Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Denpasar, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Denpasar, Bali: $896 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Denpasar, Bali
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Denpasar, Bali Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Denpasar, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Denpasar, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $896 in Denpasar, Bali.

Melbourne $2,852
Denpasar, Bali $896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $1,522 in Denpasar, Bali.

Melbourne $4,297
Denpasar, Bali $1,522

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $2,148 in Denpasar, Bali.

Melbourne $5,742
Denpasar, Bali $2,148

Living in Melbourne is roughly 218% more expensive than in Denpasar, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 113% above, Denpasar, Bali is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.49

$2.20 Rp 39.4K

706.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$122

$23.17 Rp 414.6K

266.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.46

$3.91 Rp 70.0K

211.00%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.64

$1.75 Rp 31.4K

124.57%

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

$3.14 A$4.51

$1.08 Rp 19.3K

190.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$0.51 Rp 9,211

376.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.22

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

443.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.91

$2.98 Rp 53.3K

178.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.28 Rp 22.8K

21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.32

$1.87 Rp 33.4K

60.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.14

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

185.15%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.82

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

212.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.22

$13.76 Rp 246.1K

-23.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.81

$3.20 Rp 57.2K

200.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.54

$9.61 Rp 171.9K

55.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.96

$2.95 Rp 52.9K

40.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.38

$1.26 Rp 22.5K

142.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

82.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.83

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

205.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.36

$1.52 Rp 27.3K

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.66

$1.96 Rp 35.0K

30.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.56

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

217.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.43 Rp 7,743

279.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.3

$1.85 Rp 33.1K

2282.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.85

$18.22 Rp 326.0K

-31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.65

$1.94 Rp 34.7K

174.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.41

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

115.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.52

$0.24 Rp 4,304

1500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$7.17 Rp 128.3K

1873.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.32

$0.40 Rp 7,112

1000.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.42 Rp 7,428

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.84

$3.12 Rp 55.9K

856.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

94.67%

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

$28.1K A$40.4K

$21.5K Rp 384.3M

31.03%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$28.0K Rp 501.7M

-7.48%

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

$233 A$334

$72.7 Rp 1.3M

220.01%

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

$27.28 A$39.19

$5.91 Rp 105.7K

361.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.9

$16.47 Rp 294.6K

246.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.7

$39.87 Rp 713.2K

32.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.49

$12.71 Rp 227.4K

77.97%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.57

$3.01 Rp 53.8K

468.11%

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

$2,373 A$3,409

$381 Rp 6.8M

523.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.8K

$4,359 Rp 78.0M

598.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$39.61 Rp 708.5K

97.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.5

$29.69 Rp 531.2K

69.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

77.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$68.1 Rp 1.2M

95.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,460

$594 Rp 10.6M

188.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,014

$353 Rp 6.3M

297.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,796

$1,822 Rp 32.6M

83.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,632

$915 Rp 16.4M

176.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.1K

$1,461 Rp 26.1M

380.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,721

$1,189 Rp 21.3M

469.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,074

$284 Rp 5.1M

1387.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

13.78

-57.18%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Denpasar, Bali

$353 39.1% 74.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Denpasar, Bali

$234 25.9% 39.4% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Denpasar, Bali

$95 10.5% 70% $222

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8% 77.1% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Denpasar, Bali

$92 10.2% 46.3% $80

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Denpasar, Bali

$11 1.2% 93.7% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Denpasar, Bali

$46 5.1% 47.2% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Melbourne and $594 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1387% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $23.00 in Denpasar, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $234 per month, with Denpasar, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🕒 Local time

13:54 1:54 PM

10:54 10:54 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

788,445

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Denpasar, Bali 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Denpasar, 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

Melbourne vs Denpasar, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Denpasar, Bali differ by about 218% in total monthly costs ($2,852 vs $896 including rent). Denpasar, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1387% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,713 in Melbourne versus $594 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,852 per month in Melbourne versus $896 in Denpasar, Bali – a 218% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Denpasar, Bali runs roughly 1874% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $896 in Denpasar, Bali versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Denpasar, Bali but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Denpasar, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Melbourne and Denpasar, 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 Denpasar, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.