Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pekanbaru and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $628 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pekanbaru
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$628
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,236
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $628 per month in Pekanbaru vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

  • Pekanbaru $628
  • Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $983 per month in Pekanbaru vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

  • Pekanbaru $983
  • Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $1,339 per month in Pekanbaru vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

  • Pekanbaru $1,339
  • Bali $2,937

Pekanbaru is about 49% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pekanbaru and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Pekanbaru 53% lower, Bali 8% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pekanbaru
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.43 Rp 25.8K
$2.76 Rp 49.7K
-48.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$8.20 Rp 147.6K
$29.80 Rp 536.4K
-72.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.41 Rp 43.4K
$4.63 Rp 83.3K
-47.95%
Cappuccino
$1.30 Rp 23.3K
$2.32 Rp 41.7K
-43.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 Rp 10.4K
$1.40 Rp 25.1K
-58.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 Rp 5,954
$0.64 Rp 11.5K
-48.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.07 Rp 37.3K
$2.19 Rp 39.4K
-5.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 Rp 62.1K
$3.58 Rp 64.5K
-3.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pekanbaru
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 Rp 23.3K
$1.49 Rp 26.7K
-12.75%
White Bread (500g)
$1.15 Rp 20.6K
$2.21 Rp 39.8K
-47.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
-23.93%
Eggs
$1.68 Rp 30.3K
$2.02 Rp 36.4K
-16.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 Rp 131.3K
$16.52 Rp 297.4K
-55.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.37 Rp 42.7K
$3.68 Rp 66.2K
-35.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.49 Rp 116.9K
$11.67 Rp 210.0K
-44.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.70 Rp 48.5K
$3.44 Rp 62.0K
-21.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 Rp 30.6K
$1.46 Rp 26.2K
16.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 Rp 43.4K
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
7.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 Rp 22.8K
$1.82 Rp 32.8K
-30.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 Rp 22.3K
$1.79 Rp 32.2K
-30.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$2.27 Rp 40.9K
-15.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 Rp 13.5K
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
-24.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 Rp 6,350
$0.51 Rp 9,186
-31.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.16 Rp 38.9K
$2.15 Rp 38.7K
0.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.45 Rp 386.0K
$21.44 Rp 386.0K
0.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
-16.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 Rp 54.2K
$2.86 Rp 51.5K
5.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Pekanbaru
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 Rp 5,230
$0.26 Rp 4,713
11.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.44 Rp 152.0K
$7.97 Rp 143.5K
5.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.92 Rp 16.6K
$0.48 Rp 8,646
91.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 Rp 7,154
$0.43 Rp 7,705
-6.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.68 Rp 48.2K
$5.64 Rp 101.6K
-52.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.76 Rp 13.6K
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
-7.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.3K Rp 418.9M
$23.7K Rp 426.6M
-1.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K Rp 468.5M
$31.7K Rp 571.3M
-17.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pekanbaru
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.1 Rp 1.1M
$81.3 Rp 1.5M
-23.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.99 Rp 107.9K
$6.53 Rp 117.6K
-8.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.78 Rp 428.1K
$18.31 Rp 329.7K
29.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pekanbaru
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.34 Rp 510.2K
$46.85 Rp 843.4K
-39.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.31 Rp 149.7K
$15.05 Rp 270.8K
-44.78%
Cinema Ticket
$3.03 Rp 54.6K
$3.69 Rp 66.5K
-17.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pekanbaru
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$96.0 Rp 1.7M
$445 Rp 8.0M
-78.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,773 Rp 139.9M
$5,218 Rp 93.9M
48.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pekanbaru
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.96 Rp 575.3K
$42.66 Rp 767.8K
-25.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.42 Rp 511.6K
$33.40 Rp 601.2K
-14.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$54.8 Rp 985.5K
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
-27.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.8 Rp 1.5M
$73.7 Rp 1.3M
9.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pekanbaru
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$262 Rp 4.7M
$996 Rp 17.9M
-73.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$145 Rp 2.6M
$596 Rp 10.7M
-75.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$540 Rp 9.7M
$3,054 Rp 55.0M
-82.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$356 Rp 6.4M
$1,511 Rp 27.2M
-76.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,070 Rp 19.3M
$2,430 Rp 43.7M
-55.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$807 Rp 14.5M
$1,963 Rp 35.3M
-58.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pekanbaru
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$176 Rp 3.2M
$220 Rp 4.0M
-20.11%
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 Pekanbaru: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Pekanbaru
$201
Bali
$277 37.8% $76
Accommodation & Living
Pekanbaru
$145
Bali
$596 312% $451
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pekanbaru
$92
Bali
$106 15.6% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Pekanbaru
$88
Bali
$101 14.7% $13
Eating Out
Pekanbaru
$55
Bali
$90 63.2% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Pekanbaru
$34
Bali
$54 57.6% $20
Getting Around
Pekanbaru
$13
Bali
$12 7% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $262 in Pekanbaru 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 25% higher in Bali, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Pekanbaru versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $277 – making Pekanbaru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Pekanbaru
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
05:47 5:47 AM
06:47 6:47 AM
1 h ahead of Pekanbaru
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,020,308
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Pekanbaru Bali 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Pekanbaru
  • 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
Pekanbaru vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pekanbaru or Bali?
Bali costs about 97% more than Pekanbaru, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Pekanbaru and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $942 per month in Pekanbaru and $1,854 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Pekanbaru or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pekanbaru, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Pekanbaru and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Pekanbaru and $30.00 in Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Pekanbaru compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $628 in Pekanbaru and $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 97%.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Pekanbaru or in Bali?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pekanbaru, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Bali at $1,236. In Pekanbaru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Pekanbaru or Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pekanbaru costs $628 versus $1,236 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Pekanbaru compared to Bali?
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.
Should I move to Pekanbaru or to Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Pekanbaru. 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.

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