Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malang and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $464 a month against $1,214 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Malang, Indonesia
Bali, Indonesia
Malang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$464
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,214
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $464 per month in Malang vs $1,214 in Bali, rent included.

  • Malang $464
  • Bali $1,214

A couple spends around $713 per month in Malang vs $2,047 in Bali, rent included.

  • Malang $713
  • Bali $2,047

A family of three spends $963 per month in Malang vs $2,880 in Bali, rent included.

  • Malang $963
  • Bali $2,880

Malang is about 62% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Malang and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Malang 66% lower, Bali 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malang
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.13 Rp 20.4K
$2.73 Rp 49.5K
-58.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.09 Rp 201.0K
$28.91 Rp 524.0K
-61.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.80 Rp 50.8K
$4.56 Rp 82.6K
-38.60%
Cappuccino
$1.25 Rp 22.7K
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
-44.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 Rp 10.1K
$1.43 Rp 25.8K
-60.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.21 Rp 3,803
$0.68 Rp 12.4K
-69.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.24 Rp 40.6K
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
0.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.17 Rp 75.5K
$3.68 Rp 66.8K
13.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malang
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
-36.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.07 Rp 19.4K
$2.18 Rp 39.6K
-50.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.77 Rp 13.9K
$1.14 Rp 20.6K
-32.46%
Eggs
$1.17 Rp 21.2K
$2.02 Rp 36.6K
-42.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.60 Rp 101.6K
$16.81 Rp 304.6K
-66.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.00 Rp 54.4K
$3.57 Rp 64.7K
-15.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.89 Rp 124.8K
$11.31 Rp 204.9K
-39.08%
Apples (1kg)
$1.98 Rp 35.9K
$3.44 Rp 62.4K
-42.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 Rp 23.4K
$1.51 Rp 27.4K
-14.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.4K
$2.19 Rp 39.7K
-31.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.39 Rp 25.2K
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
-26.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 Rp 23.5K
$1.71 Rp 31.0K
-23.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.92 Rp 34.8K
$2.32 Rp 42.0K
-17.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.50 Rp 8,981
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
-49.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 Rp 7,650
$0.50 Rp 9,060
-16.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.57 Rp 46.6K
$2.03 Rp 36.8K
26.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.41 Rp 224.9K
$21.49 Rp 389.5K
-42.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 Rp 29.9K
$2.14 Rp 38.7K
-22.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 Rp 51.9K
$2.87 Rp 52.0K
-0.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Malang
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.58 Rp 10.6K
$0.25 Rp 4,559
132.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.39 Rp 97.7K
$8.82 Rp 159.9K
-38.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 Rp 8,911
$0.45 Rp 8,147
8.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 Rp 6,862
$0.44 Rp 7,969
-13.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.61 Rp 101.6K
$5.48 Rp 99.3K
2.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.73 Rp 13.2K
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
-17.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.1K Rp 454.9M
$24.3K Rp 440.4M
3.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.4K Rp 496.9M
$31.9K Rp 579.0M
-14.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malang
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$30.88 Rp 559.7K
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
-61.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.30 Rp 41.7K
$6.55 Rp 118.7K
-64.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.26 Rp 349.1K
$18.48 Rp 335.0K
4.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malang
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.37 Rp 260.5K
$40.66 Rp 737.0K
-64.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.58 Rp 83.0K
$14.93 Rp 270.5K
-69.32%
Cinema Ticket
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
$3.67 Rp 66.5K
-48.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malang
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$30.06 Rp 544.8K
$437 Rp 7.9M
-93.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,230 Rp 167.3M
$5,063 Rp 91.8M
82.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malang
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.7 Rp 1.0M
$43.62 Rp 790.7K
27.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.42 Rp 406.3K
$32.69 Rp 592.5K
-31.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$50.8 Rp 921.1K
$73.6 Rp 1.3M
-30.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$35.21 Rp 638.1K
$74.3 Rp 1.3M
-52.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malang
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$136 Rp 2.5M
$984 Rp 17.8M
-86.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$89.5 Rp 1.6M
$583 Rp 10.6M
-84.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$196 Rp 3.5M
$3,121 Rp 56.6M
-93.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$154 Rp 2.8M
$1,475 Rp 26.7M
-89.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,447 Rp 44.3M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,963 Rp 35.6M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malang
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$201 Rp 3.6M
$215 Rp 3.9M
-6.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4
13.78
-70.97%

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

Last update for Malang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Malang
$165
Bali
$275 67.2% $111
Accommodation & Living
Malang
$89
Bali
$583 551% $493
Clothing & Footwear
Malang
$74
Bali
$101 36.6% $27
Eating Out
Malang
$55
Bali
$90 62.7% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malang
$52
Bali
$105 100% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Malang
$18
Bali
$48 165% $30
Getting Around
Malang
$10
Bali
$12 23.6% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Malang versus $984 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 7% 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 $11 in Malang versus $29 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $165 vs $275 – making Malang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Malang
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
00:36 12:36 AM
01:36 1:36 AM
1 h ahead of Malang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
857,891
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,125 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,227 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Malang Bali 290 km
From you
  • Malang
  • 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
Malang vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Malang or Bali?
Bali costs about 162% more than Malang, 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 Malang and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $695 per month in Malang and $1,821 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Malang or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Malang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $984 in Bali.
How do dining costs compare in Malang and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Malang and $29 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 Malang compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $464 in Malang and $1,214 in Bali. That makes Malang about 62% cheaper.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Malang or in Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Malang, where all-in costs run around $464, than in Bali at $1,214. In Malang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Malang or Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malang costs $464 versus $1,214 in Bali. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Malang compared to Bali?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Malang or to Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Malang. If higher salaries 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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