Townleap

Cost of Living: Bali vs Da Nang (2026)

Indonesia vs Vietnam — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Bali
Da Nang
$1,082/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$475/mo
−$15k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

−$2k/yr
5 yr
PR path
Freelance setup
UMKM
  • VAT-free under €275k
  • €200/yr accountant
No freelance status for foreigners
  • VAT-free under €4k
  • €200/yr accountant

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRDa Nang is 56% cheaper on rent ($475/mo vs $1,082/mo). Bali is safer — homicide rate 0.3 vs 1.5 per 100k. Neither city will test your commitment to owning a coat.
Da Nang edges ahead 68 to 63. Bali isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.
Household
Bali
Metric
Da Nang
$268/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$148/mo
$2,914
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$1,937
70 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
55 / 100
0.3 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
1.5 / 100k
11.3 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
17.7 / 100k
49 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
77 / 100
84°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
93°F
77°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
68°F
36 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
245 Mbps
20 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
18.6 μg/m³
52 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
65 / 100
6.4 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
2.6 / 10
3.9 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
6.1 / 9
12 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
38 / 100
25/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
25/100
$16k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$16k
2.2% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
3.6% · Boringly steady
60/100 — Patchy
Grid reliability
higher is better
56/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
A median Software Engineer in Bali takes home $962/mo under Standard employee. In Da Nang: $1,016/mo under Standard employee.
$54/mo more in Da Nang
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
$14k
−$1k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$244
−$525
🛡️
Social contributions
−$1k
$12k/yr
$962/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$12k/yr
$1k/mo
−$27k
🏠
Cost of living
−$14k
−$15k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
−$2k/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
Da Nang
$607/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Bali
0.3 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Bali
6.4/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
84°F vs 93°F summers
🗣️
English
Da Nang
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

29% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
28% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
12.6h
Shortest day
Dec
11.2h
11.6h
Longest day
Jun
13.1h

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

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
declining
stable
Inflation trend
stable
tourismhospitalitydigital-nomadsurfing-culture
Industries
nascent
Startup ecosystem
Easy
🇺🇸 Your visa
Easy
EU visa
Easy
RU visa
Easy
UA visa
Partner cannot work on this visa
Spouse works

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
On request
14 wk
Gestational limit
22 wk

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

Legal on request with no strict statutory limit. Guidelines recommend up to 22 weeks.

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 Da Nang — Common Questions

Is Bali cheaper than Da Nang?

Da Nang is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $475/month there vs $1082/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bali or Da Nang?

Bali is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bali has a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 and Da Nang has 1.53 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bali or Da Nang?

Da Nang edges ahead 68 to 63. Bali isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. 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 Da Nang?

Bali: Indonesia Second Home Visa (complex process, 5 or 10 years). Da Nang: Vietnam E-Visa (90-day) (moderate requirements, 90 days, multiple-entry — renew by re-applying). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Bali or Da Nang?

Da Nang is warmer in summer (93°F vs 84°F). Bali has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Bali vs Da Nang?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $475/month in Da Nang, $1082/month in Bali (Numbeo). That's 56% cheaper rent in Da Nang.

Is Bali or Da Nang better for democracy and rule of law?

Bali scores 6.4/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 2.6/10 for Da Nang. Both are functional democracies, though the gap matters if you're planning to stay long enough to care about local politics.

Is healthcare better in Bali or Da Nang?

Da Nang scores higher on our composite healthcare index (65/100 vs 52/100 for Bali). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

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

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