Is Bali expensive to visit? This is the question that is always fired at me by my mates that are planning their Indonesia getaway and it does not have a simple yes or no response. I have spent months on this fantastic island and can inform you that Bali is earning any wallet size. Be it a pennies-pinching occasion or a happy occasion to indulge, being aware of the actual cost of things will help you spend the difference between a stressful holiday and a holiday of a lifetime.
What You’ll Really Spend
So is Bali expensive? The whole thing is all about your roll. I have also witnessed backpackers partying on under £25 a day, and honeymooners spending almost £250 without a second thought. That’s what makes this place different from other beach spots where everything costs an arm and a leg no matter what.
Low-enders live on £25-40 a day, scouting out basic accommodations, excellent neighbourhood food, and renting scooters to get about. Ordinary tourists usually charge between £60-120 per day on decent accommodation, various food items as well as correct tours. Large spenders could pay at least 250 or more on fantastic resorts, fancy restaurants and special excursions. Your money will take you much further here than back home, especially when you eat where the locals eat, and get areas just outside the centre of the tourist craze.
Where to Crash, What It Will Cost You
Identifying a place to sleep consumes the largest chunk of your budget, yet Bali provides an appropriate bang of your money. I have slept in the pristine guesthouses of Canggu at between 8-20 a night with breakfast included and extremely hospitable personnel. Nothing gilded, but clean, and comfortable enough, when you are out all day at that.
Viceroy boutique locations and villas with their own pools cost between £35-80 per night, with great rooms, gorgeous Indonesian style, and the shots that all must have in their socials. The options available in Bali middle ground simply smash anything similar at home. Once I was in my own villa with a pool in Ubud paying £55 a night- you can never do that in Europe.
Top-quality service, beach sections, and the appropriate luxury atmosphere cost posh resorts in Seminyak, Nusa Dua, and Uluwatu between £120-400 and more per night. Going in the quieter months from November through March (skip Christmas though) can cut prices by nearly half, making fancy digs surprisingly doable.
How Expensive Is It to Eat in Bali?
How expensive is it to eat in Bali? Massively where you get your meals. Local warungs-little family places- serve brilliant nasi goreng, mie goreng and satay at 1.50-3. Nor are these second rate, but tend to be the most genuine and palatable food you are likely to obtain. I am also reflecting on this nasi campur of £2 in a small restaurant in Sanur- totally beautiful.
The food eaten in the tourist restaurants costs between £6-12 each time, and they do everything, including the Indonesian food, pizzas, and burgers. The western brunch cafes around Seminyak and Canggu charge between £8-16 each on smoothie bowls and avo toast. The fancy restaurants charge at £25-65 or above with the food really being of top class as is the case everywhere in London or Paris.
The street food is the cheapest, fresh fruit, satay sticks, and traditional nibbles are all a pound or less and allow you a chance to fully experience the culture. On my first adventure in Bali, I lived mostly on street food, and my stomach and my wallet were very satisfied.
Drinks really add up though. Local Bintang beer costs £1.50-2.50 at warungs but £4-6.50 at beach clubs. Cocktails range between £5-12 with the flashiness of the place. Grabbing water and snacks from local shops massively cuts daily costs.
Getting About on a Budget
Transport is not that expensive when you are clever. Scooter rental regulations in this area, at a price of between 3-5.50 per day, are out of the world cheap as long as one knows how to ride a scooter. Taxis and apps like Gojek and Grab charge fair prices, most trips running £1.50-6.50 inside popular spots. Much better than sweating in the sun and yet not that expensive.
Full-day drivers are private drivers and charge between £28-40, which includes comfortable ride, local gratuity and is able to explore freely. Intra-area shuttle buses are cheap (between £4-12) but feignally slow. The fast boats to other islands such as Nusa Penida cost between 20 and 28 one way.
Transport does not actually take over your expenditure, but hire a scooter daily and your wallet is emptied within a short time should you be riding around in loads. Walking costs nothing and actually feels brilliant in walkable spots like Ubud centre and Seminyak’s beach area.
What It Costs and Things to Do
How expensive is Bali to visit, considering it has a wide range of activities, from those that are completely free to those that cost a lot. Temple fees range from £0.80 to £2.50, stays on the beach are free (unless the beach club sets a minimum spend), and guided walks at sunrise on Mount Batur cost between £25 and £40. Surf lessons cost between 20 to 35 dollars and the two-dive tours of diving cost between 60 to 80 dollars.
The cost of yoga sessions in Ubud is between £8-16, spa treatments between £12 at local to between £80 and above at luxury, and cooking classes between £25-40 with market visits. Tanjung Benoa water sports jet skis, parasailing, banana boats and others £16-32 each. Culture performances such as the Kecak Fire Dance cost between £4-5.50 which is the psychological value of such amazing performances.
