Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lae and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $825 a month against $1,224 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$825

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $825 per month in Lae vs $1,224 in Bali, rent included.

Lae $825
Bali $1,224

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Lae vs $2,064 in Bali, rent included.

Lae $1,464
Bali $2,064

A family of three spends $2,103 per month in Lae vs $2,904 in Bali, rent included.

Lae $2,103
Bali $2,904

Lae is about 33% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lae and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Lae 38% lower, Bali 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 PGK 108

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

796.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 PGK 219

$29.64 Rp 530.3K

68.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

Cappuccino

$2.66 PGK 11.66

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

19.82%

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

$0.79 PGK 3.47

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

-42.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 PGK 2.35

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 PGK 14.33

$2.21 Rp 39.5K

47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 PGK 22.77

$3.62 Rp 64.8K

43.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 PGK 8.85

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

40.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 PGK 6.42

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

-32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PGK 5.61

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

14.29%

Eggs

$3.95 PGK 17.30

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

100.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 PGK 41.69

$16.41 Rp 293.5K

-42.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 PGK 38.70

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

143.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 PGK 46.92

$11.53 Rp 206.4K

-7.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 PGK 19.94

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

35.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 PGK 12.18

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

90.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 PGK 26.46

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

180.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 PGK 6.64

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

-20.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 PGK 15.31

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

93.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 PGK 10.46

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

6.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 PGK 3.00

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

-27.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 PGK 4.00

$0.48 Rp 8,585

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 PGK 28.83

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

207.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 PGK 52.7

$21.94 Rp 392.5K

-45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 PGK 10.81

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 PGK 18.75

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

54.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 PGK 1.39

$0.26 Rp 4,664

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.08 Rp 144.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,859

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,497

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 PGK 4.23

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

6.67%

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

$24.2K Rp 433.8M

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

$31.5K Rp 563.6M

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

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

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

$6.63 Rp 118.6K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 Rp 327.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 Rp 815.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 Rp 272.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

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

$442 Rp 7.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 Rp 790.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 Rp 610.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 PGK 1,951

$994 Rp 17.8M

-55.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 PGK 1,141

$588 Rp 10.5M

-55.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 PGK 5,227

$3,084 Rp 55.2M

-61.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 PGK 2,676

$1,496 Rp 26.8M

-59.17%

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)

$157 PGK 689

$223 Rp 4.0M

-29.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Lae: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lae

–

Bali

$588 48%

Groceries & Markets

Lae

–

Bali

$274 22.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lae

–

Bali

$105 8.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Lae

–

Bali

$104 8.5%

Eating Out

Lae

–

Bali

$89 7.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Lae

–

Bali

$53 4.3%

Getting Around

Lae

–

Bali

$12 1%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $445 in Lae 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 42% higher in Bali, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Lae versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $274 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Lae

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

12:57 12:57 PM

2 h behind Lae

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,948

💱 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

Lae Bali 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lae
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

Lae vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 48% more than Lae, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,238 per month in Lae 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 Lae, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $825 in Lae and $1,224 in Bali. That's a gap of about 48%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Bali – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lae, where all-in costs run around $825, than in Bali at $1,224. In Lae it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lae costs $825 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 Lae. 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.