Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pontianak and Denpasar, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $480 a month against $905 in Denpasar, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pontianak, Indonesia
Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
Pontianak
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$480
/mo nomad
Denpasar, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$905
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $480 in Pontianak versus $905 in Denpasar, Bali.

  • Pontianak $480
  • Denpasar, Bali $905

Estimated couple costs with rent: $596 in Pontianak versus $1,497 in Denpasar, Bali.

  • Pontianak $596
  • Denpasar, Bali $1,497

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $712 in Pontianak versus $2,089 in Denpasar, Bali.

  • Pontianak $712
  • Denpasar, Bali $2,089

Living in Pontianak costs roughly 47% less than in Denpasar, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pontianak 65% lower, Denpasar, Bali 34% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pontianak
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.70 Rp 30.8K
$2.23 Rp 40.6K
-23.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$8.37 Rp 152.2K
$23.40 Rp 425.3K
-64.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.84 Rp 51.6K
$3.84 Rp 69.8K
-26.04%
Cappuccino
$1.22 Rp 22.1K
$1.76 Rp 31.9K
-30.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 Rp 8,791
$1.16 Rp 21.1K
-58.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 Rp 4,183
$0.54 Rp 9,778
-57.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.77 Rp 50.3K
$1.80 Rp 32.7K
53.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 Rp 66.3K
$2.84 Rp 51.6K
28.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pontianak
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 Rp 19.6K
$1.22 Rp 22.2K
-11.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 Rp 24.8K
$1.78 Rp 32.3K
-23.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.92 Rp 16.7K
$0.98 Rp 17.8K
-6.12%
Eggs
$1.42 Rp 25.8K
$1.72 Rp 31.3K
-17.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$14.45 Rp 262.7K
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.39 Rp 61.6K
$3.22 Rp 58.5K
5.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$9.52 Rp 173.0K
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 Rp 54.7K
$2.92 Rp 53.1K
3.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 Rp 36.0K
$1.25 Rp 22.7K
58.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 Rp 39.5K
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
15.43%
Tomato (1kg)
-
$1.59 Rp 28.9K
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.87 Rp 34.1K
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$0.85 Rp 15.4K
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,270
$0.39 Rp 7,102
30.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.83 Rp 51.5K
$1.81 Rp 32.9K
56.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.95 Rp 398.9K
$17.97 Rp 326.7K
22.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 Rp 32.7K
$1.91 Rp 34.8K
-5.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 Rp 38.0K
$2.44 Rp 44.4K
-14.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Pontianak
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,836
$0.23 Rp 4,167
17.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$7.97 Rp 144.9K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.42 Rp 7,636
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.43 Rp 7,760
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.07 Rp 55.9K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.70 Rp 12.8K
$0.75 Rp 13.6K
-6.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.6K Rp 392.4M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$29.5K Rp 536.6M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pontianak
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$69.4 Rp 1.3M
$73.6 Rp 1.3M
-5.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.48 Rp 99.7K
$5.88 Rp 106.8K
-6.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.71 Rp 394.6K
$16.22 Rp 294.8K
33.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pontianak
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.72 Rp 431.1K
$35.04 Rp 636.8K
-32.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.57 Rp 210.3K
$12.85 Rp 233.6K
-9.96%
Cinema Ticket
$3.62 Rp 65.8K
$3.03 Rp 55.0K
19.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pontianak
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$378 Rp 6.9M
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$4,463 Rp 81.1M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pontianak
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.13 Rp 602.2K
$39.59 Rp 719.6K
-16.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.40 Rp 607.0K
$29.73 Rp 540.3K
12.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$67.0 Rp 1.2M
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$66.8 Rp 1.2M
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pontianak
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$167 Rp 3.0M
$591 Rp 10.7M
-71.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$111 Rp 2.0M
$360 Rp 6.5M
-69.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,857 Rp 33.8M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$889 Rp 16.2M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,448 Rp 26.3M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,176 Rp 21.4M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pontianak
Denpasar, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$265 Rp 4.8M
$279 Rp 5.1M
-5.14%
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 Denpasar, Bali: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pontianak
–
Denpasar, Bali
$360
Groceries & Markets
Pontianak
–
Denpasar, Bali
$233
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pontianak
–
Denpasar, Bali
$96
Clothing & Footwear
Pontianak
–
Denpasar, Bali
$91
Eating Out
Pontianak
–
Denpasar, Bali
$72
Sport & Entertainment
Pontianak
–
Denpasar, Bali
$41
Getting Around
Pontianak
–
Denpasar, Bali
$11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Pontianak and $591 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denpasar, Bali pays 5% 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 in Pontianak vs $23 in Denpasar, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $150 vs $233 per month, with Pontianak cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Pontianak
🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali
🕒 Local time
03:47 3:47 AM
04:47 4:47 AM
1 h ahead of Pontianak
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
672,440
788,445
💱 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 Denpasar, Bali 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pontianak
  • 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
Pontianak vs Denpasar, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Pontianak and in Denpasar, Bali?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $480 in Pontianak and $905 in Denpasar, Bali, so Pontianak is about 47% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Pontianak. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Pontianak and in Denpasar, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $167 in Pontianak versus $591 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Pontianak – a meal for two runs $8 versus $23 in Denpasar, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Pontianak or Denpasar, Bali?
All in, you’ll spend $480 per month in Pontianak versus $905 in Denpasar, Bali – Pontianak is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $1,000 go in Pontianak compared to Denpasar, Bali?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Pontianak gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Pontianak and Denpasar, Bali?
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.
How do I decide between Pontianak and Denpasar, Bali?
It comes down to priorities – Pontianak wins on affordability, Denpasar, Bali on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Pontianak vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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