1.2M
$42.37 ₹4,024
59.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.36 Rp 78.4K
$4.03 ₹383
8.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.86 Rp 537.4K
$6.95 ₹660
329.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Balikpapan
Delhi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.74 Rp 427.4K
$19.18 ₹1,821
23.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.46 Rp 152.2K
$7.92 ₹752
6.82%
Cinema Ticket
$2.84 Rp 51.1K
$5.27 ₹500
-46.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Balikpapan
Delhi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$93.1 Rp 1.7M
$100 ₹9,525
-7.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,570 Rp 154.3M
$2,247 ₹213.4K
281.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Balikpapan
Delhi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.14 Rp 686.6K
$24.11 ₹2,290
58.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.66 Rp 335.9K
$27.85 ₹2,645
-33.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$141 Rp 2.5M
$52.4 ₹4,977
168.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.9 Rp 1.3M
$42.90 ₹4,074
65.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Balikpapan
Delhi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$203 Rp 3.7M
$267 ₹25.4K
-24.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$148 Rp 2.7M
$156 ₹14.8K
-5.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$537 Rp 9.7M
$734 ₹69.7K
-26.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$361 Rp 6.5M
$394 ₹37.5K
-8.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,258 Rp 22.6M
$2,507 ₹238.0K
-49.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$818 Rp 14.7M
$1,020 ₹96.8K
-19.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Balikpapan
Delhi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$238 Rp 4.3M
$608 ₹57.7K
-60.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
8.33
13.57%

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

Last update for Balikpapan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Balikpapan
$206
Delhi
$109 47.2% $98
Accommodation & Living
Balikpapan
$148
Delhi
$156 5.5% $8.1
Clothing & Footwear
Balikpapan
$121
Delhi
$66 45.1% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Balikpapan
$102
Delhi
$53 47.5% $48
Eating Out
Balikpapan
$57
Delhi
$88 52.9% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Balikpapan
$29
Delhi
$30 1% $0.3
Getting Around
Balikpapan
$4.2 *
Delhi
$20 378% $16

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 $267 in Delhi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Delhi pays 156% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11.00 in Balikpapan vs $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $109, with Delhi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Balikpapan
🇮🇳 Delhi
🕒 Local time
15:15 3:15 PM
12:45 12:45 PM
2 h 30 min behind Balikpapan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
701,066
16,787,941 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Balikpapan Delhi 5,370 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Balikpapan
  • Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Balikpapan and in Delhi?
Balikpapan and Delhi differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($668 vs $522 including rent). Delhi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 156% lower in Delhi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Balikpapan and in Delhi?
Rent for a central apartment: $203 in Balikpapan versus $267 in Delhi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Balikpapan and Delhi?
Childcare runs $93.1 in Balikpapan versus $100 in Delhi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Delhi – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $11.00 in Balikpapan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $1,200 go in Balikpapan compared to Delhi?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Delhi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Balikpapan and Delhi?
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.
Is Balikpapan or Delhi safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Balikpapan and Delhi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Balikpapan or Delhi?
Expats usually find Delhi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Balikpapan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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