Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denpasar, Bali and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $901 in Denpasar, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Denpasar, Bali
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Denpasar, Bali Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$901

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $901 in Denpasar, Bali versus $613 in Medan.

Denpasar, Bali $901
Medan $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Denpasar, Bali versus $940 in Medan.

Denpasar, Bali $1,508
Medan $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,114 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,266 in Medan.

Denpasar, Bali $2,114
Medan $1,266

Living in Denpasar, Bali is roughly 47% more expensive than in Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Denpasar, Bali 33% lower, Medan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 Rp 39.2K

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

27.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 Rp 421.2K

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

181.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.76 Rp 67.7K

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

27.46%

Cappuccino

$1.84 Rp 33.1K

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

20.26%

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

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

$0.35 Rp 6,215

208.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

$0.25 Rp 4,534

132.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

-20.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

9.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Rp 33.6K

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

58.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

16.05%

Eggs

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 Rp 250.7K

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

71.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 Rp 57.8K

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

-10.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.96 Rp 179.2K

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

56.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

18.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.5K

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

24.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

28.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 29.1K

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

73.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

76.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 Rp 34.9K

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

$0.38 Rp 6,905

102.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,874

$0.44 Rp 7,872

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

-35.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.51 Rp 333.2K

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

17.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 Rp 42.8K

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

-20.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 Rp 3,947

$0.27 Rp 4,816

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.14 Rp 128.5K

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

20.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 Rp 7,042

$0.51 Rp 9,186

-23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,509

$0.19 Rp 3,465

121.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

-7.50%

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

$22.1K Rp 397.2M

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

-10.55%

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

$28.1K Rp 506.3M

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

-12.69%

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

$74.5 Rp 1.3M

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

-12.19%

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

$5.86 Rp 105.5K

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

84.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.81 Rp 302.6K

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

-28.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.47 Rp 710.5K

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

132.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.07 Rp 235.3K

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

55.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 Rp 56.9K

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

-3.95%

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

$373 Rp 6.7M

$112 Rp 2.0M

234.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,499 Rp 81.0M

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

165.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.34 Rp 690.1K

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

-29.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 Rp 540.1K

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

-22.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 Rp 1.2M

$108 Rp 1.9M

-36.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

$111 Rp 2.0M

-39.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 Rp 10.6M

$233 Rp 4.2M

152.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 Rp 6.3M

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

288.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 Rp 33.7M

$494 Rp 8.9M

279.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 Rp 16.2M

$212 Rp 3.8M

325.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,429 Rp 25.7M

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

23.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 Rp 21.5M

$560 Rp 10.1M

113.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 Rp 5.0M

$215 Rp 3.9M

29.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.25

48.97%

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

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denpasar, Bali

$349 38.8%

Medan

$90 14.6% 74.3% $259

Groceries & Markets

Denpasar, Bali

$235 26.1%

Medan

$181 29.5% 23% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denpasar, Bali

$97 10.8%

Medan

$112 18.2% 14.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Denpasar, Bali

$92 10.2%

Medan

$140 22.9% 52.5% $48

Eating Out

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8%

Medan

$59 9.6% 18.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Denpasar, Bali

$46 5.1%

Medan

$24 3.8% 48.6% $22

Getting Around

Denpasar, Bali

$10 1.2%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 19.3% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Denpasar, Bali and $233 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denpasar, Bali pays 30% 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: $23.00 in Denpasar, Bali vs $8.00 in Medan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $181 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

1 h behind Denpasar, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

788,445

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Denpasar, Bali Medan 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Denpasar, Bali
Medan

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

Denpasar, Bali vs Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Denpasar, Bali and Medan differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($901 vs $613 including rent). Medan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Denpasar, Bali, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Denpasar, Bali versus $233 in Medan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $901 per month in Denpasar, Bali versus $613 in Medan – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 20% less than in Denpasar, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $613 in Medan versus $901 in Denpasar, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Denpasar, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Medan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Denpasar, Bali and Medan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Denpasar, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.