Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikpapan and Denpasar, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $669 a month against $905 in Denpasar, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Denpasar, Bali
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Denpasar, Bali Living Index

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Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$669

/mo nomad

Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikpapan and in Denpasar, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $669 in Balikpapan versus $905 in Denpasar, Bali.

Balikpapan $669
Denpasar, Bali $905

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,057 in Balikpapan versus $1,497 in Denpasar, Bali.

Balikpapan $1,057
Denpasar, Bali $1,497

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,444 in Balikpapan versus $2,089 in Denpasar, Bali.

Balikpapan $1,444
Denpasar, Bali $2,089

Living in Balikpapan costs roughly 26% less than in Denpasar, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Balikpapan 51% lower, Denpasar, Bali 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$2.23 Rp 40.6K

-37.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.88 Rp 197.7K

$23.40 Rp 425.0K

-53.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

$3.84 Rp 69.7K

-21.35%

Cappuccino

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

$1.76 Rp 31.9K

-23.86%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,320

$1.16 Rp 21.1K

-69.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,034

$0.54 Rp 9,771

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 Rp 40.8K

$1.80 Rp 32.7K

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

$2.84 Rp 51.6K

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$1.78 Rp 32.3K

-41.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.3K

$0.98 Rp 17.8K

19.39%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

$1.72 Rp 31.3K

41.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 Rp 129.7K

$14.45 Rp 262.5K

-50.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 Rp 54.1K

$3.22 Rp 58.4K

-7.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 Rp 156.8K

$9.52 Rp 172.8K

-9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

$2.92 Rp 53.1K

-25.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

4.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

-18.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.59 Rp 28.8K

-25.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

-19.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 35.5K

$1.87 Rp 34.0K

4.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

-1.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

$0.39 Rp 7,096

84.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

-1.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.12 Rp 383.5K

$17.97 Rp 326.4K

17.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Rp 32.6K

$1.91 Rp 34.8K

-6.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

$2.44 Rp 44.4K

22.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,151

$0.23 Rp 4,164

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.50 Rp 208.8K

$7.97 Rp 144.8K

44.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

$0.42 Rp 7,630

164.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,189

$0.43 Rp 7,754

-32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

$3.07 Rp 55.8K

-8.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 Rp 13.7K

$0.75 Rp 13.6K

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

$23.2K Rp 420.9M

$21.6K Rp 392.1M

7.34%

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

$31.4K Rp 570.2M

$29.5K Rp 536.2M

6.35%

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

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

-12.88%

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

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

$5.88 Rp 106.7K

-28.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.48 Rp 535.4K

$16.22 Rp 294.5K

81.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.84 Rp 432.9K

$35.04 Rp 636.3K

-31.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.27 Rp 150.3K

$12.85 Rp 233.4K

-35.64%

Cinema Ticket

$2.82 Rp 51.3K

$3.03 Rp 54.9K

-6.93%

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

$91.6 Rp 1.7M

$378 Rp 6.9M

-75.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,145 Rp 166.1M

$4,463 Rp 81.0M

104.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.81 Rp 686.7K

$39.59 Rp 719.1K

-4.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.66 Rp 338.9K

$29.73 Rp 539.9K

-37.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 Rp 2.5M

$67.0 Rp 1.2M

109.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

$66.8 Rp 1.2M

5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$197 Rp 3.6M

$591 Rp 10.7M

-66.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$143 Rp 2.6M

$360 Rp 6.5M

-60.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 Rp 10.2M

$1,857 Rp 33.7M

-69.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 Rp 6.6M

$889 Rp 16.2M

-59.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,323 Rp 24.0M

$1,448 Rp 26.3M

-8.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$777 Rp 14.1M

$1,176 Rp 21.4M

-33.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$238 Rp 4.3M

$279 Rp 5.1M

-14.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

13.78

-31.35%

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

Last update for Balikpapan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Balikpapan

$206 30.8%

Denpasar, Bali

$233 25.8% 13.2% $27

Accommodation & Living

Balikpapan

$143 21.4%

Denpasar, Bali

$360 39.8% 152% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Balikpapan

$120 18%

Denpasar, Bali

$91 10.1% 24% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikpapan

$98 14.6%

Denpasar, Bali

$96 10.6% 2.2% $2.1

Eating Out

Balikpapan

$58 8.6%

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8% 25% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Balikpapan

$29 4.4%

Denpasar, Bali

$41 4.5% 39.3% $12

Getting Around

Balikpapan

$15 2.2%

Denpasar, Bali

$11 1.3% 23.4% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $197 in Balikpapan and $591 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denpasar, Bali pays 18% 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 in Balikpapan vs $23 in Denpasar, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $233 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

Same time as Balikpapan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,066

788,445

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Balikpapan Denpasar, Bali 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Balikpapan
Denpasar, Bali

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 Denpasar, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $669 in Balikpapan and $905 in Denpasar, Bali, so Balikpapan is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Balikpapan. 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: $197 in Balikpapan versus $591 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Denpasar, Bali runs roughly 31% less than in Balikpapan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $92 in Balikpapan versus $378 in Denpasar, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Balikpapan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Denpasar, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Balikpapan wins on affordability, Denpasar, Bali on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.