Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikpapan and Uluwatu, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $662 a month against $1,628 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Balikpapan, Indonesia
Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia
Balikpapan
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$662
/mo nomad
Uluwatu, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,628
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikpapan and in Uluwatu, 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 Uluwatu, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $662 in Balikpapan versus $1,628 in Uluwatu, Bali.

  • Balikpapan $662
  • Uluwatu, Bali $1,628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,049 in Balikpapan versus $2,763 in Uluwatu, Bali.

  • Balikpapan $1,049
  • Uluwatu, Bali $2,763

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,436 in Balikpapan versus $3,897 in Uluwatu, Bali.

  • Balikpapan $1,436
  • Uluwatu, Bali $3,897

Living in Balikpapan costs roughly 59% less than in Uluwatu, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balikpapan is 51% below, Uluwatu, Bali is 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Balikpapan
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.35 Rp 24.6K
$4.10 Rp 74.4K
-67.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.13 Rp 202.2K
$41.36 Rp 751.1K
-73.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.06 Rp 55.7K
$6.86 Rp 124.6K
-55.39%
Cappuccino
$1.36 Rp 24.6K
$3.11 Rp 56.4K
-56.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 Rp 6,802
$1.95 Rp 35.4K
-81.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 Rp 6,964
$0.79 Rp 14.3K
-51.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 Rp 39.3K
$3.12 Rp 56.7K
-30.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 Rp 64.1K
$5.18 Rp 94.1K
-31.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Balikpapan
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 Rp 21.3K
$1.61 Rp 29.3K
-27.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 Rp 19.9K
$2.38 Rp 43.3K
-53.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 Rp 20.7K
$1.20 Rp 21.7K
-5.00%
Eggs
$2.40 Rp 43.6K
$2.17 Rp 39.5K
10.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.12 Rp 129.4K
$16.54 Rp 300.3K
-56.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.89 Rp 52.5K
$4.23 Rp 76.9K
-31.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.33 Rp 133.1K
$11.70 Rp 212.5K
-37.35%
Apples (1kg)
$2.18 Rp 39.5K
$3.79 Rp 68.9K
-42.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 Rp 23.5K
$1.67 Rp 30.4K
-22.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.5K
$2.44 Rp 44.3K
-38.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.20 Rp 21.8K
$2.02 Rp 36.6K
-40.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.25 Rp 22.8K
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
-33.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 Rp 35.7K
$2.46 Rp 44.7K
-20.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$1.07 Rp 19.4K
-20.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 Rp 13.0K
$0.51 Rp 9,192
41.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.77 Rp 32.1K
$2.37 Rp 43.0K
-25.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.79 Rp 377.6K
$22.39 Rp 406.7K
-7.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 Rp 32.7K
$2.37 Rp 43.1K
-24.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 Rp 52.0K
$3.13 Rp 56.8K
-8.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Balikpapan
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,144
$0.29 Rp 5,181
-20.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.45 Rp 208.0K
$11.26 Rp 204.5K
1.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.12 Rp 20.3K
$0.60 Rp 10.9K
86.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 Rp 5,752
$0.55 Rp 9,925
-41.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.77 Rp 50.4K
$2.58 Rp 46.9K
7.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.73 Rp 13.3K
$1.06 Rp 19.3K
-31.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.3K Rp 423.5M
$29.9K Rp 543.6M
-22.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.3K Rp 586.5M
$40.6K Rp 736.7M
-20.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Balikpapan
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$64.3 Rp 1.2M
$85.3 Rp 1.5M
-24.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.14 Rp 75.2K
$6.75 Rp 122.5K
-38.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 Rp 528.9K
$21.13 Rp 383.8K
37.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Balikpapan
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.17 Rp 420.8K
$60.2 Rp 1.1M
-61.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.16 Rp 148.2K
$20.83 Rp 378.3K
-60.83%
Cinema Ticket
$2.72 Rp 49.5K
$4.95 Rp 89.9K
-45.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Balikpapan
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$92.5 Rp 1.7M
$547 Rp 9.9M
-83.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,227 Rp 149.4M
$13.5K Rp 245.7M
-39.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Balikpapan
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.81 Rp 668.5K
$50.5 Rp 917.8K
-27.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.82 Rp 341.8K
$37.67 Rp 684.2K
-50.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$136 Rp 2.5M
$87.4 Rp 1.6M
55.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.1 Rp 1.3M
$87.2 Rp 1.6M
-20.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Balikpapan
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$196 Rp 3.6M
$1,433 Rp 26.0M
-86.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$145 Rp 2.6M
$891 Rp 16.2M
-83.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$551 Rp 10.0M
$4,718 Rp 85.7M
-88.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 Rp 6.8M
$2,215 Rp 40.2M
-83.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,164 Rp 21.1M
$3,226 Rp 58.6M
-63.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$805 Rp 14.6M
$2,993 Rp 54.4M
-73.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Balikpapan
Uluwatu, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$233 Rp 4.2M
-
-
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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Uluwatu, Bali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Balikpapan
$201
Uluwatu, Bali
$292 45% $91
Accommodation & Living
Balikpapan
$145
Uluwatu, Bali
$891 514% $746
Clothing & Footwear
Balikpapan
$117
Uluwatu, Bali
$118 1% $1.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Balikpapan
$98
Uluwatu, Bali
$113 16% $16
Eating Out
Balikpapan
$57
Uluwatu, Bali
$128 123% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Balikpapan
$29
Uluwatu, Bali
$70 145% $41
Getting Around
Balikpapan
$15
Uluwatu, Bali
$16 4.4% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $196 in Balikpapan and $1,433 in Uluwatu, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11 in Balikpapan vs $41 in Uluwatu, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $292 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Balikpapan
🇮🇩 Uluwatu, Bali
🕒 Local time
19:51 7:51 PM
19:51 7:51 PM
Same time as Balikpapan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
701,066
5,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,333 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Balikpapan Uluwatu, Bali 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Balikpapan
  • Uluwatu, 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 Uluwatu, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Balikpapan and in Uluwatu, Bali?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $662 in Balikpapan and $1,628 in Uluwatu, Bali, so Balikpapan is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Balikpapan compared to Uluwatu, Bali?
You’d need roughly $993 in Balikpapan and $2,442 in Uluwatu, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Balikpapan and in Uluwatu, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $196 in Balikpapan versus $1,433 in Uluwatu, Bali. 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 Uluwatu, Bali?
Childcare runs $92 in Balikpapan versus $547 in Uluwatu, Bali. 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 Balikpapan – a meal for two runs $11 versus $41 in Uluwatu, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $662 in Balikpapan versus $1,628 in Uluwatu, Bali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Uluwatu, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Balikpapan and Uluwatu, Bali?
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 Uluwatu, Bali safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Balikpapan and Uluwatu, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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