Bali Cost of Living 2026

Bali scores 22/100 on the Anchor Cost Index, making it an affordable city by global standards. It ranks #124 of 160 cities worldwide — more expensive than 23% of the cities in our dataset — and #8 of 15 in Southeast Asia.

The headline numbers: a one-bedroom apartment averages $578/month, a Big Mac costs $2.54, a 5 km Uber ride is $1.80, and a Starbucks latte runs $2.10. Together these anchor prices place Bali below the global midpoint for day-to-day living costs.

Depending on lifestyle, a single person needs between $1,130 and $1,600 per month in Bali. A backpacker staying in hostels and eating locally gets by on about $1,130, a digital nomad with coliving and coworking spends around $1,193, and an expat professional living centrally should plan for $1,600. A small family of three needs roughly $2,152/month.

For the typical digital nomad budget, housing absorbs about 41% ($495) and food about 37% ($442), with transport, utilities and entertainment making up the rest. That means the fastest way to cut costs in Bali is on accommodation — the other categories offer far less room to economize.

Location matters enormously for rent in Bali: a one-bedroom in the city center averages $770/month, while the same apartment outside the center costs about $385 — meaning central living carries a 100% premium. That is a steep premium, so most budget-conscious residents look beyond the center first.

Short-term flexibility costs extra: a monthly Airbnb runs about $990, 29% more than a long-term central lease, while coliving spaces average $495/month and bundle utilities and community in.

The average after-tax salary in Bali is about $950/month. Median rent consumes roughly 61% of that — far above the 30% affordability guideline, making local salaries a poor match for housing costs. Food costs absorb a further 16% of an average salary. This is why Bali tends to feel more affordable to remote workers earning foreign salaries than to locals.

Based on our derived metrics, Bali is a strong base for remote work (nomad score 75/100), with coworking memberships at about $115/month. For households, family relocation is well supported (family score 70/100) — budget around $8,400/year for an international school. Use the comparison tool to weigh Bali directly against the cities on your shortlist.