Back to Resources

    Bali vs Edinburgh: A Complete Data-Driven Comparison

    ๐ŸŒด

    Bali

    Indonesia ยท $1,200/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad
    ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ

    Edinburgh

    United Kingdom ยท $2,200/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad

    Choosing between Bali, Indonesia and Edinburgh, United Kingdom is one of the most common dilemmas facing digital nomads, expats, and remote workers in 2026. Both cities offer unique advantages. But the right choice depends entirely on your priorities, budget, and lifestyle preferences.

    In this comprehensive comparison, we analyze Bali and Edinburgh across 12 critical categories: Economic Factors, Quality of Life, Infrastructure & Connectivity, Housing & Living Spaces, and 8 more categories. Each category is scored on a 0-100 scale using data from over 20 verified sources, including Numbeo, WHO, Speedtest, and local government statistics.

    Bali earns an overall score of 72.00/100, while Edinburgh scores 78.28/100. A 6.28-point modest gap that Edinburgh leads. But headline scores never tell the full story. Let's break down exactly where each city excels and where it falls short.

    Bali is described as: "The digital nomad paradise. Unbeatable cost of living but infrastructure gaps remain." Meanwhile, Edinburgh is known as: "A stunning medieval city with world-class festivals and Scottish charm." These reputations are earned. But how do they hold up under rigorous data analysis? Read on.

    Economic Factors

    Bali

    72
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    73

    In economic factors, Edinburgh takes the lead with a score of 73/100 compared to 72/100. This category covers employment & income, cost factors, economic environment.

    Bali has a solid advantage in cost factors (82 vs 69). Edinburgh has a solid advantage in economic environment (79 vs 69).

    Edinburgh stands out for healthcare costs, banking system, economic stability, though housing costs and daily living costs could be improved. Bali performs well in freelance/remote work market and daily living costs despite the overall gap.

    Employment & Income

    Bali

    63
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    71

    Job Market Strength

    38/ 10074

    Salary Levels

    42/ 10066

    Freelance/Remote Work Market

    94/ 10072

    Entrepreneurship Environment

    78/ 10073

    Cost Factors

    Bali

    82
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    69

    Housing Costs

    83/ 10048

    Daily Living Costs

    93/ 10057

    Transportation Costs

    89/ 10071

    Entertainment Costs

    88/ 10062

    Healthcare Costs

    84/ 10094

    Education Costs

    55/ 10079

    Economic Environment

    Bali

    69
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    79

    Tax Rates

    72/ 10067

    Business Regulations

    58/ 10074

    Economic Stability

    74/ 10086

    Currency Stability

    68/ 10081

    Banking System

    71/ 10089

    Quality of Life

    Bali

    74
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    78

    In quality of life, Edinburgh takes the lead with a score of 78/100 compared to 74/100. This category covers healthcare, education, safety & environment, climate & nature.

    Edinburgh has a solid advantage in education (80 vs 64). Edinburgh has a solid advantage in safety & environment (86 vs 67). Bali has a solid advantage in climate & nature (87 vs 67).

    Edinburgh stands out for english-speaking medical staff, natural disaster risk, political stability, though beach/water access and sunshine hours could be improved. Bali performs well in natural beauty and beach/water access despite the overall gap.

    Healthcare

    Bali

    75
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    80

    Healthcare Quality

    74/ 10084

    Healthcare Accessibility

    72/ 10071

    Healthcare Affordability

    86/ 10093

    English-Speaking Medical Staff

    81/ 100100

    Mental Health Services

    62/ 10066

    Dental Care

    73/ 10068

    Education

    Bali

    64
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    80

    School Quality

    74/ 10081

    International Schools

    81/ 10072

    Universities

    39/ 10091

    Language Schools

    72/ 10078

    Vocational Training

    52/ 10076

    Safety & Environment

    Bali

    67
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    86

    Crime Rates

    76/ 10074

    Personal Safety

    79/ 10081

    Political Stability

    84/ 10094

    Natural Disaster Risk

    41/ 10095

    Air Quality

    76/ 10082

    Water Quality

    52/ 10094

    Noise Pollution

    64/ 10079

    Climate & Nature

    Bali

    87
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    67

    Climate Suitability

    89/ 10064

    Sunshine Hours

    84/ 10044

    Rainfall Patterns

    69/ 10052

    Natural Beauty

    98/ 10094

    Green Spaces

    84/ 10089

    Beach/Water Access

    96/ 10041

    Mountains/Hiking

    91/ 10088

    Infrastructure & Connectivity

    Bali

    62
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    78

    In infrastructure & connectivity, Edinburgh takes the lead with a score of 78/100 compared to 62/100. This category covers transportation, connectivity, digital infrastructure.

