Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Nanjing is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bali 4 vs Nanjing 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Bali | Nanjing | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 35,000$2.15 | ยฅ 30$4.23 | Bali โ49% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 20,000$1.23 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Bali โ42% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 175,000$10.7 | ยฅ 80$11.3 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 40,000$2.45 | ยฅ 25$3.52 | Bali โ30% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 40,000$2.45 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Nanjing โ14% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 120,000$7.36 | ยฅ 50$7.04 | similar |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Nanjing โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 10,000$0.61 | ยฅ 3.5$0.49 | Nanjing โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 35,000$2.15 | ยฅ 16$2.25 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | ยฅ 11$1.55 | Bali โ41% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 4,000$0.25 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Bali โ13% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 75,000$4.6 | ยฅ 30$4.23 | Nanjing โ8% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 800,000$49.1 | ยฅ 320$45.1 | Nanjing โ8% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 10,000,000$613 | ยฅ 3,000$423 | Nanjing โ31% |
| Laundry | Rp 15,000$0.92 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Bali โ56% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 150,000$9.2 | ยฅ 100$14.1 | Bali โ35% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 60,000$3.68 | ยฅ 35$4.93 | Bali โ25% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 120,000$7.36 | ยฅ 120$16.9 | Bali โ56% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 500,000$30.7 | ยฅ 200$28.2 | Nanjing โ8% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 75,000$4.6 | ยฅ 35$4.93 | Bali โ7% |
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%+.
Nanjing is 9% cheaper than Bali. Daily budget $78.6 vs $82.1; a month $2,107 vs $1,612.
Nanjing is easier: Nanjing 2.4/5 vs Bali 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bali is about $2,107 and Nanjing about $1,612 per month.
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.