Bali Budget Guide
I often get asked how much money I need while being in Bali. The thing is, there is no one answer to that question. From luxury hotels to cheap hostels, fancy beach clubs and beers on the beach – it very much so depends on how you are planning on spending your time here. As a general rule of thumb, you can say that Bali is cheap compared to European standards. However, compared to other Asian countries, the cost of living in Bali isn’t actually as cheap as you might think. This Bali budget guide will give you a rough idea of how much money you’ll need to budget for a trip to Bali.
Generally, you can assume that all the things you see on Instagram are a bit more expensive than the things you don’t see. The hyped-up places, of course, charge way more than local establishments and small homestays. You can do Bali pretty cheap for around 20€ a day but there literally is no limit to the top. Things like floating breakfasts, infinity pools, and flower baths will quickly bleed you out and cost you a lot of money. Sunsets on the beach with coconut are equally as beautiful (if not better) and will not cost you a cent (except for transport and the 30k for the coconut or a beer maybe).
Bali Budget for Accommodation
Hostels:
A night in a dorm room in a Hostel will cost you around 8 – 20 € per night, depending on the location, hype around the hostel and size of the dorm rooms. The lowest I’ve paid is 7€ per night for a really nice big room shared with two other women. The most I’ve paid for a hostel was 28€ per night. This, however, had breakfast included in the price.
Surf Camp:
Most surf camps in Bali charge around the same price in total. Some appear cheaper because you have to book and pay the surf lessons separately. Others may seem more expensive at first, but have everything included in the price. I would suggest you do your research here and try to figure out which one is best for your needs.
Airbnb:
If you are coming to Bali in a larger group renting a villa through Airbnb is the best option. For example, you can get a really nice, big villa with a pool for about 20€ per person per night. Private rooms in shared villas range around 20-50€ per night.
Transportation Cost
Scooters:
I personally prefer renting a scooter myself and driving it around because it gives me freedom and flexibility. If you want to rent a scooter, you’ll have to account for around 70k a day (= 4€). Gas is really cheap as well, ranging around 10-15k per liter (= 0,60 – 1€).
Grab/GoJek:
Grab and GoJek are popular apps for public transport, just like Uber is in Europe and North America. If you book a driver through the app you can either choose to ride by car or bike. The car will, of course, be more expensive. However, I usually try to find people to share a car with or only use it when I need to get from one hotel/hostel to another. The most common price for a drive from the airport to Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Uluwatu, and Ubud ranges somewhere around 20-25€.
Whenever I am traveling alone, do not have my own scooter or quickly need to get from A to B, I order a Grab bike. Here the driver will pick you up on his scooter and drive you to your desired location. Grab bike is usually quite cheap and costs around 9k for a 5-10 min ride (60 cents).
Private driver:
Private drivers are an amazing way to explore the island and do activities, such as Tegallalang Rice Terrace, Mount Batur sunrise hike and exploring the waterfalls. Here you should budget around 300-500k a day for your personal driver. Of course, this is much cheaper if you are in a group as you can split the price.
Bali Budget: Food and Drinks
Local food:
If you want to save money on food and enjoy the delicious local cuisine of Bali you are in luck. The local Warungs (=small family-owned businesses) offer really good, filling dishes for a quite affordable price. A dish of Nasi Goreng (rice with veggies, chicken, and egg), Mie Goreng or Nasi Campur usually costs around 25-40k ( = 1,30 to 2,60€).
Healthy food spots:
Healthy food spots and those cute cafés you see all over Instagram are a bit more expensive with lunch bowls, salads, smoothie bowls, sandwiches, etc. usually starting at 65k (= 4,30€).
Drinks:
Softdrinks in bars and restaurants are around 30k (=2€). Beer costs around 45k (3€). Other alcohol I literally have no idea of because I never drink it. A cappuccino or café latte is usually around 30-45k in a nice café (= 2 to 3€). What you will pay on water depends on your personal preferences. I usually spend very little to nothing on water, as I refill my bottle in the hostel or drink plenty of water at the cafés and restaurants I go to. Finding a place to refill has never been an issue for me as most accommodations, restaurants, gyms and yoga studios have water stations that you can refill at.
So if you go out for dinner, you’ll have to account for roughly 90k rupiahs per person in mid-range places for a dish and drink (= 6€). You can budget between 200 and 250k IDR a day on food and drink and eat quite well.
Miscellaneous
Visa:
Citizens of most countries can get a free 30-day visa for Bali at the airport. If you plan on staying longer, however, you need to buy a Visa Upon Arrival (VoA) at the airport for 35€ and extend it after 30 days. You can do this once either by going to the Immigration offices or leaving the country for a visa run.
Laundry:
1 kilo of laundry usually costs around 20k IDR, which is about 1.35€
Surfboard:
On most beaches (that are fit for surfing) you can rent a surfboard for about 100k IDR a day (= 6.60€)
Gym:
If you want to hit up a gym or fitness class while in Bali you’ll have to account for around 150 – 250k (= 9-16€) for a day pass at any good gym. Sometimes they have offers on classes. There is an app called “Fittripper” which offers cheaper day-passes if you book through them. I haven’t tried this yet but my friend recommended it and it seems to work just fine.
Sim Card:
I got a sim card with 10 GB data for 80k at the airport. Basically, you shouldn’t pay more than 100k for a sim is what I’ve been told.
Spa/Massage:
For a one-hour massage, you can budget around 80k in most spas around the island (= 5€).
Shopping:
The cute boutiques in Canggu, Seminyak, and Ubud are usually quite expensive. They have beautiful, high-quality clothing inspired by the style in Australia. However, expect to pay about the same price for a dress, bikini or sunnies than in Europe. The markets are where you can haggle and get really good prices if you’re lucky.
Beachclubs:
Most beach clubs do not charge an entrance fee (apart from Mrs. Sippy in Seminyak) but have a minimum spend on their daybeds ranging from 600k to 1 million IDR. You will usually reach this very easily when you are there with a friend or even more people, as the food and drinks are more on the expensive side.