What are the

COSTS

of holiday and living in Bali

Last update: 02/06/2024 20:14

overview

Although Bali has a reputation as a luxury holiday destination, it is possible to enjoy a comfortable holiday here without it costing too much money. In addition to low-cost living, Bali also offers affordable food, transportation, and activities. It depends on your preferences and the areas you will be in. Whether you're looking for a budget stay or a more luxurious experience, you'll find various accommodation options to suit your needs and budget. This Guide looks at the cost of living and holidaying in Bali to understand how much things cost and what you can plan for in advance.

💡 Note: Prices change throughout the seasons. All the prices in this Guide are approximate.

This Guide is divided into the following sections:

General info

How much does it cost to live in Bali? This is a question we get very often. However, there is no definite answer. Everyone has different requirements for accommodation and location, food and drink, transport and leisure activities, and overall lifestyle, etc. These are just a fraction of the factors that affect the cost of holidays and living in Bali and anywhere else in the world.

It will also make a difference if you are going to Bali for a holiday or planning to move here for a longer time. This is because you usually spend more on holiday and consider some of the costs less than if you plan to live here long term.

With long-term expenses, you usually already watch how much you pay for what because, in total, it can create a high and unnecessary extra cost. For example, you rent a scooter for a few days. In that case, you don't have to worry about whether you pay USD 50 or USD 60. However, if you want to rent a scooter for a year, that difference would make USD 120 an unnecessary expense per year, or you could consider buying your own scooter, etc.

See below an example of holiday and long-term living/stay costs to give you at least a rough idea. We list all the items that are necessary and shouldn't be avoided :)

As mentioned above, costs are very individual. Therefore we always give prices "from" or a range to give you an idea.

Costs of Holiday

Assume a holiday of up to one month when you need only a Visa on Arrival, which you buy at the airport or arrange online in advance. If you are planning a more extended holiday, multiply the cost.

Flight Tickets

The price of plane tickets is affected by the following:

Flight dates
The date of ticket purchase
The type of airline
Number of transfers
Type of class

Unfortunately, the price cannot be predicted, so advising whether to wait or buy now is unsafe. In any case, the highest prices for air tickets are usually in December, as everywhere in the world - the Christmas and New Year period is the most expensive of the year when a return ticket in economy class from Europe (Vienna) ranges from USD 1,400 - 2,000. The average return ticket price for the rest of the year is usually between USD 830 - 1,150 (Economy Class).

However, sometimes you can catch various promotions with nice transfers for USD 760. Regarding flights with low-cost airlines, it doesn't have to be convenient; a return ticket can be around USD 720; however, this is usually at the expense of comfort and time (many long transfers without refreshments, checked baggage at extra cost, etc.). See the Flight Tickets Guide for more information on this topic.

Flight Tickets

Visa

In the case of a Visa on Arrival, the cost is IDR 500,000 (USD 33) for up to 30 days of stay; an additional IDR 500,000 is payable for an extension of another 30 days, after which you must leave Indonesia. See the Visa Guide for complete information on available visas and how to arrange them.

VISA

Travel Insurance

Costs for good quality travel insurance that has sufficient limits and, for example, covers active sports vary from about USD 3 per month - travel insurance to your credit card, while a medium variant of regular travel insurance range from USD 60 up to 180 depending on the coverage and insurance company. You can find more about travel insurance in the Insurance Guide.

Insurance

Accommodation

The cost of accommodation is influenced by the following:

Location (distance from the beach, famous attractions)
Standard (guest house vs. 5-star hotel)
Facilities (air conditioning, swimming pool, kitchenette, TV, internet)
Services (daily cleaning, breakfast, airport pick-up)
Term (see above, towards the end of the year, prices are inflated not only for flights but also for accommodation; moreover, their availability is limited)
Length of stay (for longer bookings, a better price can be dealt with)
Market situation (demand vs. supply)

The advantage of Bali is that there is a plethora of accommodations. Everyone will find one that will fit the set budget and standard of living. Accommodation is more expensive during high season, i.e., May-September and December, and cheaper outside these months. You can stay in hostels with shared bathrooms to luxury 5* resorts of famous brands:

Cheap accommodation (0* to 2*) ranges from IDR 100,000 (USD 7)/room/night
More expensive accommodations (3* to 4*) range from IDR 250,000 (USD 17)/room/night
Luxury 5* accommodation ranges from IDR 800,000 (USD 55)/room/night
Luxury branded accommodation ranges from IDR 30,000,000 (USD 2,000)/room/night

During the high season, prices are about 50% higher; in December, the cost can be up to three times the average price during the year.

💡 Tip: Accommodation in Bali is charged per room per night, not per person. Traveling for two is therefore much more economical in this respect.

