Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nara and Bali

For one person, living costs are similar in Nara and in Bali: $1,215 and $1,236 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Nara
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Nara Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Nara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,215

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Nara vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

Nara $1,215
Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $1,828 per month in Nara vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

Nara $1,828
Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $2,442 per month in Nara vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

Nara $2,442
Bali $2,937

Nara is about 2% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nara and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Nara 10% lower, Bali 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ¥1,011

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

131.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.96 ¥5,049

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

7.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥805

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

10.15%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ¥392

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

6.90%

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

$1.30 ¥206

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 ¥489

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

41.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥483

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

-14.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ¥238

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

-39.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 ¥640

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

246.15%

Eggs

$2.13 ¥336

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

5.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 ¥1,517

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

-41.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 ¥1,108

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

90.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.82 ¥2,815

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

52.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 ¥539

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 ¥315

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ¥317

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-10.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 ¥633

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

120.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

-12.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ¥184

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

-48.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ¥177

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.51 Rp 9,186

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥604

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

77.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ¥1,500

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

-55.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥305

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

-15.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥337

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

-25.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 ¥245

$0.26 Rp 4,713

496.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.0 ¥11.4K

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

803.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 ¥510

$0.48 Rp 8,646

572.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 ¥447

$0.43 Rp 7,705

558.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.70 ¥2,480

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

178.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

35.37%

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

$21.9K ¥3.5M

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

-7.66%

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

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

-53.08%

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

$115 ¥18.2K

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

41.88%

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

$24.28 ¥3,836

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

271.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.63 ¥4,840

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

67.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.2 ¥13.0K

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

75.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.44 ¥1,176

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

-50.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 ¥1,872

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

221.14%

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

$511 ¥80.8K

$445 Rp 8.0M

14.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ¥2.0M

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

145.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.43 ¥7,652

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

13.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.90 ¥4,882

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

-7.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 ¥9,398

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

-20.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 ¥14.0K

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 ¥63.8K

$996 Rp 17.9M

-59.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥52.7K

$596 Rp 10.7M

-44.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 ¥128.0K

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

-73.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 ¥86.0K

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

-63.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,669 ¥421.6K

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

9.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,959 ¥309.5K

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

-0.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,110 ¥175.3K

$220 Rp 4.0M

403.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

13.78

-85.34%

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

Last update for Nara: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nara

$333 27.4%

Bali

$596 48.2% 78.8% $263

Groceries & Markets

Nara

$282 23.2%

Bali

$277 22.4% 1.8% $5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nara

$170 14%

Bali

$106 8.6% 37.7% $64

Eating Out

Nara

$126 10.4%

Bali

$90 7.3% 28.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nara

$106 8.7%

Bali

$54 4.4% 48.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Nara

$102 8.4%

Bali

$101 8.2% 1.2% $1.2

Getting Around

Nara

$96 7.9%

Bali

$12 0.9% 87.8% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Nara 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 404% higher in Nara, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Nara versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $282 vs $277 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nara

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

12:43 12:43 PM

1 h behind Nara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

355,280

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nara Bali 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nara
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

Nara vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 2% more than Nara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Nara 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 Nara, 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 $32.00 in Nara 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 $1,215 in Nara and $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 2%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nara, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Bali at $1,236. In Nara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nara costs $1,215 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 Nara. 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.