Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Seminyak, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Seminyak, Bali: $1,574 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,852
/mo nomad
Seminyak, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,574
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $1,574 in Seminyak, Bali.

  • Melbourne $2,852
  • Seminyak, Bali $1,574

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $2,732 in Seminyak, Bali.

  • Melbourne $4,297
  • Seminyak, Bali $2,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $3,889 in Seminyak, Bali.

  • Melbourne $5,742
  • Seminyak, Bali $3,889

Living in Melbourne is roughly 81% more expensive than in Seminyak, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 113% above, Seminyak, Bali 17% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.75 A$25.40
$3.94 Rp 70.4K
350.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.8 A$121
$41.86 Rp 748.3K
102.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.16 A$17.40
$6.63 Rp 118.5K
83.41%
Cappuccino
$3.93 A$5.62
$3.07 Rp 54.9K
28.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 A$4.49
$2.03 Rp 36.2K
54.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 A$3.47
$0.97 Rp 17.4K
150.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.90 A$14.17
$3.08 Rp 55.0K
221.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.29 A$11.86
$5.14 Rp 91.8K
61.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 A$2.21
$1.62 Rp 28.9K
-4.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.01 A$4.31
$2.31 Rp 41.3K
30.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.88 A$4.12
$1.21 Rp 21.7K
138.02%
Eggs
$5.44 A$7.79
$2.28 Rp 40.7K
138.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.59 A$15.16
$18.45 Rp 329.9K
-42.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.61 A$13.76
$4.01 Rp 71.7K
139.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.99 A$21.46
$12.50 Rp 223.5K
19.92%
Apples (1kg)
$4.15 A$5.94
$3.82 Rp 68.3K
8.64%
Banana (1kg)
$3.05 A$4.37
$1.60 Rp 28.5K
90.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.30 A$4.72
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
38.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.76 A$6.81
$2.07 Rp 37.1K
129.95%
Potato (1kg)
$3.04 A$4.34
$1.91 Rp 34.2K
59.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 A$3.65
$2.52 Rp 45.0K
1.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 A$3.55
$1.03 Rp 18.4K
140.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 A$2.33
$0.55 Rp 9,900
196.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.07 A$63.1
$2.27 Rp 40.7K
1841.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.43 A$17.79
$23.82 Rp 425.8K
-47.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.33 A$7.63
$2.47 Rp 44.2K
115.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.16 A$7.38
$3.17 Rp 56.7K
62.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.84 A$5.50
$0.30 Rp 5,391
1180.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$142 A$203
$9.20 Rp 164.5K
1438.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.40 A$6.29
$0.55 Rp 9,837
700.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 A$2.01
$0.52 Rp 9,348
169.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.83 A$42.69
$2.65 Rp 47.4K
1025.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 A$2.09
$0.95 Rp 17.0K
53.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K A$40.3K
$27.8K Rp 496.1M
1.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K A$37.1K
$36.4K Rp 651.2M
-28.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$233 A$333
$85.0 Rp 1.5M
173.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.28 A$39.04
$7.01 Rp 125.3K
289.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.0 A$81.6
$19.32 Rp 345.3K
195.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.7 A$75.4
$61.2 Rp 1.1M
-13.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.62 A$32.37
$20.85 Rp 372.8K
8.49%
Cinema Ticket
$17.10 A$24.48
$5.01 Rp 89.5K
241.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,373 A$3,397
$528 Rp 9.4M
349.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.5K A$43.6K
$6,307 Rp 112.7M
383.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.2 A$112
$47.72 Rp 852.9K
63.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.5 A$72.2
$36.32 Rp 649.2K
38.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 A$172
$83.1 Rp 1.5M
45.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 A$191
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
60.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,713 A$2,451
$1,427 Rp 25.5M
20.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,402 A$2,006
$862 Rp 15.4M
62.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,339 A$4,778
$4,540 Rp 81.2M
-26.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,529 A$3,619
$2,181 Rp 39.0M
15.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,018 A$10.0K
$3,573 Rp 63.9M
96.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,767 A$9,685
$2,861 Rp 51.1M
136.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,228 A$6,051
-
-
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 Seminyak, Bali: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
$1.4K
Seminyak, Bali
$862 38.5% $540
Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
$385
Seminyak, Bali
$303 21.4% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
$317
Seminyak, Bali
$111 64.9% $206
Eating Out
Melbourne
$314
Seminyak, Bali
$126 59.9% $188
Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
$172
Seminyak, Bali
$113 34.6% $60
Getting Around
Melbourne
$168
Seminyak, Bali
$14 91.9% $155
Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
$87
Seminyak, Bali
$71 18.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Melbourne and $1,427 in Seminyak, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $42.00 in Seminyak, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $303 per month, with Seminyak, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🇮🇩 Seminyak, Bali
🕒 Local time
21:36 9:36 PM
18:36 6:36 PM
3 h behind Melbourne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,031,195
5,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Melbourne Seminyak, Bali 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Melbourne
  • Seminyak, 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 Seminyak, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Melbourne and in Seminyak, Bali?
Melbourne and Seminyak, Bali differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,852 vs $1,574 including rent). Seminyak, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Melbourne compared to Seminyak, Bali?
You'd need roughly $4,277 in Melbourne and $2,361 in Seminyak, 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Melbourne and in Seminyak, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,713 in Melbourne versus $1,427 in Seminyak, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Melbourne and Seminyak, Bali?
Childcare runs $2,373 in Melbourne versus $528 in Seminyak, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,574 in Seminyak, Bali versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Seminyak, Bali but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Seminyak, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Melbourne and Seminyak, Bali?
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.
Is Melbourne or Seminyak, Bali safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Melbourne and Seminyak, 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.
Where should expats move: Melbourne or Seminyak, Bali?
Expats usually find Seminyak, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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