Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boroko and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $883 a month against $1,224 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Boroko
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Boroko Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$883

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $883 per month in Boroko vs $1,224 in Bali, rent included.

Boroko $883
Bali $1,224

A couple spends around $1,279 per month in Boroko vs $2,064 in Bali, rent included.

Boroko $1,279
Bali $2,064

A family of three spends $1,676 per month in Boroko vs $2,904 in Bali, rent included.

Boroko $1,676
Bali $2,904

Boroko is about 28% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Boroko and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Boroko 34% lower, Bali 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 PGK 32.06

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

167.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.97 PGK 153

$29.64 Rp 530.3K

17.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 PGK 24.74

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

19.20%

Cappuccino

$2.49 PGK 10.91

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

12.16%

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

$0.73 PGK 3.22

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

-46.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 PGK 2.99

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 PGK 11.28

$2.21 Rp 39.5K

16.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 PGK 15.78

$3.62 Rp 64.8K

-0.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 PGK 6.60

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

4.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 PGK 5.27

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

-44.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PGK 5.34

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

8.93%

Eggs

$3.69 PGK 16.19

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

87.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.91 PGK 21.53

$16.41 Rp 293.5K

-70.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 PGK 25.15

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

58.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 PGK 28.52

$11.53 Rp 206.4K

-43.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 PGK 17.21

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

16.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 PGK 13.74

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

114.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 PGK 11.76

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

24.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 PGK 11.69

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

40.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 PGK 12.45

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

57.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PGK 3.75

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

-62.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 PGK 4.94

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

20.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PGK 1.87

$0.48 Rp 8,585

-10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.51 PGK 24.16

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

157.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 PGK 21.33

$21.94 Rp 392.5K

-77.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 PGK 4.95

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PGK 6.93

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

-42.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 PGK 1.88

$0.26 Rp 4,664

65.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.80 PGK 131

$8.08 Rp 144.5K

268.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 PGK 19.87

$0.44 Rp 7,859

931.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 PGK 5.96

$0.42 Rp 7,497

223.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.18 PGK 48.99

$5.66 Rp 101.2K

97.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 PGK 3.47

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

-12.22%

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

$20.6K PGK 90.3K

$24.2K Rp 433.8M

-15.05%

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

$17.4K PGK 76.3K

$31.5K Rp 563.6M

-44.75%

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

$62.5 PGK 274

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

-21.94%

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

$22.96 PGK 101

$6.63 Rp 118.6K

246.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 PGK 396

$18.33 Rp 327.9K

393.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 PGK 185

$45.56 Rp 815.1K

-7.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.52 PGK 63.6

$15.24 Rp 272.7K

-4.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 PGK 28.73

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

76.82%

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

$328 PGK 1,438

$442 Rp 7.9M

-25.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 PGK 9,848

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

-57.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.17 PGK 141

$44.18 Rp 790.3K

-27.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.05 PGK 57.2

$34.13 Rp 610.6K

-61.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.08 PGK 198

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

-41.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.83 PGK 118

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

-64.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,311 PGK 14.5K

$994 Rp 17.8M

233.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 PGK 984

$588 Rp 10.5M

-61.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,352 PGK 14.7K

$3,084 Rp 55.2M

8.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 PGK 982

$1,496 Rp 26.8M

-85.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,015 Rp 36.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$356 PGK 1,561

$223 Rp 4.0M

59.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-20.17%

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

Last update for Boroko: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boroko

$225 25.2%

Bali

$588 48% 162% $364

Groceries & Markets

Boroko

$211 23.6%

Bali

$274 22.4% 30.2% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boroko

$176 19.7%

Bali

$105 8.6% 40.3% $71

Eating Out

Boroko

$131 14.7%

Bali

$89 7.3% 32% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Boroko

$55 6.2%

Bali

$53 4.3% 4.3% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Boroko

$53 5.9%

Bali

$104 8.5% 96.8% $51

Getting Around

Boroko

$43 4.8%

Bali

$12 1% 72.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,311 in Boroko versus $994 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 60% higher in Boroko, 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 $35.00 in Boroko versus $30.00 in Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Boroko vs $274 in Bali – so Boroko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Boroko

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

2 h behind Boroko

🌤 Weather

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boroko Bali 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Boroko
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

Boroko vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 39% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,324 per month in Boroko and $1,836 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boroko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Boroko and $30.00 in Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $883 in Boroko and $1,224 in Bali. That's a gap of about 39%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Boroko, where all-in costs run around $883, than in Bali at $1,224. In Boroko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Boroko costs $883 versus $1,224 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Boroko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.