Townleap

Cost of Living: Bali vs Lisbon (2026)

Indonesia vs Portugal — relocation comparison

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

1BR centre

$1,616/mo
−$15k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

−$3k/yr
5 yr
PR path
5 yr
Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

IFICI (NHR 2.0)
Freelance setup
UMKM
  • VAT-free under €275k
  • €200/yr accountant
Trabalhador Independente
  • VAT-free under €15k
  • 21.4% social
  • €900/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRBali is 33% cheaper on rent ($1,082/mo vs $1,616/mo). Lisbon scores 8.1 vs 6.4 on democracy. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.
Lisbon scores 79 to Bali's 63 on livability — the gap is real. Bali has its charms, but the numbers favor Lisbon.
Household
Bali
Metric
Lisbon
$268/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$567/mo
$2,914
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$7,362
70 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
83 / 100
0.3 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.7 / 100k
11.3 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
7.2 / 100k
49 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
67 / 100
84°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
81°F
77°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
48°F
36 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
238 Mbps
20 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
10.6 μg/m³
52 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
81 / 100
6.4 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
8.1 / 10
12 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
67 / 100
25/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
100/100
$16k
💼
GDP per capita
higher is better
$52k
2.2% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
2.4% · Boringly steady
60/100 — Patchy
Grid reliability
higher is better
78/100 — Mostly stable
56/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
96/100
A median Software Engineer in Bali takes home $962/mo under Standard employee. In Lisbon: $3,150/mo under Standard employee.
$2,188/mo more in Lisbon
🎯 Lisbon's IFICI (NHR 2.0) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $3,691/mo instead.
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
$64k
−$1k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$19k
−$525
🛡️
Social contributions
−$7k
$12k/yr
$962/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$38k/yr
$3k/mo
−$27k
🏠
Cost of living
−$40k
−$15k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
−$3k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

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

💰
Cost of Living
Bali
$535/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Bali
0.3 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Lisbon
8.1/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
84°F vs 81°F summers
🗣️
English
Lisbon
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

29% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
65% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
12.6h
Shortest day
Dec
9.5h
11.6h
Longest day
Jun
14.9h

Sun clocks out early in Lisbon's winter. Plan accordingly.

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

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
stable
stable
Inflation trend
improving
tourismhospitalitydigital-nomadsurfing-culture
Industries
fintechhealthtechgreentechai
nascent
Startup ecosystem
active
Easy
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
Easy
EU visa
Easy
Easy
RU visa
Complex
Easy
UA visa
Moderate
Partner cannot work on this visa
Spouse works
Partner can work immediately
Partner pathway
Recognized (2+ yr)
união de facto
Retiree visa
920/mo

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
10 wk

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

On request up to 10 weeks since 2007 referendum. Mandatory 3-day reflection period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Not recognized
Marriage
Legal
Not allowed
Adoption
Joint adoption
No
Job protection
Yes
No
Hate crime law
Yes

Bali vs Lisbon — Common Questions

Is Bali cheaper than Lisbon?

Bali is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1082/month there vs $1616/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bali or Lisbon?

Bali is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bali has a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 and Lisbon has 0.69 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bali or Lisbon?

Lisbon scores 79 to Bali's 63 on livability — the gap is real. Bali has its charms, but the numbers favor Lisbon. 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 Lisbon?

Bali: Indonesia Second Home Visa (complex process, 5 or 10 years). Lisbon: Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 2 years (renewable for 3-year periods)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Bali or Lisbon?

Bali is warmer in summer (84°F vs 81°F). Lisbon has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

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

Lisbon is easier for street-level English (100/100) 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 Lisbon?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1082/month in Bali, $1616/month in Lisbon (Numbeo). That's 33% cheaper rent in Bali.

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

Lisbon scores 8.1/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 6.4/10 for Bali. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Is healthcare better in Bali or Lisbon?

Lisbon scores higher on our composite healthcare index (81/100 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

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