Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pekanbaru and Denpasar, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $628 a month against $901 in Denpasar, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Pekanbaru
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Pekanbaru Living Index
44

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

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Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$628

/mo nomad

Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$901

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in Pekanbaru versus $901 in Denpasar, Bali.

Pekanbaru $628
Denpasar, Bali $901

Estimated couple costs with rent: $983 in Pekanbaru versus $1,508 in Denpasar, Bali.

Pekanbaru $983
Denpasar, Bali $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,339 in Pekanbaru versus $2,114 in Denpasar, Bali.

Pekanbaru $1,339
Denpasar, Bali $2,114

Living in Pekanbaru costs roughly 30% less than in Denpasar, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pekanbaru 53% lower, Denpasar, Bali 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

$2.18 Rp 39.2K

-34.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.20 Rp 147.6K

$23.40 Rp 421.2K

-64.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$3.76 Rp 67.7K

-35.90%

Cappuccino

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$1.84 Rp 33.1K

-29.35%

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

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

-46.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 5,954

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

-43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 Rp 37.3K

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

19.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

20.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$1.87 Rp 33.6K

-38.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

-5.32%

Eggs

$1.68 Rp 30.3K

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

-4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 Rp 131.3K

$13.93 Rp 250.7K

-47.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

$3.21 Rp 57.8K

-26.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.49 Rp 116.9K

$9.96 Rp 179.2K

-34.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 48.5K

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

-4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$1.31 Rp 23.5K

29.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

32.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.61 Rp 29.1K

-21.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

-16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.94 Rp 34.9K

-1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

-2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 Rp 6,350

$0.44 Rp 7,874

-20.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

17.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.45 Rp 386.0K

$18.51 Rp 333.2K

15.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

-0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.2K

$2.38 Rp 42.8K

26.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,230

$0.22 Rp 3,947

31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.44 Rp 152.0K

$7.14 Rp 128.5K

18.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

$0.39 Rp 7,042

135.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,154

$0.42 Rp 7,509

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 Rp 48.2K

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

-14.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

2.70%

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

$23.3K Rp 418.9M

$22.1K Rp 397.2M

5.46%

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

$26.0K Rp 468.5M

$28.1K Rp 506.3M

-7.46%

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

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

$74.5 Rp 1.3M

-16.67%

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

$5.99 Rp 107.9K

$5.86 Rp 105.5K

2.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.78 Rp 428.1K

$16.81 Rp 302.6K

41.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.34 Rp 510.2K

$39.47 Rp 710.5K

-28.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 Rp 149.7K

$13.07 Rp 235.3K

-36.42%

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

$3.16 Rp 56.9K

-4.11%

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

$96.0 Rp 1.7M

$373 Rp 6.7M

-74.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,773 Rp 139.9M

$4,499 Rp 81.0M

72.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.96 Rp 575.3K

$38.34 Rp 690.1K

-16.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.42 Rp 511.6K

$30.00 Rp 540.1K

-5.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 Rp 985.5K

$68.9 Rp 1.2M

-20.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 Rp 4.7M

$589 Rp 10.6M

-55.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 Rp 2.6M

$349 Rp 6.3M

-58.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 Rp 9.7M

$1,874 Rp 33.7M

-71.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 Rp 6.4M

$901 Rp 16.2M

-60.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,070 Rp 19.3M

$1,429 Rp 25.7M

-25.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 Rp 14.5M

$1,194 Rp 21.5M

-32.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$176 Rp 3.2M

$279 Rp 5.0M

-36.84%

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 Denpasar, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pekanbaru

$201 32%

Denpasar, Bali

$235 26.1% 16.9% $34

Accommodation & Living

Pekanbaru

$145 23.1%

Denpasar, Bali

$349 38.8% 141% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pekanbaru

$92 14.6%

Denpasar, Bali

$97 10.8% 5.8% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Pekanbaru

$88 14%

Denpasar, Bali

$92 10.2% 4.3% $3.8

Eating Out

Pekanbaru

$55 8.8%

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8% 30.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Pekanbaru

$34 5.5%

Denpasar, Bali

$46 5.1% 33.1% $11

Getting Around

Pekanbaru

$13 2%

Denpasar, Bali

$10 1.2% 16.2% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Pekanbaru and $589 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denpasar, Bali pays 58% 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: $8.00 in Pekanbaru vs $23.00 in Denpasar, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $235 per month, with Pekanbaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

11:25 11:25 AM

1 h ahead of Pekanbaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,308

788,445

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pekanbaru Denpasar, Bali 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pekanbaru
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

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

Pekanbaru and Denpasar, Bali differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($628 vs $901 including rent). Pekanbaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Denpasar, Bali. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $262 in Pekanbaru versus $589 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $628 per month in Pekanbaru versus $901 in Denpasar, Bali – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pekanbaru runs roughly 18% less than in Denpasar, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $628 in Pekanbaru versus $901 in Denpasar, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pekanbaru but tight or insufficient in Denpasar, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Pekanbaru 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, Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Denpasar, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.