Bali Travel Costs: Daily Budget, Prices and How Much to Bring

Where you sleep is the biggest line in most budgets, and Bali has more choice at every level than almost anywhere in Asia.

Homestays in Ubud usually include breakfast and are the best value on the island. Villas shared by four or six people can cost less per head than a mid-range hotel. Prices jump 30-50 percent in July, August and over Christmas, and weekly or monthly rates often run 20-40 percent below the nightly price. Our where to stay in Bali guide compares the areas.

The gap between local and Western food is the biggest lever on your budget. A plate of nasi campur (rice with a choice of meat, vegetables and sambal) at a warung costs IDR 25,000-50,000 (USD 1.50-3), while a smoothie bowl and flat white at a Canggu or Seminyak cafe runs IDR 120,000-180,000 (USD 7-11).

Beach clubs such as Potato Head in Seminyak and Finns in Canggu usually charge no entry for general areas, but daybeds and sunbeds come with a minimum spend that ranges from around IDR 500,000 to several million rupiah depending on the spot and the season. Imported spirits and wine are heavily taxed, so local beer, arak cocktails and Indonesian wine are the money-savers. Prices also vary by area: the same nasi goreng costs noticeably more on Canggu’s main strip than in a Sanur backstreet or an Amed fishing village, and Jimbaran’s beach grills price seafood by weight, so agree the price before it goes on the fire.

Bali has no useful public transport, so how you move decides much of your spend. Over a two-week trip, drivers and boats often cost more than food. Distances look short on the map but traffic is slow: Seminyak to Ubud is about 25 km (16 miles) and still takes 1.5 hours, so a driver day is often cheaper than two app rides plus waiting time. Arriving at Ngurah Rai Airport, expect to pay more for a transfer to Uluwatu or Ubud than to Kuta, which is only 15-30 minutes away.

• Gojek and Grab: motorbike rides IDR 10,000-25,000 and car rides IDR 30,000-80,000 within the south or Ubud. In Ubud centre, Padangbai and some villages, app drivers cannot pick up, and the local taxis charge more.
• Scooter rental: IDR 70,000-120,000 a day, less by the week, plus about IDR 30,000 to fill the tank. You need a motorcycle licence and an International Driving Permit, or police fines and refused insurance claims follow.
• Private car and driver: IDR 600,000-800,000 (USD 35-47) for 8-10 hours including fuel; parking and entry fees are on you. Shared between two to four people this is the best-value way to sightsee.
• Airport transfers: fixed-price airport taxis cost IDR 150,000-250,000 to the south and IDR 350,000-450,000 to Ubud; Grab and Gojek from the signed pickup point are cheaper.
• Fast boats to the Nusa islands: Sanur to Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan IDR 170,000-250,000 one way, 30-45 minutes. A packaged Penida day trip with boat, car and lunch runs IDR 700,000-1,100,000.
• Fast boats to the Gili Islands: IDR 400,000-700,000 one way from Padangbai, 1.5-2.5 hours.

Most temples charge a modest foreigner fee, usually including a sarong. The big ticket items are tours and guided treks.

The Monkey Forest is open 9am to 6pm with last entry at 5pm; the prices above are from the official site. Temple fees change often and some sites add a parking or donation charge, so carry small notes. Batur trek prices fall when you book through your guesthouse in Ubud rather than online, and solo trekkers pay more than groups of three or four.

Two charges apply on arrival for most visitors. The visa on arrival costs IDR 500,000 (about USD 30) per person for most nationalities, gives 30 days and can be extended once for another 30. Buy it online in advance as an e-VOA through the official Indonesian immigration site to skip the airport queue, and ignore the lookalike agents charging double. Fees and eligible countries change, so check before you go.

Bali also charges every international visitor a one-off tourist levy of IDR 150,000 (about USD 9), separate from the visa. Pay it online before you fly through the official Love Bali portal by card, bank transfer or QRIS; the QR voucher is emailed to you and checked on arrival.

A tourist SIM or eSIM with 30-50 GB of data costs roughly IDR 150,000-350,000 at the airport and less at phone shops in town. Telkomsel has the widest coverage, including in the east and the hills.

Bali runs on a mix of cash and cards. Hotels, restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and beach clubs take Visa and Mastercard, often with a 2-3 percent card surcharge at smaller places. Warungs, markets, temple fees, homestays, drivers and small shops want cash. QRIS, Indonesia’s national QR payment code, is everywhere from warungs to temple gates; some foreign apps and wallets now link to it, but most visitors still pay QRIS merchants in cash.

ATMs are plentiful in the south and Ubud and thinner in Amed, Sidemen and on the Nusa islands, so carry enough cash before you go east. Most machines dispense IDR 1,500,000-3,000,000 per withdrawal, depending on the bank and the machine. Reports since early 2026 say Bank Mandiri charges foreign cards an access fee of about IDR 50,000 per withdrawal, while BCA and BNI machines generally do not add one; your home bank’s foreign fee applies on top. Always choose to be charged in rupiah rather than your home currency, as the “conversion” option costs several percent.

Use ATMs inside banks, malls or minimarts to avoid card skimmers, and change cash only at authorised money changers with a printed rate. Small roadside changers advertising rates better than the banks are where the counting tricks happen.

Many hotels and restaurants show prices “++”, meaning a government tax (usually 10 percent) and a service charge (usually 5-11 percent) are added at the bill, so the final total is roughly 15-21 percent above the menu. Warungs and small cafes generally include everything. Booking sites sometimes show tax only at the final step, so compare the full price.

Other extras: parking at temples and beaches (IDR 2,000-5,000 for a scooter, IDR 5,000-10,000 for a car), toilet charges, the IDR 10,000-20,000 “donation” at village viewpoints and waterfalls, and sarong rental where it is not included. On Nusa Penida a few beaches and viewpoints charge small separate fees.

• Eat at warungs for lunch and save cafes for one meal a day; this alone halves food costs.
• Drink local: Bintang from the minimart, arak cocktails at happy hour, and refill water at your hotel.
• Share a driver with travellers from your guesthouse, and book drivers directly rather than through hotel desks.
• Travel in the wet season (November to March, outside Christmas) for 20-40 percent off rooms.
• Stay longer in fewer places: weekly rates are lower and each base change costs a transfer.
• Book Batur, snorkel and dive trips locally rather than online.

Sample trip totals per person, two sharing, excluding flights:

These include the visa and levy, a Nusa Penida trip, a few driver days and one or two paid activities a day. Compared with neighbours, Bali is similar to Thailand’s islands for mid-range travel, more expensive than Vietnam for almost everything, and cheaper than Thailand for villas with private pools.

Tipping is not expected but is appreciated. Round up or leave 5-10 percent at warungs and cafes that do not add service, IDR 50,000-100,000 a day for a good driver or guide, and IDR 20,000-50,000 for a spa therapist. Where a service charge is already on the bill, a tip is optional.

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