Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semarang and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $593 a month against $1,214 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
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Semarang Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$593

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $593 per month in Semarang vs $1,214 in Bali, rent included.

Semarang $593
Bali $1,214

A couple spends around $938 per month in Semarang vs $2,047 in Bali, rent included.

Semarang $938
Bali $2,047

A family of three spends $1,282 per month in Semarang vs $2,880 in Bali, rent included.

Semarang $1,282
Bali $2,880

Semarang is about 51% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Semarang and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Semarang 56% lower, Bali 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

$2.73 Rp 49.6K

-50.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.53 Rp 191.3K

$28.91 Rp 525.5K

-63.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.04 Rp 55.3K

$4.56 Rp 82.9K

-33.33%

Cappuccino

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

$2.26 Rp 41.2K

-43.36%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,808

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

-69.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 Rp 2,847

$0.68 Rp 12.4K

-76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

-26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 Rp 59.1K

$3.68 Rp 66.9K

-11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

-29.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

$2.18 Rp 39.7K

-57.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

$1.14 Rp 20.7K

-30.70%

Eggs

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

$2.02 Rp 36.7K

-41.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 70.2K

$16.81 Rp 305.5K

-77.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 42.4K

$3.57 Rp 64.9K

-34.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.55 Rp 137.3K

$11.31 Rp 205.5K

-33.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.7K

$3.44 Rp 62.6K

-43.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

$1.51 Rp 27.5K

-15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

-17.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

-21.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

$1.71 Rp 31.1K

-25.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

$2.32 Rp 42.1K

-18.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 Rp 17.0K

$0.99 Rp 18.1K

-6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,359

$0.50 Rp 9,085

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.87 Rp 34.1K

$2.03 Rp 36.9K

-7.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.05 Rp 455.2K

$21.49 Rp 390.6K

16.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

$2.14 Rp 38.8K

-23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

-32.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,816

$0.25 Rp 4,571

-16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.93 Rp 253.1K

$8.82 Rp 160.3K

57.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,128

$0.45 Rp 8,169

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,331

$0.44 Rp 7,991

-34.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 Rp 48.8K

$5.48 Rp 99.6K

-50.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

-13.48%

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

$24.5K Rp 446.0M

$24.3K Rp 441.6M

0.99%

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

$32.2K Rp 585.5M

$31.9K Rp 580.5M

0.85%

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

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

7.86%

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

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$6.55 Rp 119.0K

-59.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.96 Rp 344.7K

$18.48 Rp 335.9K

2.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.30 Rp 368.9K

$40.66 Rp 739.0K

-50.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.49 Rp 81.5K

$14.93 Rp 271.3K

-69.93%

Cinema Ticket

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

$3.67 Rp 66.6K

-38.69%

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

$49.33 Rp 896.6K

$437 Rp 7.9M

-88.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,076 Rp 37.7M

$5,063 Rp 92.0M

-59.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.61 Rp 629.1K

$43.62 Rp 792.8K

-20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.31 Rp 532.7K

$32.69 Rp 594.2K

-10.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

-23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.07 Rp 691.9K

$74.3 Rp 1.4M

-48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 Rp 4.1M

$984 Rp 17.9M

-77.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.5M

$583 Rp 10.6M

-76.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 Rp 8.7M

$3,121 Rp 56.7M

-84.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 Rp 6.9M

$1,475 Rp 26.8M

-74.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,223 Rp 22.2M

$2,447 Rp 44.5M

-50.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$833 Rp 15.1M

$1,963 Rp 35.7M

-57.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$186 Rp 3.4M

$215 Rp 3.9M

-13.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.82

13.78

-35.99%

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

Last update for Semarang: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Semarang

$184 31%

Bali

$275 22.7% 49.6% $91

Accommodation & Living

Semarang

$136 23%

Bali

$583 48% 327% $446

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Semarang

$108 18.2%

Bali

$105 8.6% 2.7% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Semarang

$71 12%

Bali

$101 8.3% 41.6% $30

Eating Out

Semarang

$52 8.8%

Bali

$90 7.4% 71.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Semarang

$25 4.2%

Bali

$48 4% 93.5% $23

Getting Around

Semarang

$17 2.8%

Bali

$12 1% 25.4% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Semarang 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 16% 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 $11 in Semarang versus $29 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $275 – making Semarang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Semarang

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

02:58 2:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

1 h ahead of Semarang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,555,984

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Semarang Bali 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Semarang
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

Semarang vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 105% more than Semarang, 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 $890 per month in Semarang and $1,821 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Semarang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $984 in Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Semarang and $29 in Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $593 in Semarang and $1,214 in Bali. That makes Semarang about 51% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Semarang, where all-in costs run around $593, than in Bali at $1,214. In Semarang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Semarang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Semarang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.