    Edinburgh has a commanding lead in transportation (77 vs 50). Edinburgh has a commanding lead in connectivity (79 vs 57).

    Edinburgh stands out for mobile network quality, public transport quality, walkability, though ferry connections and traffic congestion could be improved. Bali performs well in coworking spaces and taxi/rideshare despite the overall gap.

    Transportation

    Bali

    50
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    77

    Public Transport Quality

    29/ 10086

    Public Transport Coverage

    32/ 10082

    Public Transport Affordability

    71/ 10083

    Bike Infrastructure

    41/ 10066

    Walkability

    49/ 10086

    Traffic Congestion

    31/ 10061

    Driving Conditions

    43/ 10072

    Taxi/Rideshare

    91/ 10079

    Car Ownership Necessity

    62/ 10078

    Connectivity

    Bali

    57
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    79

    Airport Connectivity

    86/ 10081

    Airport Distance

    82/ 10084

    Train Connections

    0/ 10086

    Bus Connections

    44/ 10085

    Ferry Connections

    71/ 10057

    Digital Infrastructure

    Bali

    83
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    80

    Internet Speed

    79/ 10084

    Internet Reliability

    76/ 10085

    Internet Cost

    89/ 10069

    Mobile Network Quality

    81/ 10088

    Coworking Spaces

    95/ 10079

    Public WiFi

    78/ 10076

    Housing & Living Spaces

    Bali

    77
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    68

    In housing & living spaces, Bali takes the lead with a score of 77/100 compared to 68/100. This category covers housing market, neighborhoods.

    Bali has a solid advantage in housing market (78 vs 64).

    Bali stands out for expat/international areas, housing variety, proximity to amenities, though landlord regulations and gentrification trends could be improved. Edinburgh performs well in proximity to amenities and housing quality despite the overall gap.

    Housing Market

    Bali

    78
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    64

    Rental Availability

    81/ 10054

    Rental Costs

    84/ 10046

    Purchase Prices

    82/ 10049

    Housing Quality

    79/ 10082

    Housing Variety

    86/ 10080

    Landlord Regulations

    53/ 10071

    Neighborhoods

    Bali

    77
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    75

    Neighborhood Diversity

    69/ 10079

    Expat/International Areas

    94/ 10074

    Gentrification Trends

    61/ 10062

    Proximity to Amenities

    85/ 10086

    Daily Life & Services

    Bali

    77
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    81

    In daily life & services, Edinburgh takes the lead with a score of 81/100 compared to 77/100. This category covers shopping & retail, food & dining, essential services, utilities & connectivity.

    Edinburgh stands out for alcohol availability, water reliability, electricity reliability, though utility costs and restaurant affordability could be improved. Bali performs well in street food and restaurant variety despite the overall gap.

    Shopping & Retail

    Bali

    70
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    79

    Supermarket Availability

    82/ 10089

    Shopping Mall Quantity

    58/ 10063

    Shopping Mall Quality

    62/ 10076

    International Brands

    53/ 10081

    Local Markets

    94/ 10084

    Opening Hours

    73/ 10071

    E-commerce

    68/ 10088

    Food & Dining

    Bali

    89
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    81

    Restaurant Variety

    95/ 10089

    Restaurant Quality

    91/ 10085

    Restaurant Affordability

    94/ 10061

    Cafรฉ Culture

    93/ 10091

    Street Food

    96/ 10065

    Alcohol Availability

    68/ 10094

    Food Delivery

    86/ 10084

    Essential Services

    Bali

    75
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    82

    Pharmacy Density

    81/ 10086

    24-Hour Pharmacies

    68/ 10069

    Medicine Availability

    79/ 10090

    Postal Services

    61/ 10081

    Banking Services

    79/ 10088

    Laundry Services

    82/ 10079

    Repair Services

    71/ 10078

    Hair Salons/Barbers

    89/ 10087

    Pet Services

    67/ 10080

    Utilities & Connectivity

    Bali

    74
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    82

    Electricity Reliability

    76/ 10093

    Water Reliability

    71/ 10094

    Utility Costs

    88/ 10058

    Heating/Cooling

    82/ 10079

    Waste Management

    54/ 10084

    Cultural & Social Life

    Bali

    72
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    84

    In cultural & social life, Edinburgh takes the lead with a score of 84/100 compared to 72/100. This category covers culture & entertainment, social life, community.

    Edinburgh has a commanding lead in culture & entertainment (87 vs 63).

