Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denpasar, Bali and Surakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $509 a month against $901 in Denpasar, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
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Surakarta Living Index

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Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$901

/mo nomad

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $901 in Denpasar, Bali versus $509 in Surakarta.

Denpasar, Bali $901
Surakarta $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Denpasar, Bali versus $817 in Surakarta.

Denpasar, Bali $1,508
Surakarta $817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,114 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,124 in Surakarta.

Denpasar, Bali $2,114
Surakarta $1,124

Living in Denpasar, Bali is roughly 77% more expensive than in Surakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Denpasar, Bali 33% lower, Surakarta 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 Rp 39.2K

$1.63 Rp 29.4K

33.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 Rp 421.2K

$11.59 Rp 208.7K

101.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.76 Rp 67.7K

$3.20 Rp 57.6K

17.50%

Cappuccino

$1.84 Rp 33.1K

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

18.71%

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

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

$0.54 Rp 9,772

100.00%

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

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

22.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

3.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

40.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Rp 33.6K

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

156.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

22.08%

Eggs

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 Rp 250.7K

$7.62 Rp 137.2K

82.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 Rp 57.8K

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

87.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.96 Rp 179.2K

$5.40 Rp 97.3K

84.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

41.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.5K

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

3.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

0.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 29.1K

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

17.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

8.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 Rp 34.9K

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

14.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

32.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,874

$0.43 Rp 7,732

2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

$1.97 Rp 35.5K

-6.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.51 Rp 333.2K

$8.44 Rp 151.9K

119.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

13.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 Rp 42.8K

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

-17.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 Rp 3,947

$0.40 Rp 7,244

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.14 Rp 128.5K

$21.88 Rp 393.8K

-67.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 Rp 7,042

$0.50 Rp 9,071

-22.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,509

$0.43 Rp 7,709

-2.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

$2.69 Rp 48.3K

16.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-2.63%

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

$22.1K Rp 397.2M

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

-9.86%

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

$28.1K Rp 506.3M

$32.3K Rp 582.1M

-13.02%

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

$74.5 Rp 1.3M

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

-3.91%

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

$5.86 Rp 105.5K

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

179.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.81 Rp 302.6K

$18.23 Rp 328.2K

-7.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.47 Rp 710.5K

$15.74 Rp 283.3K

150.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.07 Rp 235.3K

$8.41 Rp 151.3K

55.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 Rp 56.9K

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

63.73%

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

$373 Rp 6.7M

$33.42 Rp 601.5K

1016.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,499 Rp 81.0M

$1,845 Rp 33.2M

143.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.34 Rp 690.1K

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

-35.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 Rp 540.1K

$35.67 Rp 642.0K

-15.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 Rp 1.2M

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

-1.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 Rp 10.6M

$168 Rp 3.0M

251.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 Rp 6.3M

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

516.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 Rp 33.7M

$338 Rp 6.1M

455.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 Rp 16.2M

$192 Rp 3.5M

369.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,429 Rp 25.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 Rp 21.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 Rp 5.0M

$158 Rp 2.8M

76.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.5

83.73%

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

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denpasar, Bali

$349 38.8%

Surakarta

$57 11.1% 83.8% $292

Groceries & Markets

Denpasar, Bali

$235 26.1%

Surakarta

$148 29.2% 36.8% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denpasar, Bali

$97 10.8%

Surakarta

$98 19.2% 0.7% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Denpasar, Bali

$92 10.2%

Surakarta

$103 20.3% 12.3% $11

Eating Out

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8%

Surakarta

$57 11.2% 20.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Denpasar, Bali

$46 5.1%

Surakarta

$20 3.9% 57.2% $26

Getting Around

Denpasar, Bali

$10 1.2%

Surakarta

$26 5.1% 149% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Denpasar, Bali and $168 in Surakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denpasar, Bali pays 76% 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 $12.00 in Surakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $148 per month, with Surakarta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

1 h behind Denpasar, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

788,445

503,421

💱 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

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Between locations

Denpasar, Bali Surakarta 500 km

From you

Denpasar, Bali
Surakarta

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 Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Denpasar, Bali and Surakarta differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($901 vs $509 including rent). Surakarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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 $168 in Surakarta. 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 $509 in Surakarta – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Surakarta runs roughly 206% less than in Denpasar, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $509 in Surakarta versus $901 in Denpasar, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surakarta but tight or insufficient in Denpasar, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Surakarta 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 Surakarta 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 Surakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Denpasar, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.