Lombok Budget Calculator
- Housing + utilities $558 42%
- Food & drink $450 34%
- Getting around $90 7%
- Work + connectivity $113 8%
- Health, gym, fun $131 10%
These are mid-market figures. Paying with a typical bank card in Lombok adds roughly 3% on top, about $40 a month on this budget. Find the best travel card for Lombok →
A solo digital-nomad month, per person, side by side with places in the region.
A month here is about 48% of a mid-size US city.
See the cost breakdown
- Rent (1-bed) 1× 1-bed $463
- Utilities + internet flat estimate $95
- Eating out (local) 32 × $2.92 $93
- Eating out (mid-range) 16 × $8.18 $131
- Groceries (cooking in) 32 meals × $2.08 $66
- Coffees 45 × $2.92 $131
- Beers out 10 × $2.82 $28
- Getting around scooter + 12 taxis $90
- Coworking $92/mo $92
- SIM / data 7-day SIM × 4 $22
- Gym $27/mo $27
- Massages 2 × $10 $21
- Health (amortised) GP + dentist ÷ 12 $3.06
- Nightlife / buffer flat estimate $80
Figures assume a long-term stay (30+ days) and cover rent, food, transport, internet and everyday spending. Flights, visas and insurance aren't included. Rent, utilities and internet are shared across the household; everything else is per person. Rent, food and transport use the tracked prices below; utilities, the buffer and amortised health are modelled estimates.
Prices last checked between May and August 2026
Average prices in Lombok
Lombok offers a more authentic experience and is significantly cheaper than Bali, with mid-range hotels costing around $25-40 per night. You can live comfortably here on $70-100 per day, enjoying local food and activities without breaking the bank.
Where a business publishes a price we use it and name it: 83 of them sit behind the rows above, last checked between May and August 2026, and the i beside a price shows which. Where no business publishes one, a taxi fare or a long-term rent, the figure is an estimate drawn from published local sources. How these prices are collected ↗
Rent in Lombok by area
Where you stay makes the biggest difference. Areas below are listed priciest first against the island average, using our own estimates from local listings:
- Gili Islands Pricier The Gili Islands off the northwest coast are car-free and tourist-driven, so rent and everyday costs carry an island premium. Charming, but the priciest base on this list.
- Kuta Lombok Pricier Kuta Lombok in the south is the main surf and remote-work hub, with the island's best cafes and a growing villa market. Rents have climbed above the island average.
- Senggigi Mid Senggigi is the established west-coast resort area, quieter than it once was, with rents around the island average and easy access to Mataram.
- Mataram Cheaper Mataram is Lombok's real city, local and cheap, with the lowest rents and everyday prices. The trade-off is being away from the beaches and the surf.
- Tetebatu Cheaper Tetebatu and the inland highlands are cool, green and very cheap, with rice-field views. Peaceful and low-cost, but far from the coast and short on nightlife.
Is Lombok expensive?
Lombok is cheap for rent, local food and a scooter, and closer to home prices for anything imported or aimed at tourists, especially on the Gilis. Most of the extra spending is cafes, villas and nightly stays rather than rent.
A comfortable month costs less than Bali, mostly on rent and eating out, which is a big part of the draw for people priced out of Canggu. It sits among the cheaper spots in the Indonesia cost of living picture.
Sending money to Lombok
If your income is abroad, you are moving money into rupiah for rent, deposits and daily spending. A weak rate plus a transfer fee can cost 3 to 5% each time, which adds up against what you save over Bali.
Rent and deposits are usually cash or bank transfer, and the smaller places often want several months up front. Check what you would receive today, then the full Indonesia money guide covers ATMs, cards and QRIS.
What you'll receive today
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Paying rent, using ATMs, tapping a card? See the full Indonesia money guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How much do you need per month to live in Lombok?
For one person, plan on about $650 for a basic setup, $1,340 for a comfortable digital-nomad month with a one-bed and coworking, and $2,300 for a pool-villa-and-car life. Set your own household size, area and currency in the calculator above.
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Can you live in Lombok on $1,000 a month?
Yes, comfortably in most of the island. Inland or in Mataram it goes a long way; in Kuta Lombok or on the Gilis it is fine but tighter once you add cafes and a villa.
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Is Lombok cheaper than Bali?
Yes, mainly on rent and eating out. Local food and a scooter cost about the same in both. Lombok's savings come from lower villa and cafe prices and far less tourist markup, outside the Gili Islands.
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What costs do people forget when budgeting for Lombok?
Health insurance and visa costs, as anywhere. After that it is the Gili premium on rent and food, boat trips between the coast and the islands, and nightly stays when you never sign a monthly lease. Imported goods cost more here than in Bali too.
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Do you need a scooter in Lombok?
Effectively yes. Public transport is thin and distances between the surf, the city and the coast are real, so a scooter is how most people get around, and it is cheap. The Basic and Digital Nomad settings assume a monthly rental; Luxury swaps it for a car.