Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pontianak and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $480 a month against $1,214 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pontianak, Indonesia
Bali, Indonesia
Pontianak
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$480
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,214
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $480 per month in Pontianak vs $1,214 in Bali, rent included.

  • Pontianak $480
  • Bali $1,214

A couple spends around $596 per month in Pontianak vs $2,047 in Bali, rent included.

  • Pontianak $596
  • Bali $2,047

A family of three spends $712 per month in Pontianak vs $2,880 in Bali, rent included.

  • Pontianak $712
  • Bali $2,880

Pontianak is about 60% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pontianak and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Pontianak 65% lower, Bali 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pontianak
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.70 Rp 30.8K
$2.73 Rp 49.6K
-37.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$8.37 Rp 152.2K
$28.91 Rp 525.5K
-71.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.84 Rp 51.6K
$4.56 Rp 82.9K
-37.72%
Cappuccino
$1.22 Rp 22.1K
$2.26 Rp 41.2K
-46.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 Rp 8,791
$1.43 Rp 25.9K
-66.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 Rp 4,183
$0.68 Rp 12.4K
-66.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.77 Rp 50.3K
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
24.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 Rp 66.3K
$3.68 Rp 66.9K
-0.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pontianak
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 Rp 19.6K
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
-27.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 Rp 24.8K
$2.18 Rp 39.7K
-37.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.92 Rp 16.7K
$1.14 Rp 20.7K
-19.30%
Eggs
$1.42 Rp 25.8K
$2.02 Rp 36.7K
-29.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$16.81 Rp 305.5K
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.39 Rp 61.6K
$3.57 Rp 64.9K
-5.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$11.31 Rp 205.5K
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 Rp 54.7K
$3.44 Rp 62.6K
-12.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 Rp 36.0K
$1.51 Rp 27.5K
31.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 Rp 39.5K
$2.19 Rp 39.8K
-0.91%
Tomato (1kg)
-
$1.88 Rp 34.2K
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.71 Rp 31.1K
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$2.32 Rp 42.1K
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$0.99 Rp 18.1K
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,270
$0.50 Rp 9,085
2.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.83 Rp 51.5K
$2.03 Rp 36.9K
39.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.95 Rp 398.9K
$21.49 Rp 390.6K
2.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 Rp 32.7K
$2.14 Rp 38.8K
-15.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 Rp 38.0K
$2.87 Rp 52.1K
-27.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Pontianak
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,836
$0.25 Rp 4,571
8.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.82 Rp 160.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.45 Rp 8,169
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.44 Rp 7,991
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.48 Rp 99.6K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.70 Rp 12.8K
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
-21.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$24.3K Rp 441.6M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$31.9K Rp 580.5M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pontianak
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$69.4 Rp 1.3M
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
-13.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.48 Rp 99.7K
$6.55 Rp 119.0K
-16.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.71 Rp 394.6K
$18.48 Rp 335.9K
17.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pontianak
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.72 Rp 431.1K
$40.66 Rp 739.0K
-41.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.57 Rp 210.3K
$14.93 Rp 271.3K
-22.51%
Cinema Ticket
$3.62 Rp 65.8K
$3.67 Rp 66.6K
-1.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pontianak
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$437 Rp 7.9M
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$5,063 Rp 92.0M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pontianak
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.13 Rp 602.2K
$43.62 Rp 792.8K
-24.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.40 Rp 607.0K
$32.69 Rp 594.2K
2.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$73.6 Rp 1.3M
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$74.3 Rp 1.4M
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pontianak
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$167 Rp 3.0M
$984 Rp 17.9M
-83.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$111 Rp 2.0M
$583 Rp 10.6M
-80.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,121 Rp 56.7M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,475 Rp 26.8M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,447 Rp 44.5M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,963 Rp 35.7M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pontianak
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$265 Rp 4.8M
$215 Rp 3.9M
23.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10
13.78
-27.43%

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

Last update for Pontianak: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pontianak
–
Bali
$583
Groceries & Markets
Pontianak
–
Bali
$275
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pontianak
–
Bali
$105
Clothing & Footwear
Pontianak
–
Bali
$101
Eating Out
Pontianak
–
Bali
$90
Sport & Entertainment
Pontianak
–
Bali
$48
Getting Around
Pontianak
–
Bali
$12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $167 in Pontianak versus $984 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 23% higher in Pontianak, 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 $8 in Pontianak versus $29 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $150 vs $275 – making Pontianak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Pontianak
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
03:34 3:34 AM
04:34 4:34 AM
1 h ahead of Pontianak
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
672,440
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pontianak Bali 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pontianak
  • 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
Pontianak vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pontianak or Bali?
Bali costs about 153% more than Pontianak, 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 Pontianak and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $720 per month in Pontianak and $1,821 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Pontianak or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pontianak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $167 there versus $984 in Bali.
How much does it cost to live in Pontianak compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $480 in Pontianak and $1,214 in Bali. That makes Pontianak about 60% cheaper.
Are groceries more expensive in Pontianak or in Bali?
Groceries cost about 84% more in Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Pontianak or in Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pontianak, where all-in costs run around $480, than in Bali at $1,214. In Pontianak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Pontianak or Bali?
It depends on your priorities. Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $480 in Pontianak to $1,214 in Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Pontianak vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?