    Edinburgh stands out for festival calendar, language barriers, historical sites, though sports culture and expat community size could be improved. Bali performs well in expat community size and historical sites despite the overall gap.

    Culture & Entertainment

    Bali

    63
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    87

    Museums & Galleries

    49/ 10093

    Historical Sites

    92/ 10095

    Theaters & Performing Arts

    43/ 10089

    Music Scene

    73/ 10083

    Cinema Options

    61/ 10079

    Libraries

    42/ 10084

    Art Scene

    79/ 10088

    Social Life

    Bali

    74
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    80

    Nightlife Quality

    79/ 10081

    Nightlife Safety

    71/ 10076

    Festival Calendar

    91/ 10096

    Sports Culture

    82/ 10069

    Social Clubs

    81/ 10078

    Dating Scene

    76/ 10074

    LGBTQ+ Scene

    37/ 10084

    Community

    Bali

    82
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    84

    Local Friendliness

    91/ 10086

    Expat Community Size

    95/ 10069

    Expat Integration

    81/ 10079

    Language Barriers

    54/ 10096

    Cultural Events

    87/ 10091

    Professional & Career

    Bali

    76
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    76

    In professional & career, Bali takes the lead with a score of 76/100 compared to 76/100. This category covers business environment, work environment, market opportunities.

    Bali stands out for coworking culture, remote work acceptance, work-life balance, though major companies and competition level could be improved. Edinburgh performs well in internet for work and remote work acceptance despite the overall gap.

    Business Environment

    Bali

    71
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    75

    Industry Clusters

    71/ 10078

    Major Companies

    41/ 10076

    Startup Ecosystem

    69/ 10069

    Coworking Culture

    94/ 10080

    Professional Networking

    89/ 10075

    Business Associations

    62/ 10074

    Work Environment

    Bali

    86
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    79

    Work-Life Balance

    91/ 10076

    Remote Work Acceptance

    94/ 10081

    Internet for Work

    83/ 10090

    Time Zone

    77/ 10080

    Business Visa Options

    84/ 10069

    Market Opportunities

    Bali

    72
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    72

    Client Base

    72/ 10074

    Freelance Market

    91/ 10073

    Competition Level

    52/ 10068

    Lifestyle & Pace

    Bali

    75
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    74

    In lifestyle & pace, Bali takes the lead with a score of 75/100 compared to 74/100. This category covers daily rhythm, lifestyle options, tourism impact.

    Bali stands out for outdoor lifestyle, fitness culture, pace of life, though crowding and tourist volume could be improved. Edinburgh performs well in outdoor lifestyle and authenticity despite the overall gap.

    Daily Rhythm

    Bali

    81
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    76

    Pace of Life

    89/ 10077

    Working Hours Culture

    86/ 10079

    Dining Hours

    79/ 10074

    Shop Opening Hours

    72/ 10070

    Weekend Culture

    81/ 10081

    Lifestyle Options

    Bali

    82
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    81

    Outdoor Lifestyle

    96/ 10089

    Fitness Culture

    90/ 10079

    Health Consciousness

    84/ 10074

    Pet Friendliness

    69/ 10084

    Family Orientation

    71/ 10079

    Tourism Impact

    Bali

    62
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    66

    Tourist Volume

    45/ 10052

    Tourism Seasonality

    63/ 10051

    Tourist Infrastructure

    83/ 10085

    Authenticity

    79/ 10086

    Crowding

    39/ 10054

    Legal & Administrative

    Bali

    65
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    80

    In legal & administrative, Edinburgh takes the lead with a score of 80/100 compared to 65/100. This category covers visa & residency, administration, rights & freedoms.

    Edinburgh has a solid advantage in administration (81 vs 64). Edinburgh has a commanding lead in rights & freedoms (89 vs 63).

    Edinburgh stands out for language requirements, deportation risk, legal system, though citizenship pathway and residency process could be improved. Bali performs well in visa requirements and residency options despite the overall gap.

    Visa & Residency

    Bali

    67
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    69

    Visa Requirements

    89/ 10066

    Residency Options

    85/ 10071

    Residency Process

    59/ 10061

    Citizenship Pathway

    22/ 10056

    Deportation Risk

    79/ 10091

    Administration

    Bali

    64
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    81

    Bureaucracy Level

    43/ 10064

    Digital Government

    61/ 10081

    Document Requirements

    64/ 10076

    Language Requirements

    82/ 10095

    Legal System

    68/ 10091

    Rights & Freedoms

    Bali

    63
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    89

    Freedom of Speech

    71/ 10091

    Religious Freedom

    79/ 10090

    Women's Rights

    69/ 10090

    LGBTQ+ Rights

    34/ 10089

    Worker Rights

    63/ 10084

    Family & Children

    Bali

    70
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    77

    In family & children, Edinburgh takes the lead with a score of 77/100 compared to 70/100. This category covers child-friendly infrastructure, family services.

