Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palembang and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Palembang: $615 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 Palembang
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Palembang Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Palembang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$615

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $615 per month in Palembang vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

Palembang $615
Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $980 per month in Palembang vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

Palembang $980
Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $1,344 per month in Palembang vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

Palembang $1,344
Bali $2,937

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

Both Palembang and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Palembang 54% lower, Bali 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 Rp 20.4K

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

-58.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.00 Rp 287.9K

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

-46.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 Rp 50.8K

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

-39.09%

Cappuccino

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

-44.40%

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

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,503

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

-60.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

-22.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 Rp 58.9K

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

-8.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Rp 20.1K

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

-24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

-47.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

-29.91%

Eggs

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

-39.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.24 Rp 130.4K

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

-56.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 Rp 53.9K

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

-18.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 Rp 133.9K

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

-36.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

-34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

-23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.5K

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-34.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

-24.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

-34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 35.0K

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

-14.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

-34.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,856

$0.51 Rp 9,186

-13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

2.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.49 Rp 386.7K

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

0.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

-17.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 Rp 52.9K

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

2.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 Rp 7,878

$0.26 Rp 4,713

69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,526

$0.48 Rp 8,646

10.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,284

$0.43 Rp 7,705

-6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 Rp 51.2K

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

-49.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

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

$23.2K Rp 417.8M

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

-2.06%

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

$31.6K Rp 568.7M

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

-0.45%

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

$71.6 Rp 1.3M

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

-11.99%

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

$4.39 Rp 79.0K

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

-32.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 Rp 345.5K

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

4.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.72 Rp 355.0K

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

-57.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.99 Rp 143.8K

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

-46.91%

Cinema Ticket

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

-22.76%

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

$90.1 Rp 1.6M

$445 Rp 8.0M

-79.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,423 Rp 151.6M

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

61.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.78 Rp 770.0K

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

0.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 Rp 517.8K

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

-13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 Rp 1.3M

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

-5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 Rp 4.1M

$996 Rp 17.9M

-76.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.6M

$596 Rp 10.7M

-75.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 Rp 9.6M

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

-82.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 Rp 6.5M

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

-76.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,254 Rp 22.6M

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

-48.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 Rp 15.9M

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

-54.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$309 Rp 5.6M

$220 Rp 4.0M

40.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

13.78

-31.35%

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

Last update for Palembang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Palembang

$194 31.5%

Bali

$277 22.4% 42.7% $83

Accommodation & Living

Palembang

$147 23.9%

Bali

$596 48.2% 305% $449

Clothing & Footwear

Palembang

$97 15.8%

Bali

$101 8.2% 4.4% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palembang

$95 15.5%

Bali

$106 8.6% 11.6% $11

Eating Out

Palembang

$52 8.5%

Bali

$90 7.3% 71.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Palembang

$25 4.1%

Bali

$54 4.4% 113% $29

Getting Around

Palembang

$4.3 * 0.7%

Bali

$12 0.9% 171% $7.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $230 in Palembang 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 40% higher in Palembang, 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 $16.00 in Palembang versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $277 – making Palembang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Palembang

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

15:59 3:59 PM

1 h ahead of Palembang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,708,413

💱 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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Between locations

Palembang Bali 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Palembang
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

Palembang vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 101% more than Palembang, 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 $923 per month in Palembang 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 Palembang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $615 in Palembang and $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 101%.

Kindergarten costs $90.1 per month in Palembang and $445 in Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palembang, where all-in costs run around $615, than in Bali at $1,236. In Palembang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Palembang costs $615 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 Palembang. 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.