Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Uluwatu, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,692 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Uluwatu, Bali
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Uluwatu, Bali Living Index

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Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Uluwatu, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Medan versus $1,692 in Uluwatu, Bali.

Medan $613
Uluwatu, Bali $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Medan versus $2,873 in Uluwatu, Bali.

Medan $940
Uluwatu, Bali $2,873

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,266 in Medan versus $4,054 in Uluwatu, Bali.

Medan $1,266
Uluwatu, Bali $4,054

Living in Medan costs roughly 64% less than in Uluwatu, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medan is 55% below, Uluwatu, Bali is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$3.94 Rp 70.9K

-56.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$42.05 Rp 757.0K

-80.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$6.72 Rp 120.9K

-56.10%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$3.25 Rp 58.5K

-52.92%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$2.09 Rp 37.5K

-83.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

-73.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$3.14 Rp 56.6K

-47.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$5.44 Rp 97.9K

-34.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.64 Rp 29.6K

-32.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.38 Rp 42.9K

-50.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.29 Rp 23.2K

-37.21%

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

-41.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$18.59 Rp 334.5K

-56.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$4.18 Rp 75.2K

-14.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

$12.92 Rp 232.5K

-50.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$3.72 Rp 66.9K

-35.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$1.66 Rp 29.8K

-36.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$2.48 Rp 44.6K

-42.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

-53.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.94 Rp 35.0K

-56.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$2.53 Rp 45.5K

-28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$1.04 Rp 18.7K

-63.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$0.51 Rp 9,237

-13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$2.37 Rp 42.6K

21.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$23.90 Rp 430.2K

-34.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$2.48 Rp 44.7K

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$3.15 Rp 56.7K

-4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.30 Rp 5,310

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

$10.28 Rp 185.1K

-42.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.60 Rp 10.8K

-15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$0.52 Rp 9,437

-63.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 Rp 48.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$1.10 Rp 19.9K

-27.27%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$29.9K Rp 538.1M

-17.48%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$39.6K Rp 712.6M

-18.63%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$89.3 Rp 1.6M

-4.94%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$7.09 Rp 127.7K

-55.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$20.79 Rp 374.2K

13.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$63.6 Rp 1.1M

-73.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$20.80 Rp 374.5K

-59.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$5.01 Rp 90.1K

-34.33%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$560 Rp 10.1M

-80.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$6,562 Rp 118.1M

-74.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$49.97 Rp 899.5K

8.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$38.06 Rp 685.1K

1.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

21.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$87.5 Rp 1.6M

26.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$1,518 Rp 27.3M

-84.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$933 Rp 16.8M

-90.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$4,875 Rp 87.7M

-89.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$2,323 Rp 41.8M

-90.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$3,738 Rp 67.3M

-69.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$3,108 Rp 55.9M

-82.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

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 Uluwatu, Bali: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Uluwatu, Bali

$306 18.1% 69.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Uluwatu, Bali

$119 7% 15.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Uluwatu, Bali

$117 6.9% 5% $5.6

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Uluwatu, Bali

$933 55.1% 939% $843

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Uluwatu, Bali

$129 7.6% 120% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Uluwatu, Bali

$74 4.4% 213% $50

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Uluwatu, Bali

$15 0.9% 73.3% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Medan and $1,518 in Uluwatu, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $8.00 in Medan vs $42.00 in Uluwatu, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $306 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇮🇩 Uluwatu, Bali

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

1 h ahead of Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

5,000

💱 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

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Between locations

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

From you

Medan
Uluwatu, 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 Uluwatu, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 176% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $920 in Medan and $2,538 in Uluwatu, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $233 in Medan versus $1,518 in Uluwatu, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 73% less than in Uluwatu, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $112 in Medan versus $560 in Uluwatu, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Medan versus $1,692 in Uluwatu, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Uluwatu, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Medan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Uluwatu, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medan and Uluwatu, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Uluwatu, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.