Alternatively, you can rent an entire villa with a pool. The price of a villa is influenced by the same factors as the other accommodation mentioned above. Rentals of two-bedroom villas with two bathrooms and a pool range from IDR 1,300,000 (USD 90)/villa/night.

We recommend Booking.com or Airbnb.com for guide prices, which work great in Bali. If you choose a hotel on Booking.com, you can try to negotiate the price directly at the accommodation. You can get a better price, about 10% -20 %, but you risk it being fully booked. It also depends on who you bump into on-site, as in some cases, the rank-and-file staff follow the given guidelines and don't discount the price as they don't have that authority.

Transportation

Transportation options in Bali are varied, you can use a taxi, scooter, or car with a driver, or rent a scooter/car without a driver and transport yourself (driving on the left side and an international driving license is needed), or there is public transport available, however, it is not as used and reliable in Bali as in European countries.

The rental price depends on the type of scooter/motorbike (the cheapest is the older Vario or Lexi, the most expensive are more powerful bikes like Yamaha XMax, etc.). On average, you will pay IDR 1,100,000 (approx. USD 75) for a monthly scooter rental; a daily scooter rental costs IDR 65,000 (approx. USD 4.50) and up.

Petrol can be filled up at petrol stations - Pertalite IDR 10,000 (USD 0.70) / liter or Pertamax IDR 13,000 (USD 0.80) / liter, or there are stands by the roadside that have glass bottles (often from vodka and other drinks) with petrol displayed, where the price is IDR 10,000 (USD 0.70) per bottle (less than a liter).

The price for moto/auto taxis depends on distance, time and location (the price is higher during peak hours or from tourist-exposed areas). The average cost for a car taxi is about IDR 6,000 (USD 0.40) per kilometer and for a moto-taxi, about IDR 2,700 (USD 0.20) per kilometer.

Renting a car will cost about IDR 4,500,000 (USD 300) monthly or IDR 300,000 (USD 20) daily. A car with a driver for about 10 hours a day, around IDR 500,000 (USD 33), including petrol (for Balinese/Indonesians, it is no problem to wait several hours).

For more information about transportation in Bali, see the Transport Guide or the Vehicles Rental Guide.

Transport

Vehicles Rental

Mobile Data

Mobile data is affordable and reliable in Bali; 20 GB costs around IDR 100,000 (USD 7), enough for normal internet browsing (emails, Facebook/Instagram, etc.). However, be careful about what data package you buy; usually, it is valid for 30 days and what you don't use up is not carried over to the next period, while there are packages where the internet is only available at night or part of it is dedicated to specific applications, etc. For more information about the internet in Bali, see the Internet Guide.

Internet

Food

As with accommodation, Bali offers a vast choice of restaurants and almost endless dining options. You'll find everything from local street food to upscale fine-dining restaurants. So you can spend IDR 50,000 (USD 3) or even several million IDR on daily food and drink.

To give you an idea of selected food prices:

Portion of the most common Balinese dish - Nasi/Mie Goreng = fried rice/noodles on the street/at a warung: IDR 15,000 (USD 1), at a tourist restaurant IDR 70,000 - 200,000 (USD 4.50 - 13.50)
Roasted corn on the street: IDR 15,000 (USD 1)
Roasted chicken leg with rice and tea in warung: IDR 30,000 (USD 2)
Average meal in an average western/tourist restaurant without drinks: IDR 65,000 - 120,000 (USD 4 - 8)
Dessert in a Western restaurant: IDR 40,000 (USD 2.60)
Coca-cola can in a Western restaurant: IDR 25,000 (USD 1.60)
Cappuccino in a café or restaurant: IDR 40,000 (USD 2.60)
Large beer in a restaurant: IDR 55,000 - 75,000 (USD 3.60 - 5)
Young coconut at the vendor: IDR 10,000 (USD 0.70)/piece; at the restaurant/beach: IDR 15,000 - 35,000 (USD 1 - 2.30)

Others

Other costs are too individual to generalize in this Guide. Therefore, we only list a few selected items to give you an idea.

Balinese massage 90 minutes: from IDR 120,000 (USD 8)
Fitness center membership / month: from IDR 300,000 (USD 20) / month in a Western-style gym, one visit to a local-style gym costs around IDR 20,000 (USD 1.30)
Entrances (e.g., to waterfalls, temples): from IDR 20,000 (USD 1.30)
Wired internet: from IDR 250,000 (USD 17) / month

Costs of living

We consider a stay of 6 months or more as living in Bali. Below you will find indicative prices for items you need to count on.

Flight Ticket

The cost of fligh tickets is relatively irrelevant for a long-term stay. Ultimately, it doesn't matter if you pay more about USD 100 for a one-way ticket (note, usually a return ticket or its booking is required by the airline to onboard) because the cost is spread over several months/years of stay and in this case, it's the one-off investment. See the Flight Tickets Guide for more information.

