Townleap

Cost of Living: Bali vs Hong Kong (2026)

Indonesia vs Hong Kong — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Bali
Hong Kong
$1,082/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$2,225/mo
5 yr
PR path
Freelance setup
UMKM
  • VAT-free under €275k
  • €200/yr accountant

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRBali is 51% cheaper on rent ($1,082/mo vs $2,225/mo). Bali scores 6.4 vs 5.2 on democracy. Neither city will test your commitment to owning a coat.
Bali edges ahead 63 to 58. Hong Kong isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.
How the livability score breaks down
Bali
Hong Kong
18.4/25
💰 Affordability
7.4/25
14.7/15
🔒 Violent Crime
14.6/15
4.9/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
7.8/10
2.7/15
Internet
5.3/15
9.7/15
🗳️ Democracy
7.8/15
4/10
🗣️ English
6.3/10
7.8/10
☀️ Climate
7.6/10
7.8/10
📊 Stability
8.3/10
5.1/10
🚗 Road Safety
4.3/10
6.9/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
5.9/10
Household
Bali
Metric
Hong Kong
$268/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$630/mo
$2,914
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$9,591
70 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
79 / 100
0.3 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.4 / 100k
11.3 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
49 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
78 / 100
84°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
86°F
77°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
57°F
36 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
20 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
52 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
67 / 100
6.4 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
5.2 / 10
3.9 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
5.9 / 9
12 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
58 / 100
25/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
38/100
$16k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$75k
2.2% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
1.7% · Boringly steady
60/100 — Patchy
Grid reliability
higher is better
56/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

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

💰
Cost of Living
Bali
$1,144/mo cheaper on rent alone
🗳️
Democracy
Bali
6.4/10 EIU index
🗣️
English
Hong Kong
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

29% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
36% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
12.6h
Shortest day
Dec
10.8h
11.6h
Longest day
Jun
13.5h

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

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
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
Partner can work immediately

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.

Permitted up to 24 weeks with approval of two registered medical practitioners on broad grounds including mental health.

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 Hong Kong — Common Questions

Is Bali cheaper than Hong Kong?

Bali is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1082/month there vs $2225/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bali or Hong Kong?

Bali is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bali has a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 and Hong Kong has 0.38 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bali or Hong Kong?

Bali edges ahead 63 to 58. Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong?

Bali: Indonesia Second Home Visa (complex process, 5 or 10 years). Hong Kong: Hong Kong Top Talent Pass (TTPS) (moderate requirements, 2 years (renewable, 7 years → permanent residency)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

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

Hong Kong is easier for street-level English (38/100) 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 Hong Kong?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1082/month in Bali, $2225/month in Hong Kong (Numbeo). That's 51% cheaper rent in Bali.

Is Bali or Hong Kong better for democracy and rule of law?

Bali scores 6.4/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 5.2/10 for Hong Kong. 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 Hong Kong?

Hong Kong scores higher on our composite healthcare index (67/100 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.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

Quiz →