Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denpasar, Bali and Sibolga

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibolga: $624 a month against $889 in Denpasar, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

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

Cost of Living Index in Sibolga
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Sibolga Living Index

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Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$889

/mo nomad

Sibolga

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Sibolga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Denpasar, Bali versus $624 in Sibolga.

Denpasar, Bali $889
Sibolga $624

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,463 in Denpasar, Bali versus $996 in Sibolga.

Denpasar, Bali $1,463
Sibolga $996

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,036 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,368 in Sibolga.

Denpasar, Bali $2,036
Sibolga $1,368

Living in Denpasar, Bali is roughly 42% more expensive than in Sibolga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Denpasar, Bali 34% lower, Sibolga 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 Rp 41.1K

$1.68 Rp 30.5K

35.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.70 Rp 412.3K

$14.03 Rp 254.7K

61.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.65 Rp 66.2K

$3.31 Rp 60.2K

10.27%

Cappuccino

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$1.45 Rp 26.4K

24.83%

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

$1.09 Rp 19.9K

$0.43 Rp 7,749

153.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,306

$0.22 Rp 3,978

109.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 Rp 32.6K

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

-16.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 Rp 53.2K

$3.37 Rp 61.2K

-13.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 Rp 22.8K

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Rp 33.9K

$1.08 Rp 19.6K

73.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.9K

$0.80 Rp 14.6K

16.25%

Eggs

$1.60 Rp 29.1K

$1.47 Rp 26.6K

8.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 Rp 231.9K

$6.98 Rp 126.8K

82.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.13 Rp 56.8K

$2.95 Rp 53.6K

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 Rp 167.2K

$7.67 Rp 139.4K

20.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 Rp 51.8K

$2.14 Rp 38.9K

33.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

$1.24 Rp 22.6K

4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 Rp 34.0K

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.9K

$1.26 Rp 22.8K

26.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

18.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.9K

$1.92 Rp 34.8K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

1.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,169

$0.39 Rp 7,081

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.75 Rp 31.8K

$2.57 Rp 46.6K

-31.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.54 Rp 318.6K

$20.63 Rp 374.7K

-14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 Rp 34.6K

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 Rp 44.5K

$3.01 Rp 54.7K

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,811

$0.23 Rp 4,151

-8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.13 Rp 147.7K

$11.34 Rp 206.0K

-28.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 Rp 7,237

$0.53 Rp 9,683

-24.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 Rp 7,118

$0.34 Rp 6,235

14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 Rp 54.3K

$2.90 Rp 52.8K

3.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 Rp 13.3K

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-9.88%

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

$22.2K Rp 403.5M

$22.6K Rp 410.5M

-1.70%

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

$29.3K Rp 531.3M

$32.5K Rp 591.0M

-10.11%

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

$68.4 Rp 1.2M

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

6.82%

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

$5.80 Rp 105.3K

$4.29 Rp 77.9K

35.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 Rp 319.5K

$18.67 Rp 339.0K

-5.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.39 Rp 642.7K

$18.29 Rp 332.2K

93.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.86 Rp 233.6K

$8.13 Rp 147.6K

58.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 Rp 55.7K

$2.73 Rp 49.6K

12.45%

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

$369 Rp 6.7M

$94.7 Rp 1.7M

289.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,317 Rp 169.2M

$8,087 Rp 146.9M

15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.53 Rp 717.9K

$43.28 Rp 786.1K

-8.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.50 Rp 553.9K

$28.82 Rp 523.3K

5.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 Rp 1.2M

$76.0 Rp 1.4M

-9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 Rp 1.2M

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

-4.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 Rp 10.3M

$224 Rp 4.1M

152.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 Rp 6.4M

$146 Rp 2.7M

141.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 Rp 33.2M

$558 Rp 10.1M

227.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 Rp 15.5M

$365 Rp 6.6M

134.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,250 Rp 22.7M

$1,142 Rp 20.7M

9.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 21.0M

$803 Rp 14.6M

44.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 Rp 5.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.46

45.67%

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

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sibolga: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denpasar, Bali

$354 39.8%

Sibolga

$146 23.5% 58.6% $207

Groceries & Markets

Denpasar, Bali

$226 25.4%

Sibolga

$193 30.9% 14.7% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Denpasar, Bali

$93 10.5%

Sibolga

$99 15.8% 6% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denpasar, Bali

$92 10.3%

Sibolga

$87 14% 5.2% $4.8

Eating Out

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8.1%

Sibolga

$61 9.8% 15.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Denpasar, Bali

$42 4.7%

Sibolga

$24 3.8% 42.8% $18

Getting Around

Denpasar, Bali

$11 1.3%

Sibolga

$15 2.3% 28.1% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $566 in Denpasar, Bali and $224 in Sibolga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Denpasar, Bali vs $14 in Sibolga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $193 per month, with Sibolga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Sibolga

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

21:46 9:46 PM

1 h behind Denpasar, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

788,445

95,471

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Denpasar, Bali Sibolga 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Denpasar, Bali
Sibolga

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 Sibolga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $889 in Denpasar, Bali and $624 in Sibolga, so Sibolga is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,334 in Denpasar, Bali and $936 in Sibolga 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $566 in Denpasar, Bali versus $224 in Sibolga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $889 per month in Denpasar, Bali versus $624 in Sibolga – Sibolga is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Denpasar, Bali runs roughly 28% less than in Sibolga. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sibolga gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.