Townleap

Cost of Living: Bali vs Bangalore (2026)

Indonesia vs India — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Bali
Bangalore
$1,082/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$324/mo
−$15k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$11k/yr
5 yr
PR path
Freelance setup
UMKM
  • VAT-free under €275k
  • €200/yr accountant
Proprietorship / Freelancer
  • VAT-free under €22k
  • €150/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRBangalore is 70% cheaper on rent ($324/mo vs $1,082/mo). Bali is safer — homicide rate 0.3 vs 2.8 per 100k. Neither city will test your commitment to owning a coat.
Too close to call — 66 vs 63. Bangalore has a slight edge, but Bali might suit you better depending on your priorities.
Household
Bali
Metric
Bangalore
$268/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$153/mo
$2,914
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$2,047
70 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
60 / 100
0.3 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
2.8 / 100k
11.3 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
14.6 / 100k
49 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
46 / 100
84°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
82°F
77°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
63°F
36 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
94 Mbps
20 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
21.8 μg/m³
52 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
54 / 100
6.4 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
7.3 / 10
3.9 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
4.0 / 9
12 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
51 / 100
25/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
30/100
$16k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$11k
2.2% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
5.0% · Boringly steady
60/100 — Patchy
Grid reliability
higher is better
62/100 — Patchy
56/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
62/100
A median Software Engineer in Bali takes home $962/mo under Standard employee. In Bangalore: $1,923/mo under Standard employee.
$960/mo more in Bangalore
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$13k
💰
Gross income
$31k
−$1k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$4k
−$525
🛡️
Social contributions
−$4k
$12k/yr
$962/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$23k/yr
$2k/mo
−$27k
🏠
Cost of living
−$12k
−$15k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
$11k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Bangalore
$757/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Bali
0.3 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Bangalore
7.3/10 EIU index
🗣️
English
Bangalore
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

29% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
31% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
12.6h
Shortest day
Dec
11.4h
11.6h
Longest day
Jun
12.9h

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
improving
stable
Inflation trend
improving
tourismhospitalitydigital-nomadsurfing-culture
Industries
it-servicesbiotechaerospacemanufacturing
nascent
Startup ecosystem
hub
Easy
🇺🇸 Your visa
Complex
Easy
EU visa
Complex
Easy
RU visa
Complex
Easy
UA visa
Complex
Partner cannot work on this visa
Spouse works
⚠️ Needs a separate work permit

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Life-threatening only
Abortion access
Broad social grounds
14 wk
Gestational limit
24 wk

Only for life-threatening emergencies or rape victims (up to 14 weeks). Highly restricted otherwise.

Legal up to 20 weeks with one doctor. Up to 24 weeks for special categories. Spousal consent not required.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Not recognized
Marriage
Not recognized
Not allowed
Adoption
Not allowed
No
Job protection
No
No
Hate crime law
No

Bali vs Bangalore — Common Questions

Is Bali cheaper than Bangalore?

Bangalore is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $324/month there vs $1082/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bali or Bangalore?

Bali is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bali has a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 and Bangalore has 2.83 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bali or Bangalore?

Too close to call — 66 vs 63. Bangalore has a slight edge, but Bali might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Bali or Bangalore?

Bali: Indonesia Second Home Visa (complex process, 5 or 10 years). Bangalore: India Employment Visa (moderate requirements, Up to 5 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Can I live in Bali or Bangalore without speaking the local language?

Bangalore is easier for street-level English (30/100) than Bali (25/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Bali vs Bangalore?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $324/month in Bangalore, $1082/month in Bali (Numbeo). That's 70% cheaper rent in Bangalore.

Is Bali or Bangalore better for democracy and rule of law?

Bangalore scores 7.3/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 6.4/10 for Bali. Both are functional democracies, though the gap matters if you're planning to stay long enough to care about local politics.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

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