Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Batam and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Batam: $586 a month against $1,214 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Batam, Indonesia
Bali, Indonesia
Batam
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$586
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,214
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Batam and in Bali

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

A single person spends $586 per month in Batam vs $1,214 in Bali, rent included.

  • Batam $586
  • Bali $1,214

A couple spends around $984 per month in Batam vs $2,047 in Bali, rent included.

  • Batam $984
  • Bali $2,047

A family of three spends $1,382 per month in Batam vs $2,880 in Bali, rent included.

  • Batam $1,382
  • Bali $2,880

Batam is about 52% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Batam and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Batam 57% lower, Bali 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Batam
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.95 Rp 35.3K
$2.73 Rp 49.5K
-28.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$8.07 Rp 146.3K
$28.91 Rp 523.9K
-72.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.90 Rp 70.7K
$4.56 Rp 82.6K
-14.47%
Cappuccino
$2.05 Rp 37.1K
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
-9.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 Rp 11.0K
$1.43 Rp 25.8K
-57.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 Rp 5,449
$0.68 Rp 12.4K
-55.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.47 Rp 44.7K
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
10.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
$3.68 Rp 66.7K
-0.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Batam
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 Rp 20.3K
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
-24.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 Rp 19.8K
$2.18 Rp 39.6K
-50.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
$1.14 Rp 20.6K
-28.95%
Eggs
$1.22 Rp 22.1K
$2.02 Rp 36.6K
-39.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.45 Rp 135.0K
$16.81 Rp 304.5K
-55.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.47 Rp 44.8K
$3.57 Rp 64.7K
-30.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.31 Rp 78.1K
$11.31 Rp 204.9K
-61.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 Rp 39.2K
$3.44 Rp 62.4K
-36.92%
Banana (1kg)
$2.00 Rp 36.2K
$1.51 Rp 27.4K
32.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$2.19 Rp 39.7K
-10.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.03 Rp 18.7K
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
-45.21%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 Rp 17.2K
$1.71 Rp 31.0K
-44.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 Rp 35.5K
$2.32 Rp 42.0K
-15.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 Rp 23.4K
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
30.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 Rp 8,036
$0.50 Rp 9,057
-12.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$2.03 Rp 36.8K
33.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 Rp 249.8K
$21.49 Rp 389.4K
-35.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 Rp 30.4K
$2.14 Rp 38.7K
-21.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.3K
$2.87 Rp 52.0K
-18.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Batam
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.41 Rp 7,419
$0.25 Rp 4,557
64.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.82 Rp 159.9K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.13 Rp 20.5K
$0.45 Rp 8,145
151.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.58 Rp 10.6K
$0.44 Rp 7,967
31.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.42 Rp 62.0K
$5.48 Rp 99.3K
-37.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
-5.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K Rp 499.6M
$24.3K Rp 440.3M
13.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6K Rp 445.8M
$31.9K Rp 578.8M
-22.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Batam
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
-15.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 Rp 74.2K
$6.55 Rp 118.7K
-37.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.58 Rp 409.2K
$18.48 Rp 334.9K
22.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Batam
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.03 Rp 489.9K
$40.66 Rp 736.7K
-33.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.66 Rp 102.5K
$14.93 Rp 270.5K
-62.09%
Cinema Ticket
$2.66 Rp 48.3K
$3.67 Rp 66.4K
-27.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Batam
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$437 Rp 7.9M
-81.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,186 Rp 57.7M
$5,063 Rp 91.7M
-37.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Batam
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.46 Rp 570.0K
$43.62 Rp 790.4K
-27.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.99 Rp 326.0K
$32.69 Rp 592.4K
-44.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$64.4 Rp 1.2M
$73.6 Rp 1.3M
-12.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$23.72 Rp 429.9K
$74.3 Rp 1.3M
-68.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Batam
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$265 Rp 4.8M
$984 Rp 17.8M
-73.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$145 Rp 2.6M
$583 Rp 10.6M
-75.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$796 Rp 14.4M
$3,121 Rp 56.5M
-74.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$499 Rp 9.0M
$1,475 Rp 26.7M
-66.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$542 Rp 9.8M
$2,447 Rp 44.3M
-77.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,963 Rp 35.6M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Batam
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$334 Rp 6.0M
$215 Rp 3.9M
55.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.17
13.78
-4.43%

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

Last update for Batam: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Batam
$172
Bali
$275 60.3% $103
Accommodation & Living
Batam
$145
Bali
$583 302% $438
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Batam
$94
Bali
$105 11% $10
Eating Out
Batam
$75
Bali
$90 19.3% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Batam
$62
Bali
$101 63% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Batam
$32
Bali
$48 48.3% $16
Getting Around
Batam
$5.7 *
Bali
$12 119% $6.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $265 in Batam versus $984 in Bali. 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 55% higher in Batam, 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 $8 in Batam versus $29 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $275 – making Batam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Batam
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
13:48 1:48 PM
14:48 2:48 PM
1 h ahead of Batam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,196,396
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Batam Bali 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Batam
  • 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
Batam vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Batam or Bali?
Bali costs about 107% more than Batam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Batam and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $880 per month in Batam and $1,821 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Batam or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Batam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $265 there versus $984 in Bali.
How much does it cost to live in Batam compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $586 in Batam and $1,214 in Bali. That makes Batam about 52% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Batam and in Bali?
Kindergarten costs $83 per month in Batam and $437 in Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Batam or in Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Batam, where all-in costs run around $586, than in Bali at $1,214. In Batam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Batam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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