Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makassar and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Makassar: $641 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Makassar
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$641
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,236
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $641 per month in Makassar vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

  • Makassar $641
  • Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $985 per month in Makassar vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

  • Makassar $985
  • Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $1,328 per month in Makassar vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

  • Makassar $1,328
  • Bali $2,937

Makassar is about 48% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makassar and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Makassar 53% lower, Bali 8% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Makassar
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$2.76 Rp 49.7K
-37.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$8.88 Rp 159.8K
$29.80 Rp 536.4K
-70.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.15 Rp 56.7K
$4.63 Rp 83.3K
-31.97%
Cappuccino
$1.92 Rp 34.5K
$2.32 Rp 41.7K
-17.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 Rp 9,030
$1.40 Rp 25.1K
-64.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 Rp 6,497
$0.64 Rp 11.5K
-43.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.49 Rp 44.8K
$2.19 Rp 39.4K
13.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 Rp 59.4K
$3.58 Rp 64.5K
-7.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Makassar
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$1.49 Rp 26.7K
6.71%
White Bread (500g)
$0.98 Rp 17.7K
$2.21 Rp 39.8K
-55.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.62 Rp 11.2K
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
-47.01%
Eggs
$1.50 Rp 27.0K
$2.02 Rp 36.4K
-25.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.29 Rp 113.3K
$16.52 Rp 297.4K
-61.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.44 Rp 61.9K
$3.68 Rp 66.2K
-6.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.24 Rp 94.3K
$11.67 Rp 210.0K
-55.10%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 Rp 42.3K
$3.44 Rp 62.0K
-31.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 Rp 24.5K
$1.46 Rp 26.2K
-6.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.3K
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
-15.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.4K
$1.82 Rp 32.8K
2.20%
Potato (1kg)
$1.25 Rp 22.6K
$1.79 Rp 32.2K
-30.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.2K
$2.27 Rp 40.9K
-30.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 Rp 13.2K
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
-26.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 Rp 7,526
$0.51 Rp 9,186
-17.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.63 Rp 47.4K
$2.15 Rp 38.7K
22.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.11 Rp 398.0K
$21.44 Rp 386.0K
3.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 Rp 32.7K
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
-20.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 54.0K
$2.86 Rp 51.5K
4.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Makassar
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,854
$0.26 Rp 4,713
3.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.30 Rp 77.5K
$7.97 Rp 143.5K
-46.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 Rp 8,781
$0.48 Rp 8,646
2.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 Rp 6,271
$0.43 Rp 7,705
-18.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.66 Rp 47.9K
$5.64 Rp 101.6K
-52.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.74 Rp 13.3K
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
-9.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 430.8M
$23.7K Rp 426.6M
0.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.9K Rp 557.0M
$31.7K Rp 571.3M
-2.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makassar
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.0 Rp 1.6M
$81.3 Rp 1.5M
9.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.71 Rp 48.7K
$6.53 Rp 117.6K
-58.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.90 Rp 448.1K
$18.31 Rp 329.7K
35.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Makassar
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.47 Rp 386.5K
$46.85 Rp 843.4K
-54.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.40 Rp 151.1K
$15.05 Rp 270.8K
-44.19%
Cinema Ticket
$3.36 Rp 60.5K
$3.69 Rp 66.5K
-8.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Makassar
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$93.5 Rp 1.7M
$445 Rp 8.0M
-79.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,746 Rp 67.4M
$5,218 Rp 93.9M
-28.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Makassar
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.95 Rp 485.2K
$42.66 Rp 767.8K
-36.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.52 Rp 423.3K
$33.40 Rp 601.2K
-29.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.3 Rp 1.4M
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
0.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.00 Rp 720.0K
$73.7 Rp 1.3M
-45.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Makassar
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$232 Rp 4.2M
$996 Rp 17.9M
-76.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$148 Rp 2.7M
$596 Rp 10.7M
-75.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$546 Rp 9.8M
$3,054 Rp 55.0M
-82.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$360 Rp 6.5M
$1,511 Rp 27.2M
-76.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,159 Rp 20.9M
$2,430 Rp 43.7M
-52.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$803 Rp 14.5M
$1,963 Rp 35.3M
-59.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Makassar
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$214 Rp 3.8M
$220 Rp 4.0M
-2.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
13.78
-31.35%

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

Last update for Makassar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Makassar
$197
Bali
$277 40.5% $80
Accommodation & Living
Makassar
$148
Bali
$596 302% $448
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makassar
$117
Bali
$106 8.9% $10
Clothing & Footwear
Makassar
$75
Bali
$101 35.7% $27
Eating Out
Makassar
$69
Bali
$90 31.1% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Makassar
$28
Bali
$54 92.4% $26
Getting Around
Makassar
$7.6
Bali
$12 53% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $232 in Makassar 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 3% 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 $9.00 in Makassar versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $277 – making Makassar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Makassar
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
17:31 5:31 PM
17:31 5:31 PM
Same time as Makassar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,427,619
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 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
  • Makassar Bali 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Makassar
  • 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
Makassar vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Makassar or Bali?
Bali costs about 93% more than Makassar, 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 Makassar and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $961 per month in Makassar 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, Makassar or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Makassar, 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 Makassar and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Makassar 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 Makassar compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $641 in Makassar and $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 93%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Makassar or in Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Makassar, where all-in costs run around $641, than in Bali at $1,236. In Makassar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Makassar or Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Makassar costs $641 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 Makassar 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 Makassar or to Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Makassar. 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.

Makassar vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?