Free things exist everywhere: stunning sunsets, green rice terraces, waterfalls (tiny parking fees), art markets, and just soaking up Bali’s spiritual energy costs absolutely nothing. Combining the paid experience with the free exploration will keep your budget in order and provide you with an adequate authentic experience.
Which Is More Expensive Thailand or Bali?
Everyone argues about which is more expensive Thailand or Bali, and honestly they’re pretty similar overall. Thailand is a little cheaper in terms of rooms and street food, particularly not in tourist areas. But Bali’s middle-range stuff often gives better quality and looks nicer for similar money.
Thailand’s islands like Phuket match Bali’s tourist prices, while Bangkok offers cheaper street food than Bali’s busy areas. But Bali’s villas beat Thailand’s for value, especially splitting costs with mates or family. Activities cost roughly the same in both places.
Is Bali getting more expensive?
Of course, yes. Prices have gone up because of growth, rising tourism, and global inflation, especially in tourist spots like Seminyak, Canggu, and Uluwatu. Prices at trendy bars and restaurants on the beach now match those in the West. Still, prices are set the old-fashioned way in places that aren’t popular with tourists, and people who are willing to go off to less-popular Instagram spots are rewarded. Even though prices are going up, Bali is still cheaper than most Western holiday spots. By coming during shoulder seasons, eating at local restaurants, and staying in villages with fewer tourists, you can keep is Bali expensive to visit.
Despite rising costs, Bali remains affordable compared to Western destinations. Strategic travel visiting shoulder seasons, eating at local establishments, staying in less commercialised villages keeps is Bali expensive to visit manageable rather than prohibitive.
Clever Ways to Make Your Money Go Further
Budgeting requires inside information to make the most out of your budget. Change money at proper exchange places (never airports), haggle at markets (expected and appreciated), and book rooms directly for better deals. Breakfast at your hotel, refillable water bottles (a water refill station is on every street), and not going to restaurants in front of the major attractions save a tonne.
Hiring scooters instead of taxis daily, hitting temples early in the morning (less crowds, better photos, same cheap entry), and finding free activities stretches your budget nicely. By using World Holiday Vibes to book your Bali holidays, you invest in well-edited experiences between real experiences and real comfort. We do not sell holidays, we sell vibes and make sure that every pound will be spent on a memorable experience and not a tourist junk.
Sorting Out Your Real Budget
Budgeting realistically prevents the destruction of your trip by stress. Roughly speaking, accommodation takes 40% of your budget, food about 25%, activities 20%, transport 10%, and random stuff 5%.It makes sense to add 20% to your budget to account for unplanned activities and costs. The magic about Bali is usually the one that strikes without prior notice.
Is Bali expensive to visit will be largely dependent on your own decisions, values, and readiness to become a responsible tourist that respects the local culture. The island will pay off those who strike the right balance between the most popular places and the most secretive ones, those that are a rare delight but still unforgettable and those who plan and act on the spur of the moment.
In booking Bali holidays through World Holiday Vibes, one will feel the true spirit of Bali and not bother about a limited budget. Our competitive prices, local connections, and deep knowledge help you maximise value while creating those priceless moments defining brilliant travel. Because ultimately, whether is Bali expensive to visit matters way less than whether you’re truly experiencing the island’s spirit and that’s exactly what we deliver.
For official travel advice and entry requirements, see the UK government’s travel guidance for Indonesia: Foreign travel advice — Indonesia (gov.uk).
FAQ’s about is bali expensive?
Regular travellers comfortably spend £60-120 daily covering nice rooms, varied food mixing local and international stuff, organised activities, and easy transport. Tight-budget travellers manage brilliantly on £25-40 daily staying in guesthouses, eating local food, and using scooters.
Yeah, visiting November through March (except Christmas and New Year) seriously cuts costs everywhere. You can get better deals, room prices drop 30–50%, and sites don’t seem as crowded. It typically pours in the afternoon and does not occur throughout the day.
Bring £150-250 cash for initial stuff and change more as needed at proper money changers for way better rates than banks or airports. Numerous locations accept cards by now, but at smaller companies, markets, and country areas, where the most reliable genuine experiences are experienced, cash remains the most used.
Beach clubs range between low and high end. Anticipate a minimum per capita expenditure of £16-80 that covers use of sunbeds, food and drinks throughout the day. The high-end clubs such as Potato Head and Finns are in the upper range of the spectrum with smaller beach clubs being cheap in vibe and still having the same atmosphere.
Absolutely. On £25-40 per day, you will be staying in clean hostels, eating some tasty authentic food, renting scooters for sightseeing, attending beautiful temples, beaches, and experiencing the culture of Bali in the right way. Your experience remains equally brilliant irrespective of the budget- in fact, sometimes even better when you are well engulfed in the native life
