For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $625 a month against $1,224 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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 Tehran and in Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $625 per month in Tehran vs $1,224 in Bali, rent included.
Tehran $625
Bali $1,224
A couple spends around $1,071 per month in Tehran vs $2,064 in Bali, rent included.
Tehran $1,071
Bali $2,064
A family of three spends $1,516 per month in Tehran vs $2,904 in Bali, rent included.
Tehran $1,516
Bali $2,904
🙂
Tehran is about 49% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Tehran and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Tehran53% lower, Bali9% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Tehran
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.66$3.66
$2.74Rp 49.1K
33.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.96$17.96
$29.64Rp 530.3K
-39.41%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.96$3.96
$4.74Rp 84.7K
-16.46%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.69$0.69
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46$1.46
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.39$1.39
$2.22Rp 39.7K
-37.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49$0.49
$1.37Rp 24.5K
-64.23%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65$1.65
$0.66Rp 11.8K
150.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.21Rp 39.5K
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.62Rp 64.8K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tehran
Bali
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.70$0.70
$1.44Rp 25.8K
-51.39%
White Bread(500g)
$0.62$0.62
$2.17Rp 38.7K
-71.43%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.48$3.48
$1.12Rp 20.0K
210.71%
Eggs
$1.23$1.23
$1.97Rp 35.3K
-37.56%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.29$4.29
$16.41Rp 293.5K
-73.86%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.45$3.45
$3.63Rp 65.0K
-4.96%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.40$10.40
$11.53Rp 206.4K
-9.80%
Apples(1kg)
$1.40$1.40
$3.37Rp 60.2K
-58.46%
Banana(1kg)
$1.87$1.87
$1.46Rp 26.0K
28.08%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.20$1.20
$2.15Rp 38.5K
-44.19%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.67$0.67
$1.90Rp 34.0K
-64.74%
Potato(1kg)
$0.54$0.54
$1.80Rp 32.2K
-70.00%
Onion(1kg)
$0.47$0.47
$2.24Rp 40.1K
-79.02%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.58$0.58
$0.94Rp 16.8K
-38.30%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28$0.28
$0.48Rp 8,585
-41.67%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$0.77$0.77
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.51$0.51
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10$2.10
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.56$2.56
$2.14Rp 38.2K
19.63%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$21.94Rp 392.5K
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.26Rp 40.4K
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.77Rp 49.6K
-
🚌 Getting Around
Tehran
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.11$0.11
$0.26Rp 4,664
-57.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$5.46$5.46
$8.08Rp 144.5K
-32.43%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.52$0.52
$0.44Rp 7,859
18.18%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.29$0.29
$0.42Rp 7,497
-30.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.02$3.02
$5.66Rp 101.2K
-46.64%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.10$0.10
$0.90Rp 16.0K
-88.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.0K$50.0K
$24.2KRp 433.8M
106.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K$44.5K
$31.5KRp 563.6M
41.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tehran
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$12.91$12.91
$80.1Rp 1.4M
-83.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.64$1.64
$6.63Rp 118.6K
-75.26%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$3.79$3.79
$18.33Rp 327.9K
-79.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tehran
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$24.40$24.40
$45.56Rp 815.1K
-46.44%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.24$13.24
$15.24Rp 272.7K
-13.12%
Cinema Ticket
$1.96$1.96
$3.71Rp 66.4K
-47.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tehran
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$106$106
$442Rp 7.9M
-75.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,548$2,548
$5,246Rp 93.8M
-51.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tehran
Bali
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.42$26.42
$44.18Rp 790.3K
-40.20%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.23$37.23
$34.13Rp 610.6K
9.08%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$117$117
$77.2Rp 1.4M
51.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.0$75.0
$75.0Rp 1.3M
0.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tehran
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$420$420
$994Rp 17.8M
-57.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$267$267
$588Rp 10.5M
-54.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$941$941
$3,084Rp 55.2M
-69.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$637$637
$1,496Rp 26.8M
-57.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,238$1,238
$2,383Rp 42.6M
-48.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$708$708
$2,015Rp 36.1M
-64.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tehran
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$211$211
$223Rp 4.0M
-5.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
24.79
13.78
79.90%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Tehran: October 4, 2026
Last update for Bali: October 4, 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.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Tehran
$267 42.4%
Bali
$588 48% ↑ 120%$321
🛒Groceries & Markets
Tehran
$128 20.3%
Bali
$274 22.4% ↑ 115%$146
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Tehran
$115 18.2%
Bali
$104 8.5% ↓ 9.7%$11
🍽Eating Out
Tehran
$66 10.5%
Bali
$89 7.3% ↑ 34.2%$23
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Tehran
$28 4.5%
Bali
$53 4.3% ↑ 87%$25
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tehran
$18 2.9%
Bali
$105 8.6% ↑ 473%$87
🚌Getting Around
Tehran
$7.9 1.3%
Bali
$12 1% ↑ 47.8%$3.8
🏠Accommodation & Living
Tehran
$637 41.6%
Bali
$1.5K 51.3% ↑ 135%$858
🛒Groceries & Markets
Tehran
$310 20.3%
Bali
$613 21% ↑ 97.8%$303
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Tehran
$255 16.7%
Bali
$231 7.9% ↓ 9.7%$25
🍽Eating Out
Tehran
$222 14.5%
Bali
$319 10.9% ↑ 43.7%$97
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Tehran
$70 4.6%
Bali
$121 4.2% ↑ 73.5%$51
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tehran
$20 1.3%
Bali
$112 3.8% ↑ 459%$92
🚌Getting Around
Tehran
$16 1%
Bali
$24 0.8% ↑ 49.1%$7.8
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $420 in Tehran versus $994 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 6% 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 $18.00 in Tehran versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $128 vs $274 – making Tehran 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 March 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Tehran vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tehran or Bali?
Bali costs about 96% more than Tehran, 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 Tehran and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $938 per month in Tehran and $1,836 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Tehran or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tehran, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Tehran and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Tehran and $30.00 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 Tehran compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $625 in Tehran and $1,224 in Bali. That's a gap of about 96%.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Tehran or in Bali?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tehran, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Bali at $1,224. In Tehran it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Tehran or Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tehran costs $625 versus $1,224 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Tehran compared to Bali?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Tehran or to Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Tehran. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.