Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Batam and Denpasar, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Batam: $593 a month against $901 in Denpasar, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Batam
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$593
/mo nomad
Denpasar, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$901
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $593 in Batam versus $901 in Denpasar, Bali.

  • Batam $593
  • Denpasar, Bali $901

Estimated couple costs with rent: $998 in Batam versus $1,508 in Denpasar, Bali.

  • Batam $998
  • Denpasar, Bali $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Batam versus $2,114 in Denpasar, Bali.

  • Batam $1,403
  • Denpasar, Bali $2,114

Living in Batam costs roughly 34% less than in Denpasar, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Batam 56% lower, Denpasar, Bali 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Batam
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.92 Rp 34.6K
$2.18 Rp 39.2K
-11.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$8.49 Rp 152.9K
$23.40 Rp 421.2K
-63.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.84 Rp 69.0K
$3.76 Rp 67.7K
2.13%
Cappuccino
$2.15 Rp 38.6K
$1.84 Rp 33.1K
16.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 Rp 10.9K
$1.08 Rp 19.4K
-44.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 Rp 5,621
$0.58 Rp 10.5K
-46.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 Rp 46.1K
$1.73 Rp 31.1K
47.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.56 Rp 64.1K
$2.86 Rp 51.5K
24.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Batam
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 Rp 20.3K
$1.22 Rp 22.0K
-7.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.06 Rp 19.1K
$1.87 Rp 33.6K
-43.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.78 Rp 14.1K
$0.94 Rp 16.9K
-17.02%
Eggs
$1.23 Rp 22.2K
$1.76 Rp 31.7K
-30.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 Rp 131.4K
$13.93 Rp 250.7K
-47.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.41 Rp 43.3K
$3.21 Rp 57.8K
-24.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.38 Rp 78.8K
$9.96 Rp 179.2K
-56.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 Rp 40.7K
$2.84 Rp 51.1K
-20.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Rp 36.9K
$1.31 Rp 23.5K
56.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.09 Rp 37.7K
$1.82 Rp 32.8K
14.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$1.61 Rp 29.1K
-38.51%
Potato (1kg)
$0.90 Rp 16.2K
$1.48 Rp 26.6K
-39.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.5K
$1.94 Rp 34.9K
-1.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 Rp 23.1K
$0.77 Rp 13.9K
67.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 Rp 8,020
$0.44 Rp 7,874
2.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.72 Rp 49.0K
$1.84 Rp 33.2K
47.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.21 Rp 255.8K
$18.51 Rp 333.2K
-23.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 Rp 31.8K
$1.92 Rp 34.6K
-7.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 Rp 44.7K
$2.38 Rp 42.8K
4.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Batam
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.41 Rp 7,325
$0.22 Rp 3,947
86.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$7.14 Rp 128.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.13 Rp 20.4K
$0.39 Rp 7,042
189.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 Rp 10.8K
$0.42 Rp 7,509
42.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 Rp 61.7K
$3.13 Rp 56.4K
9.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$0.74 Rp 13.4K
14.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K Rp 493.8M
$22.1K Rp 397.2M
24.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K Rp 450.0M
$28.1K Rp 506.3M
-11.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Batam
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$69.9 Rp 1.3M
$74.5 Rp 1.3M
-6.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.17 Rp 75.0K
$5.86 Rp 105.5K
-28.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.06 Rp 415.0K
$16.81 Rp 302.6K
37.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Batam
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.54 Rp 477.7K
$39.47 Rp 710.5K
-32.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.55 Rp 99.8K
$13.07 Rp 235.3K
-57.54%
Cinema Ticket
$2.58 Rp 46.5K
$3.16 Rp 56.9K
-18.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Batam
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$83.7 Rp 1.5M
$373 Rp 6.7M
-77.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,298 Rp 59.4M
$4,499 Rp 81.0M
-26.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Batam
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.64 Rp 569.6K
$38.34 Rp 690.1K
-17.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.69 Rp 336.4K
$30.00 Rp 540.1K
-37.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$64.8 Rp 1.2M
$68.9 Rp 1.2M
-6.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$23.98 Rp 431.6K
$67.1 Rp 1.2M
-64.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Batam
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$270 Rp 4.9M
$589 Rp 10.6M
-54.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$146 Rp 2.6M
$349 Rp 6.3M
-58.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$811 Rp 14.6M
$1,874 Rp 33.7M
-56.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$510 Rp 9.2M
$901 Rp 16.2M
-43.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$563 Rp 10.1M
$1,429 Rp 25.7M
-60.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,194 Rp 21.5M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Batam
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$341 Rp 6.1M
$279 Rp 5.0M
22.40%
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 12, 2026

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Batam
$173
Denpasar, Bali
$235 35.6% $62
Accommodation & Living
Batam
$146
Denpasar, Bali
$349 139% $203
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Batam
$97
Denpasar, Bali
$97 0% $0
Eating Out
Batam
$76
Denpasar, Bali
$72 5.9% $4.5
Clothing & Footwear
Batam
$63
Denpasar, Bali
$92 47% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Batam
$32
Denpasar, Bali
$46 44.4% $14
Getting Around
Batam
$5.8 *
Denpasar, Bali
$10 82.1% $4.7

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 $270 in Batam and $589 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Batam pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $8.00 in Batam vs $23.00 in Denpasar, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $235 per month, with Batam cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Batam
🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali
🕒 Local time
21:05 9:05 PM
22:05 10:05 PM
1 h ahead of Batam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,196,396
788,445
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Batam Denpasar, Bali 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Batam
  • 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
Batam vs Denpasar, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Denpasar, Bali cheaper than Batam?
Batam is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Batam or Denpasar, Bali?
Average pay runs 22% higher in Batam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Batam and Denpasar, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Batam versus $589 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Batam and in Denpasar, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Denpasar, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Batam and in Denpasar, Bali?
All in, you'll spend $593 per month in Batam versus $901 in Denpasar, Bali – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Batam or in Denpasar, Bali?
At $593 in Batam versus $901 in Denpasar, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Batam but tight or insufficient in Denpasar, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Batam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Batam or Denpasar, Bali more family-friendly?
For families, Batam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Denpasar, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Batam or Denpasar, Bali?
Safety-wise, Batam and Denpasar, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Batam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Denpasar, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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