    Edinburgh has a solid advantage in child-friendly infrastructure (83 vs 70).

    Edinburgh stands out for child safety, playgrounds, pediatric care, though childcare costs and childcare availability could be improved. Bali performs well in child safety and family housing despite the overall gap.

    Child-Friendly Infrastructure

    Bali

    70
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    83

    Playgrounds

    62/ 10084

    Kid Activities

    73/ 10083

    Child Safety

    80/ 10086

    Pediatric Care

    71/ 10084

    Baby/Toddler Facilities

    63/ 10080

    Family Services

    Bali

    71
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    71

    Childcare Availability

    69/ 10066

    Childcare Costs

    64/ 10051

    School Holidays

    72/ 10079

    Extracurricular Activities

    71/ 10081

    Family Housing

    79/ 10076

    Practical Considerations

    Bali

    70
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    81

    In practical considerations, Edinburgh takes the lead with a score of 81/100 compared to 70/100. This category covers transportation costs, special services, communication, emergency services.

    Edinburgh has a solid advantage in special services (85 vs 69). Edinburgh has a solid advantage in communication (83 vs 68). Edinburgh has a commanding lead in emergency services (90 vs 69).

    Edinburgh stands out for emergency numbers, translation services, language learning, though fuel prices and vehicle costs could be improved. Bali performs well in fuel prices and vehicle costs despite the overall gap.

    Transportation Costs

    Bali

    73
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    68

    Fuel Prices

    91/ 10052

    Gas Station Density

    82/ 10089

    EV Infrastructure

    39/ 10076

    Vehicle Costs

    84/ 10054

    Vehicle Maintenance

    71/ 10071

    Special Services

    Bali

    69
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    85

    Moving Services

    69/ 10083

    Storage Facilities

    58/ 10079

    Translation Services

    78/ 10094

    Legal Services

    71/ 10085

    Accounting Services

    68/ 10084

    Communication

    Bali

    68
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    83

    Postal Reliability

    59/ 10080

    Package Import

    51/ 10071

    Language Learning

    79/ 10092

    International Calling

    81/ 10089

    Emergency Services

    Bali

    69
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    90

    Emergency Response

    63/ 10085

    Emergency Healthcare

    73/ 10090

    Emergency Numbers

    79/ 10095

    Natural Disaster Preparedness

    59/ 10089

    Specific to Your Profile

    Bali

    74
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    82

    In specific to your profile, Edinburgh takes the lead with a score of 82/100 compared to 74/100. This category covers remote work specific, personal circumstances.

    Edinburgh has a solid advantage in personal circumstances (81 vs 67).

    Edinburgh stands out for language skills, video call quality, cafรฉ laptop culture, though pet import rules and industry presence could be improved. Bali performs well in cafรฉ laptop culture and coworking day passes despite the overall gap.

    Remote Work Specific

    Bali

    85
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    82

    Time Zone Alignment

    76/ 10079

    Coworking Day Passes

    91/ 10080

    Cafรฉ Laptop Culture

    94/ 10087

    Video Call Quality

    81/ 10090

    Tech Ecosystem

    82/ 10074

    Personal Circumstances

    Bali

    67
    / 100

    Edinburgh

    81

    Citizenship Advantages

    41/ 10081

    Partner Citizenship Advantages

    35/ 10080

    Industry Presence

    71/ 10072

    Language Skills

    67/ 10095

    Religious/Cultural Fit

    73/ 10082

    Dietary Requirements

    86/ 10085

    Hobby Availability

    91/ 10086

    Pet Import Rules

    68/ 10069

    The Verdict: Bali or Edinburgh?

    With an overall score of 78.28/100 versus 72.00/100, Edinburgh leads on paper. But the "better" city ultimately depends on what matters most to you.

    Bali excels in housing & living spaces, lifestyle & pace. Edinburgh leads in economic factors, quality of life, infrastructure & connectivity.

    Use our interactive comparison tool to drill deeper into specific metrics. No single ranking captures the complexity of choosing a new home. But data-driven analysis gives you the best starting point.

    Dive Deeper with Our Interactive Tool

    See the full data breakdown with live filtering and side-by-side analysis.

    Compare Bali vs Edinburgh Live