Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahabad and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $522 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mahabad
🇮🇷 Iran
$522
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,236
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $522 per month in Mahabad vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

  • Mahabad $522
  • Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $849 per month in Mahabad vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

  • Mahabad $849
  • Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $1,177 per month in Mahabad vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

  • Mahabad $1,177
  • Bali $2,937

Mahabad is about 58% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mahabad and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Mahabad 61% lower, Bali 8% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mahabad
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.97 $2.97
$2.76 Rp 49.7K
7.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.06 $17.06
$29.80 Rp 536.4K
-42.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.06 $4.06
$4.63 Rp 83.3K
-12.31%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.80 $0.80
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 $1.08
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.13 $1.13
$2.32 Rp 41.7K
-51.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 $0.52
$1.40 Rp 25.1K
-62.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 $0.94
$0.64 Rp 11.5K
46.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.19 Rp 39.4K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.58 Rp 64.5K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mahabad
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.65 $0.65
$1.49 Rp 26.7K
-56.38%
White Bread (500g)
$0.51 $0.51
$2.21 Rp 39.8K
-76.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.07 $2.07
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
76.92%
Eggs
$1.18 $1.18
$2.02 Rp 36.4K
-41.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.30 $4.30
$16.52 Rp 297.4K
-73.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.21 $3.21
$3.68 Rp 66.2K
-12.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.58 $7.58
$11.67 Rp 210.0K
-35.05%
Apples (1kg)
$1.00 $1.00
$3.44 Rp 62.0K
-70.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 $1.55
$1.46 Rp 26.2K
6.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.86 $0.86
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
-61.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.61 $0.61
$1.82 Rp 32.8K
-66.48%
Potato (1kg)
$0.54 $0.54
$1.79 Rp 32.2K
-69.83%
Onion (1kg)
$0.47 $0.47
$2.27 Rp 40.9K
-79.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.53 $0.53
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
-46.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.26 $0.26
$0.51 Rp 9,186
-49.02%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$0.92 $0.92
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 $0.52
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 $1.34
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.14 $2.14
$2.15 Rp 38.7K
-0.47%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$21.44 Rp 386.0K
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.86 Rp 51.5K
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mahabad
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.15 $0.15
$0.26 Rp 4,713
-42.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.76 $8.76
$7.97 Rp 143.5K
9.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 $0.44
$0.48 Rp 8,646
-8.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 $0.29
$0.43 Rp 7,705
-32.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.87 $2.87
$5.64 Rp 101.6K
-49.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.10 $0.10
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
-87.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.7K $47.7K
$23.7K Rp 426.6M
101.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$47.6K $47.6K
$31.7K Rp 571.3M
50.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mahabad
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$12.32 $12.32
$81.3 Rp 1.5M
-84.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.58 $1.58
$6.53 Rp 117.6K
-75.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$3.76 $3.76
$18.31 Rp 329.7K
-79.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mahabad
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.63 $18.63
$46.85 Rp 843.4K
-60.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.75 $11.75
$15.05 Rp 270.8K
-21.93%
Cinema Ticket
$1.97 $1.97
$3.69 Rp 66.5K
-46.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mahabad
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$106 $106
$445 Rp 8.0M
-76.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,234 $2,234
$5,218 Rp 93.9M
-57.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mahabad
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.20 $23.20
$42.66 Rp 767.8K
-45.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.48 $28.48
$33.40 Rp 601.2K
-14.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.3 $96.3
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
28.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.4 $71.4
$73.7 Rp 1.3M
-3.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mahabad
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$264 $264
$996 Rp 17.9M
-73.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$211 $211
$596 Rp 10.7M
-64.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$728 $728
$3,054 Rp 55.0M
-76.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$408 $408
$1,511 Rp 27.2M
-73.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,131 $1,131
$2,430 Rp 43.7M
-53.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$530 $530
$1,963 Rp 35.3M
-72.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mahabad
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$253 $253
$220 Rp 4.0M
14.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
24.3
13.78
76.34%

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

Last update for Mahabad: 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
Mahabad
$211
Bali
$596 182% $385
Groceries & Markets
Mahabad
$105
Bali
$277 164% $172
Clothing & Footwear
Mahabad
$99
Bali
$101 2.5% $2.5
Eating Out
Mahabad
$55
Bali
$90 62.7% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Mahabad
$23
Bali
$54 140% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mahabad
$18
Bali
$106 501% $89
Getting Around
Mahabad
$11
Bali
$12 3.3% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Mahabad 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 15% higher in Mahabad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Mahabad versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $105 vs $277 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇷 Mahabad
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
22:43 10:43 PM
03:13 3:13 AM
4 h 30 min ahead of Mahabad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
208,541
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – USD Converter

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,238 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mahabad Bali 8,800 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mahabad
  • Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Mahabad vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mahabad or Bali?
Bali costs about 137% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Mahabad and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $783 per month in Mahabad 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, Mahabad or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, 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 Mahabad and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Mahabad 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 Mahabad compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $522 in Mahabad and $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 137%.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Mahabad or in Bali?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Bali at $1,236. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mahabad or Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mahabad costs $522 versus $1,236 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Mahabad 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 Mahabad or to Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Mahabad. 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.

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