Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katoomba and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,236 a month against $2,363 in Katoomba, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Katoomba
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,363
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,236
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,363 per month in Katoomba vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

  • Katoomba $2,363
  • Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $3,564 per month in Katoomba vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

  • Katoomba $3,564
  • Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $4,765 per month in Katoomba vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

  • Katoomba $4,765
  • Bali $2,937

Katoomba costs about 91% more than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Katoomba sits 75% above the global median, while Bali is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Katoomba
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.45 A$25.12
$2.76 Rp 49.7K
532.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.7 A$122
$29.80 Rp 536.4K
184.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 A$15.24
$4.63 Rp 83.3K
128.73%
Cappuccino
$3.04 A$4.38
$2.32 Rp 41.7K
31.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 A$3.90
$1.40 Rp 25.1K
93.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 A$3.08
$0.64 Rp 11.5K
234.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.33 A$9.11
$2.19 Rp 39.4K
189.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.32 A$11.98
$3.58 Rp 64.5K
132.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Katoomba
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 A$2.28
$1.49 Rp 26.7K
6.04%
White Bread (500g)
$3.18 A$4.57
$2.21 Rp 39.8K
43.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.63 A$3.78
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
124.79%
Eggs
$5.11 A$7.36
$2.02 Rp 36.4K
152.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 A$18.93
$16.52 Rp 297.4K
-20.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.11 A$14.54
$3.68 Rp 66.2K
174.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.30 A$22.02
$11.67 Rp 210.0K
31.11%
Apples (1kg)
$3.93 A$5.66
$3.44 Rp 62.0K
14.24%
Banana (1kg)
$3.22 A$4.63
$1.46 Rp 26.2K
120.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.57 A$5.13
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
59.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.35 A$7.70
$1.82 Rp 32.8K
193.96%
Potato (1kg)
$3.08 A$4.43
$1.79 Rp 32.2K
72.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.85 A$4.10
$2.27 Rp 40.9K
25.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.47 A$3.56
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
149.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 A$2.01
$0.51 Rp 9,186
174.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.21 A$63.6
$2.15 Rp 38.7K
1956.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.93 A$20.05
$21.44 Rp 386.0K
-35.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.63 A$6.66
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
102.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.66 A$8.14
$2.86 Rp 51.5K
97.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Katoomba
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.12 A$4.49
$0.26 Rp 4,713
1100.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.3 A$99.8
$7.97 Rp 143.5K
769.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.93 A$5.65
$0.48 Rp 8,646
718.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 A$2.23
$0.43 Rp 7,705
260.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.69 A$62.9
$5.64 Rp 101.6K
674.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 A$1.97
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
67.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K A$38.1K
$23.7K Rp 426.6M
11.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.5K A$42.4K
$31.7K Rp 571.3M
-7.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Katoomba
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 A$266
$81.3 Rp 1.5M
127.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.51 A$38.15
$6.53 Rp 117.6K
305.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.1 A$80.7
$18.31 Rp 329.7K
206.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Katoomba
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.7 A$80.1
$46.85 Rp 843.4K
18.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.43 A$22.20
$15.05 Rp 270.8K
2.52%
Cinema Ticket
$15.93 A$22.93
$3.69 Rp 66.5K
331.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Katoomba
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,355 A$3,389
$445 Rp 8.0M
429.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.0K A$28.7K
$5,218 Rp 93.9M
282.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Katoomba
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.9 A$108
$42.66 Rp 767.8K
75.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.5 A$81.2
$33.40 Rp 601.2K
69.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 A$157
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
45.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 A$189
$73.7 Rp 1.3M
77.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Katoomba
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,392 A$2,003
$996 Rp 17.9M
39.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,074 A$1,545
$596 Rp 10.7M
80.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,239 A$3,222
$3,054 Rp 55.0M
-26.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,831 A$2,634
$1,511 Rp 27.2M
21.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,035 A$7,246
$2,430 Rp 43.7M
107.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,173 A$7,444
$1,963 Rp 35.3M
163.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Katoomba
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$220 Rp 4.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.95
13.78
-56.82%

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

Last update for Katoomba: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Katoomba
$1.1K
Bali
$596 44.5% $478
Groceries & Markets
Katoomba
$398
Bali
$277 30.6% $122
Eating Out
Katoomba
$276
Bali
$90 67.3% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Katoomba
$267
Bali
$106 60.3% $161
Clothing & Footwear
Katoomba
$167
Bali
$101 39.4% $66
Getting Around
Katoomba
$93
Bali
$12 87.5% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Katoomba
$88
Bali
$54 38% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,392 in Katoomba versus $996 in Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Katoomba versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $277 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Katoomba
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
08:38 8:38 AM
05:38 5:38 AM
3 h behind Katoomba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Katoomba Bali 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Katoomba
  • 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
Katoomba vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Katoomba or Bali?
Katoomba costs about 91% more than Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Katoomba and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,545 per month in Katoomba and $1,854 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Katoomba or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Katoomba and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Katoomba and $30.00 in Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Katoomba compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,363 in Katoomba and $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 91%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Katoomba or in Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,236, than in Katoomba at $2,363. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Katoomba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Katoomba or Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,236 versus $2,363 in Katoomba. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Katoomba compared to Bali?
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.
Should I move to Katoomba or to Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Katoomba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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