Flight Tickets

Visas

Long-term visas to Bali currently cost, on average, around IDR 1,000,000 (USD 67) per month (note, the price for the visa must be paid at once, it cannot be divided into monthly installments). Depending on the type of visa - B211A is around IDR 3,500,000 (USD 235) for 2 months + IDR 800,000 (USD 55) for 1 extension, KITAS is around IDR 22,000,000 (USD 1500)/person, valid for 2 years without a work permit. For more information, visit the Visa Guide.

VISA

Travel Insurance

In some countries, it's possible to cancel national health insurance when it's usually mandatory, and even a self-employed person doesn't have to pay it under the condition of having valid travel insurance for the entire stay. In some countries, health insurance is not mandatory. Check your national laws and rules to avoid any complications. Long-term travel insurance costs around USD 67 per month, depending on the coverage and insurance company. For more information, visit the Insurance Guide.

Insurance

Accommodation

The cost of accommodation is one of the most variable items, as is the amount for holidays. It depends on your preferences, location, and facilities. Alternatively, the price is determined by what is already included in the monthly/annual rent (e.g., electricity, internet, pool, and garden maintenance, etc., drinking water is not included - there is no drinking water on tap - and gas)

Virtually all types of accommodation can be used for long-term living purposes, from hostels and homestays to many hotels that offer special rates for long-term stays to renting your own apartment with a shared pool, kitchen, or a private villa/house.

Indicative prices for long-term accommodation:

One room in a homestay with a private bathroom, shared pool, and kitchen: from IDR 4,000,000 (USD 270) per month (the price usually includes cleaning 1 week, including linen and towels change, wifi, electricity).

Apartment with private kitchen and shared swimming pool: from approx. IDR 6,000,000 (USD 400) per month (includes once-a-week cleaning service with linen and towels change, wifi, and electricity).

Two-bedroom villa with kitchen and private pool: from approx. IDR 15,000,000 (USD 1,000) per month (the price usually includes cleaning once a week with change of linen and towels, wifi, electricity is negotiable - it may not be included in the price, as well as drinking water - IDR 20,000 (USD 1.30) / 19-liter barrel and gas IDR 20,000 for a small container).

Washing machines, let alone dryers or ovens, are uncommon in Bali, so extra costs for laundry should be considered.

Electricity

Electricity in Bali mainly works as a pre-paid service. You charge your meter for a certain amount, and once you've used it up (ideally before), you top up the meter again. Consumption depends on the number of appliances - usage of air conditioning (usually the most expensive machine together with a pool filtering), swimming pool (the filter has a high consumption), etc. On average, a two-room villa with a pool consumes about IDR 1,000,000 (USD 67) worth of electricity per month. While without a pool and air conditioning, the price can be only about IDR 400,000 (USD 27)/per month.

Fixed Internet

If the internet is provided in hotels or homestays, it's already included in the accommodation price. It doesn't have to be always available when renting the whole property. While in some villas, wifi is included in the rent price, and everything is set for it, you can come across rentals where you have to arrange it completely yourself. Speeds and prices start at 20 Mbps from IDR 200,000 (USD 13) per month, and you can also choose guaranteed speeds of 300 Mbps for IDR 3,000,000 (USD 200) per month. The average price for 50-100 Mpbs is around IDR 400,000 (USD 27) per month. For more information, visit the Internet Guide.

Internet

Cleaning

It is common in Bali to have a local person clean your home several times a week. If cleaning is not included in your accommodation rental (which is increasingly common), you can get your own cleaner. The cost depends on the property size, your cleaning requirements, and frequency. To give you an idea, for cleaning a 2-room villa 4 times a week, you will pay about IDR 1,500,000 (USD 100) monthly. However, count on the fact that the hygiene standard and form of cleaning in Indonesia is at a much lower level compared to the European standards (cleaners often do not clean surfaces - like dust from the table, and cabinets, cleaning for them means sweeping the floor and changing the bed linen, the rest needs to be pointed out and trained - repeatedly). For more information about cleanliness in Bali, visit the Cleanliness Guide.

Cleanliness

Pool Maintenance

The service of a "pool man" who will check the pool's water quality at least once a week, including cleaning it, is usually included in the price of renting the property. But it does not have to be. When hiring staff to clean the pool once a week, expect to spend at least IDR 500,000 (USD 33) per month, including chemicals.

Garden Maintenance

If you rent a house with a large garden without a gardener's services and want to avoid cutting the grass yourself, again expect an extra cost at a minimum of IDR 400,000 (USD 27) per month, depending on the size of the plot and the number of trees and flowers.

