For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $307 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shimla and in Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $307 per month in Shimla vs $1,187 in Bali, rent included.
Shimla $307
Bali $1,187
A couple spends around $500 per month in Shimla vs $2,004 in Bali, rent included.
Shimla $500
Bali $2,004
A family of three spends $694 per month in Shimla vs $2,822 in Bali, rent included.
Shimla $694
Bali $2,822
🙂
Shimla is about 74% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Shimla and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Shimla77% lower, Bali12% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Shimla
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.61₹152
$2.80Rp 50.6K
-42.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.43₹985
$28.85Rp 520.8K
-63.85%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.14₹297
$4.76Rp 86.0K
-34.03%
Cappuccino
$0.84₹79.4
$2.23Rp 40.3K
-62.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37₹35.10
$1.30Rp 23.4K
-71.54%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.11₹9.94
$0.56Rp 10.2K
-80.36%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.57₹149
$2.23Rp 40.3K
-29.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13₹201
$3.55Rp 64.1K
-40.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shimla
Bali
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.69₹65.3
$1.41Rp 25.4K
-51.06%
White Bread(500g)
$0.40₹37.63
$2.18Rp 39.4K
-81.65%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.59₹55.9
$1.05Rp 18.9K
-43.81%
Eggs
$0.84₹79.2
$1.92Rp 34.7K
-56.25%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.33₹409
$14.84Rp 267.9K
-70.82%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.18₹300
$3.86Rp 69.7K
-17.62%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
-
$10.69Rp 192.9K
-
Apples(1kg)
$1.81₹171
$3.34Rp 60.2K
-45.81%
Banana(1kg)
$0.71₹67.2
$1.46Rp 26.4K
-51.37%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.65₹61.1
$2.22Rp 40.1K
-70.72%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.48₹45.29
$1.80Rp 32.6K
-73.33%
Potato(1kg)
$0.28₹26.10
$1.72Rp 31.0K
-83.72%
Onion(1kg)
$0.34₹32.35
$2.23Rp 40.2K
-84.75%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.20₹18.87
$0.92Rp 16.5K
-78.26%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30₹28.58
$0.46Rp 8,308
-34.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.42₹323
$2.06Rp 37.1K
66.02%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.22₹777
$20.38Rp 367.8K
-59.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49₹140
$2.16Rp 39.1K
-31.02%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10₹198
$2.85Rp 51.4K
-26.32%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
$3.84₹363
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Shimla
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.22₹20.78
$0.25Rp 4,531
-12.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$7.98₹754
$8.68Rp 156.7K
-8.06%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.08₹102
$0.44Rp 7,956
145.45%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.34₹31.66
$0.43Rp 7,766
-20.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.08₹102
$5.38Rp 97.2K
-79.93%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.05₹99.3
$0.85Rp 15.3K
23.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$8,473₹800.4K
$23.7KRp 428.5M
-64.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.9K₹1.7M
$32.9KRp 592.9M
-45.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shimla
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$18.37₹1,735
$76.7Rp 1.4M
-76.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.23₹305
$6.33Rp 114.2K
-48.97%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.05₹666
$18.93Rp 341.6K
-62.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shimla
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$14.09₹1,331
$41.65Rp 751.7K
-66.17%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.67₹1,008
$14.78Rp 266.7K
-27.81%
Cinema Ticket
$3.09₹292
$3.58Rp 64.6K
-13.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shimla
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$42.31₹3,997
$437Rp 7.9M
-90.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,170₹205.0K
$11.0KRp 199.2M
-80.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shimla
Bali
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$24.95₹2,357
$43.09Rp 777.7K
-42.10%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.61₹2,042
$33.51Rp 604.8K
-35.51%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$38.77₹3,662
$75.0Rp 1.4M
-48.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$25.88₹2,445
$73.9Rp 1.3M
-64.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shimla
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$87.8₹8,296
$957Rp 17.3M
-90.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$52.3₹4,941
$570Rp 10.3M
-90.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$204₹19.3K
$3,028Rp 54.6M
-93.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$124₹11.8K
$1,446Rp 26.1M
-91.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$561₹53.0K
$2,096Rp 37.8M
-73.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$558₹52.7K
$1,885Rp 34.0M
-70.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shimla
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$617₹58.3K
$215Rp 3.9M
186.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.25
13.78
-40.13%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Shimla: November 1, 2026
Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Shimla
$98 31.9%
Bali
$263 22.2% ↑ 169%$165
🏠Accommodation & Living
Shimla
$52 17%
Bali
$570 48% ↑ 990%$518
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Shimla
$50 16.3%
Bali
$101 8.6% ↑ 103%$51
🍽Eating Out
Shimla
$46 15.1%
Bali
$89 7.5% ↑ 92.3%$43
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shimla
$29 9.3%
Bali
$102 8.6% ↑ 256%$73
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Shimla
$20 6.6%
Bali
$49 4.1% ↑ 141%$29
🚌Getting Around
Shimla
$12 3.8%
Bali
$12 1% ↑ 5.7%$0.7
🛒Groceries & Markets
Shimla
$210 30.3%
Bali
$589 20.9% ↑ 180%$379
🏠Accommodation & Living
Shimla
$124 17.9%
Bali
$1.4K 51.2% ↑ 1062%$1.3K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Shimla
$111 16%
Bali
$225 8% ↑ 103%$114
🍽Eating Out
Shimla
$141 20.3%
Bali
$315 11.2% ↑ 124%$174
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shimla
$32 4.6%
Bali
$108 3.8% ↑ 240%$76
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Shimla
$51 7.4%
Bali
$112 4% ↑ 120%$61
🚌Getting Around
Shimla
$24 3.4%
Bali
$25 0.9% ↑ 5.8%$1.4
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $88 in Shimla versus $957 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 in Shimla are about 2.9 times higher, 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 $10 in Shimla versus $29 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $98 vs $263 – making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Shimla vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Shimla or Bali?
Bali costs about 286% more than Shimla, 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 Shimla and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $461 per month in Shimla and $1,780 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Shimla or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Shimla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $88 there versus $957 in Bali.
How do dining costs compare in Shimla and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Shimla and $29 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 Shimla compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $307 in Shimla and $1,187 in Bali. That makes Shimla about 74% cheaper.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Shimla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Shimla compared to Bali?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Shimla is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 74% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.