Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $613 per month in Medan vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

Medan $613
Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $940 per month in Medan vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

Medan $940
Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Medan vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

Medan $1,266
Bali $2,937

Medan is about 50% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medan and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Medan 55% lower, Bali 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

-38.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

-72.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

-36.29%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

-34.05%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

-60.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

-24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

-25.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

-46.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

-30.77%

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

-34.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

-50.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

-2.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

-45.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

-30.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

-28.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-36.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

-48.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

-53.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

-20.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

-61.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$0.51 Rp 9,186

-13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

33.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

-26.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

-20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.26 Rp 4,713

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

-25.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.48 Rp 8,646

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$0.43 Rp 7,705

-55.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

-2.44%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

4.11%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

1.50%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

4.33%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

-51.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

28.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

-63.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

-44.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

-10.84%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$445 Rp 8.0M

-74.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

-67.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

27.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

15.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

43.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

50.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$996 Rp 17.9M

-76.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$596 Rp 10.7M

-84.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

-83.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

-85.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

-52.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

-71.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$220 Rp 4.0M

-2.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

13.78

-32.87%

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

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Bali

$277 22.4% 53% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Bali

$101 8.2% 27.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Bali

$106 8.6% 4.8% $5.4

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Bali

$596 48.2% 564% $506

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Bali

$90 7.3% 53.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Bali

$54 4.4% 131% $31

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Bali

$12 0.9% 37.4% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $233 in Medan 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 2% 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 $8.00 in Medan versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $277 – making Medan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

1 h ahead of Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medan Bali 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medan
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

Medan vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 102% more than Medan, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $920 per month in Medan 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 Medan, 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 $8.00 in Medan 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 $613 in Medan and $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 102%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medan, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Bali at $1,236. In Medan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medan costs $613 versus $1,236 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 Medan. 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.