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Bali vs Cebu cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ฉ Bali
๐ต๐ญ Cebu
At a glance
- Where Cebu is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (43%โ), SIM card (43%โ), Cocktail & wine (40%โ)
- Where Bali is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (42%โ), Local meal (39%โ), Convenience store (22%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Cebu is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bali 4 vs Cebu 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bali | Cebu | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 35,000$2.15 | โฑ 200$3.51 | Bali โ39% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 20,000$1.23 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Cebu โ14% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 175,000$10.7 | โฑ 550$9.65 | Cebu โ10% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 40,000$2.45 | โฑ 160$2.81 | Bali โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 40,000$2.45 | โฑ 85$1.49 | Cebu โ39% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 120,000$7.36 | โฑ 250$4.39 | Cebu โ40% |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | โฑ 22$0.39 | Bali โ21% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 10,000$0.61 | โฑ 45$0.79 | Bali โ22% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 35,000$2.15 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Bali โ18% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Bali โ13% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 4,000$0.25 | โฑ 13$0.23 | Cebu โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 75,000$4.6 | โฑ 450$7.89 | Bali โ42% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 800,000$49.1 | โฑ 2,100$36.8 | Cebu โ25% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 10,000,000$613 | โฑ 20,000$351 | Cebu โ43% |
| Laundry | Rp 15,000$0.92 | โฑ 40$0.7 | Cebu โ24% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 150,000$9.2 | โฑ 300$5.26 | Cebu โ43% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 60,000$3.68 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Cebu โ29% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 120,000$7.36 | โฑ 450$7.89 | Bali โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 500,000$30.7 | โฑ 1,800$31.6 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 75,000$4.6 | โฑ 250$4.39 | similar |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bali or Cebu?
Cebu is 21% cheaper than Bali. Daily budget $78.6 vs $69.8; a month $2,107 vs $1,465.
Which is easier to travel, Bali or Cebu?
Cebu is easier: Cebu 2.8/5 vs Bali 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bali and Cebu?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bali is about $2,107 and Cebu about $1,465 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.