Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Macquarie and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,236 a month against $2,211 in Lake Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Lake Macquarie
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Lake Macquarie Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,211

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,211 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

Lake Macquarie $2,211
Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $3,516 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

Lake Macquarie $3,516
Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $4,821 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

Lake Macquarie $4,821
Bali $2,937

Lake Macquarie costs about 79% more than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lake Macquarie sits 64% above the global median, while Bali is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 A$24.48

$2.76 Rp 49.4K

519.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 A$122

$29.80 Rp 533.2K

185.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 A$14.67

$4.63 Rp 82.8K

121.17%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.13

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

54.31%

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

$3.12 A$4.47

$1.40 Rp 25.0K

122.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 A$2.97

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

223.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 A$10.12

$2.19 Rp 39.2K

222.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.17

$3.58 Rp 64.1K

98.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.49 Rp 26.6K

-22.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 A$2.08

$2.21 Rp 39.6K

-34.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 A$2.31

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

37.61%

Eggs

$3.13 A$4.48

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

54.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 A$11.39

$16.52 Rp 295.6K

-51.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 A$10.70

$3.68 Rp 65.8K

102.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 A$18.01

$11.67 Rp 208.7K

7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.32

$3.44 Rp 61.6K

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.69

$1.46 Rp 26.1K

76.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.64

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

13.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.35

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

104.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.28

$1.79 Rp 32.0K

27.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 A$2.98

$2.27 Rp 40.7K

-8.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 A$2.46

$0.99 Rp 17.7K

72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.27

$0.51 Rp 9,131

211.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.25 A$40.47

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

1213.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 A$11.53

$21.44 Rp 383.6K

-62.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 A$4.02

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

22.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.25

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

-20.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 A$3.70

$0.26 Rp 4,685

892.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 A$115

$7.97 Rp 142.6K

909.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 A$3.02

$0.48 Rp 8,594

339.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 A$4.44

$0.43 Rp 7,659

620.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 A$83.7

$5.64 Rp 101.0K

936.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 A$1.97

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

68.29%

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

$27.6K A$39.6K

$23.7K Rp 424.0M

16.63%

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

$24.7K A$35.4K

$31.7K Rp 567.9M

-22.19%

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

$231 A$331

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

183.96%

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

$10.95 A$15.69

$6.53 Rp 116.9K

67.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.65 A$59.7

$18.31 Rp 327.7K

127.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 A$78.3

$46.85 Rp 838.3K

16.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.33 A$24.83

$15.05 Rp 269.2K

15.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.41 A$13.47

$3.69 Rp 66.1K

155.01%

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

$1,486 A$2,128

$445 Rp 8.0M

233.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.6K

$5,218 Rp 93.4M

256.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 A$100.0

$42.66 Rp 763.2K

63.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.77 A$51.2

$33.40 Rp 597.6K

7.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 A$139

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

29.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$154

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

46.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 A$1,970

$996 Rp 17.8M

38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 A$1,505

$596 Rp 10.7M

76.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 A$3,125

$3,054 Rp 54.6M

-28.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 A$3,166

$1,511 Rp 27.0M

46.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,048 A$7,232

$2,430 Rp 43.5M

107.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,001 A$7,164

$1,963 Rp 35.1M

154.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,002 A$7,166

$220 Rp 3.9M

2170.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

13.78

-68.43%

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

Last update for Lake Macquarie: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Macquarie

$1.1K 47.5%

Bali

$596 48.2% 43.3% $455

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Macquarie

$284 12.8%

Bali

$106 8.6% 62.6% $177

Eating Out

Lake Macquarie

$281 12.7%

Bali

$90 7.3% 67.9% $191

Groceries & Markets

Lake Macquarie

$275 12.4%

Bali

$277 22.4% 0.7% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Macquarie

$140 6.3%

Bali

$101 8.2% 27.6% $38

Getting Around

Lake Macquarie

$108 4.9%

Bali

$12 0.9% 89.3% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Macquarie

$73 3.3%

Bali

$54 4.4% 26.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,375 in Lake Macquarie 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.

Salaries run about 2171% higher in Lake Macquarie, 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 $85.0 in Lake Macquarie versus $30.00 in Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $275 in Lake Macquarie vs $277 in Bali – so Lake Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Lake Macquarie

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

3 h behind Lake Macquarie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,059

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 17,892 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,022 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lake Macquarie Bali 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lake Macquarie
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

Lake Macquarie vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Macquarie costs about 79% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,317 per month in Lake Macquarie and $1,854 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Lake Macquarie and $30.00 in Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,211 in Lake Macquarie and $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 79%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,236, than in Lake Macquarie at $2,211. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lake Macquarie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,236 versus $2,211 in Lake Macquarie. 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 Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lake Macquarie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.