Laundry

Washing machines are scarce in Balinese houses and villas. Taking your laundry to a laundromat is common, where you pay IDR 6,000 - 12,000 (USD 0.40 - 0.80) / kilo. At an average of IDR 10,000 (USD 0.70) / kilo and about 7 kilos of laundry per week, that's IDR 280,000 (USD 19) / month. However, some laundries charge per piece. Again, beware that, as with cleaning, the standard for clothes washing is much lower compared to European standards, they don't use hot water, don't separate colored from white, etc., so we don't recommend putting clothes you care about in the laundry - we recommend washing them by hand. Because it's not rare that they won't return all of your clothes, or that they will return them dusty, possibly with red spots from rusted dryers, you may find tire marks when some laundries dry clothes on the floor, etc.

Transport & Petrol

Most long-term residents in Bali choose a scooter as a form of transport, whether they rent it long-term or buy one (you can only buy one with a KITAS or in the name of a local person). The price for a monthly rental of a medium scooter is about IDR 1,200,000 (USD 80), and petrol when refueled once a week, is about IDR 250,000 (USD 17) per month. Buying a medium scooter is around IDR 35,000,000 (USD 2,340). For more information, visit the Transport Guide and Vehicles Rental Guide.

Transport

Vehicles Rental

Mobile Data

See above mentioned holiday costs; mobile data costs approximately IDR 100,000 for 20 GB with a validity of 30 days.

Food

As with accommodation, the cost of food is the most variable item. It depends on your diet and style, whether you cook or eat out, where you shop for food, etc. The approximate costs are the same as the holiday costs above.

Water

There is no drinking water on tap in Bali, so you must buy bottled or filtered water. A 19-liter barrel of drinking water costs IDR 20,000 (USD 1.30) + IDR 50,000 (USD 3.30) deposit per barrel. It means usage of about 4 barrels per person per month, i.e., IDR 80,000 (USD 5.30).

Others

Other costs are very individual. For example, clothes, shoes, drugstore, medicines, massages, fitness centers, etc., so we don't list them here, but to give you a better idea, below you can find the average costs of our team.

How Much Do We Pay?

To give you a better idea of monthly living costs in Bali, we share below specific examples of 3 people in our team.

Cost per person for May 2023 spread over one month:

Visa: IDR 1,000,000 (USD 68)/month/person (paid in one lump sum of IDR 22,000,000/person for KITAS for 2 years without a work permit)

Travel insurance: USD 70/month/person (paid in one lump sum USD 420/person for 6 months)

Social insurance in our home country: USD 130/month/person

Accommodation

2-bedroom villa 10min from the center of Ubud IDR 15,000,000 (USD 1000)/month (incl. internet, electricity, pool, cleaning), i.e., USD 500/person or:

Local 2-bedroom terraced house without pool and services in more remote areas like Tabanan or Jimbaran for IDR 25,000,000 (USD 1700) per year + renovation costs of around IDR 30,000,000 (USD 2000) + IDR 1,000,000 (USD 68) for wifi, cleaning, and electricity, i.e., IDR 5,600,000 (USD 280)/month/house - IDR 2,800,000 (USD 140)/month/person or:

1-bedroom studio 5 minutes from the beach with pool in Canggu for IDR 25,000,000 (USD 1700)/month (incl. cleaning, wifi, and electricity), i.e., USD 1700/month/person

Transportation

Scooter NMax: IDR 900,000 (USD 60)/month (rent paid quarterly) or:
Scooter Vario: IDR 650,000 (USD 44)/month (paid monthly)
Petrol: IDR 280,000 (USD 19)/month

Food

Combination of Western restaurants;coffee in cafes, and cooking at home with organic food IDR 8,000,000 (USD 540 )/month/person or:
Only local street food and warungs and fruits/vegetables from local markets for IDR 1,500,000 (USD 100)/month/per person
Water: IDR 80,000 (USD 6)/month/person

Others

Mobile data: IDR 85,000 (USD 7)/month/person (using wifi at home and in restaurants)
Laundry: IDR 320,000 (USD 22)/month
Others: IDR 1,000,000 (USD 68)/month/person (massages/surf/yoga/workshops etc.)

⚠️ Note: Items such as clothes, shoes, drugs, etc., are not included!

If we add up all the above costs, the monthly cost per person is as follows:

USD 1,490/person/month in a two-room villa with pool, scooter NMax, and meals in Western restaurants

USD 674/person/month in a two-room local house without a pool, with scooter Vario and local food

USD 2,690/person/month in a studio with scooter NMax and meals in Western restaurants

As you can see from the specific examples above, costs vary widely and depend on how much each person is willing and able to spend per month. Accommodation and food costs affect the price the most. Parents with young children have to consider expenses such as nappies, sun care, children's activities, and medical treatment; for some, the highest costs are for parties in clubs and alcohol, while others spend the most on sports, creative courses, etc.

⚠️ Note: All prices and the conversion to USD are approximate and will vary depending on the current exchange rate.