Let’s get down to business: Money!

Now that we have seen Bali’s Top 10 Hotspots and had a look at the Map & Transportation, let’s get down to business: MONEY!

Because let’s be honest, no planning can’t be done without an idea of how much money we will need. Most blogs they’ll show you only the beautiful side of the coin and hide the costs of getting to certain places or achieving certain experiences. Sometimes, to plan a trip I’ll have to go through countless sites, blogs, TripAdvisor, etc. just to find all the prices I am interested in and that takes ages.

So in this article, I will save you all the hard work and, as honestly as possible, I will help you to plan your trip by providing you with the full list of the expenses me and my girlfriend encountered, the prices of attractions all in one place, and a couple of tips to save your bucks 😉

Let’s just dive in!

First things first: how much does Bali cost me?

For Bali, the answer is: as damn few or as damn much as you’d like!

The island offers quality for all pockets; from broke backpackers to splurging enthusiasts. Bali is an island full of possibilities, so it’s up to you to chose what fits best your traveling style 🙂 Let’s go through the costs one by one!

1. Travel Cost to Bali

To reach Bali you need a flight ticket, and depending on where are you from, that will likely be the most expensive part of your trip.

Luckily, prices went down quite a bit in recent years and if you are slightly flexible on your dates you’ll likely find bargain deals between 400-600EURO for Go&Return ticket from major airports in Europe or either coast of North America.

How much will it cost you exactly from your location? I normally use Skyscanner to compare all flights available (using prices during the whole month and picking up the cheapest dates) and I love it. If you don’t already know this website you should definitely give it a try now, it’s going to be your dearest friend soon;)

Check this article for the 15 Essential Apps for Smart Travelling you’ll absolutely love having with you.

2. Accomodation cost in Bali

Here the choice is yours, Bali offers a huge variety of backpackers hostels, villas, and hotels for all tastes.

Hostels start as low as 60.000IDK (3.50EURO) a night in most touristic hotspots. An average price for hostels could be 7-10$, and that is for QUALITY hostels. Check on Hostelworld and pick your favorite!

For around 15-20$ per night, you can already get luxurious 4-stars hotels (check on Booking), or starting from around 50$ you can get your own villa from Airbnb!

We stayed at the following places during our stay and can definitely recommend them: MBox Seminyak (Hostel), MBox Suites Seminyak (Hotel), Ramada Encore Seminyak (Hotel, our favorite), Petak Cottage in Nusa Penida (Cottage), Bliss Ubud Spa in Ubud (Hotel).

3. Moving around Bali – Costs

Moving around in Bali is cheap, likely one of the lowest expenses on your list.

The cheapest way of all to visit Bali and enjoy all the freedom you wish for, is in my opinion, the scooter.

Expect to get a scooter in the range of 20.000-60.000IDK (1-4Euro) per day depending on the scooter and your bargaining skills. We rented online from Bikago and we found it a reliable service with high-quality scooters, although a bit more pricey than renting scooters straight from the road.

Other ways to move are Taxis, Private Drivers, or online platforms such as Grab and GoJek. We described those and their costs in detail here: Bali Hotspots Map and moving around.

4. Cost of Food and Drinks in Bali

Food in Bali is way cheaper than in most destinations you’ve been to. Alcoholic drinks are likely not.

A large portion of Mie Goreng or Nasu Goreng (noodles or rise) in a local Warung can be around 15.000IDK to 30.000IDK (1/1.50Euro), sometimes cheaper. A larger meal in a local restaurant can be around 60.000-80.000 IDK (3-6Euro).

The proximity to tourists spots surely may increase the prices of restaurant but still expect to find good deals almost anywhere. If you’re planning on saving on food, in Bali you can do it without sacrificing quality.

If you are looking for high-end meals or just something a bit more classy, you’ll find also plenty of options in Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu and Ubud.

Our favourite restaurant hands-down has been La Favela, a restaurant in Seminyak built as a Rio de Janeiro Favela, brought back many memories and Brasilian vibes. Here for a two-person meal we paid around 600.000IDK (35 Euro), something than in Europe you may pay for an average meal but here gets you a damn superior quality.

And now to the ugly: alcohol prices! In recent years, the government of Indonesia (in majority muslim) has been introducing increasingly stringent alcohol policy and higher alcohol taxation to uphold the values of their religion.

Bali received some special treatment being the only non-muslim island of Indonesia but still, alcohol prices are not in line with the general cost of living. A small Bintang beer (33cl) may cost between 15.000IDK(1EURO) in supermarket and 30.000IDK(2IDK) in an average restaurant; a large one (66cl) between 30.000IDK(2EURO) in supermarket and 50.000IDK(3,50EURO) in restaurants. Prices for beer are still acceptable, not shockingly cheap like the rest though.

Imported liquors and spirits range from 700.000IDK (38EURO) upwards. This makes them very expensive and same goes for all cocktails which contain them. Wine lays in between (starting around 150.000IDK a 750cl bottle, which for us Italians is extremely expensive).

In conclusion, my suggestion is to stick with beer if you care about your wallet, or even better if you don’t feel the urge to drink, enjoy the many fresh fruit juices the island has to offer.

5. Attractions costs

Access to certain Bali temples or natural hotspots are often subject to a very small entrance fees, mostly used to support the place and people keeping them in order and clean for the tourists to visit.

Hereafter, we thought of leaving you the entrance fees to the most iconic hotspots you may want to visit, all in one place so that you don’t have to look for them individually on countless websites as we did 😉 Prices in Euro are indicative at the time of writing (beginning 2020).

Costs of Bali’s Main Attractions

• Lempuyang Temple (Free Offer – Suggested ~20.000IDK, 1,20 EURO)
• Tanah Lot (60.000 IDK, 3,50 EURO)
• Kelingking Beach (10.000IDK + 5.000IDK Parking, 1 Euro)
• Jatiluwih Rice Terraces (40.000 IDK, 2,50 EURO)
• Campuhan Ridge (FREE)
• Giri Putri Cave (Free Offer, Suggested ~20.000IDK, 1,20 EURO)
• Kampo Lampo Waterfalls (10.000IDK, 0,60 EURO)
• Seminyak Beach (Sunbeds + Umbrella) (~100.000/150.000 IDK for a day, highly negotiable)
• Diamond Beach (10.000IDK, 0,60 EURO)
• Uluwatu Temple (30.000IDK, 2 EURO)
• Kecak Dance in Ubud or Uluwatu (100.000IDK, 5,50 EURO)
• GWK Park (125.000IDK, 7 EURO)
• Tirtta Gangga (30.000IDK, 2 EURO, additional 10.000IDK, 0,60EUROif you want to swim in the freshwater pool)
• Ubud Monkey Forest (20.000IDK, 1,20EURO)