My rundown on how much to budget and what you can expect to spend on a month in Bali and Indonesia – including accommodation, transport, food and activities.
Having just visited Indonesia for the fourth time and having sampled a good variety of what this country has to offer – including surf charters, rice paddies, monkey filled temples, incredible wreck diving and island hoping – I thought it was about time to add this destination to my monthly budget series!
So heres a run down of my main costs during my time in Indonesia (mainly Bali admittedly!) to help you price up how much you might be spending during a month in this amazing part of South East Asia.
All prices were done on an exchange rate of just under 20,000IDR to £1GBP.
How Much Money To Budget For A Month In…Bali & Indonesia
Contents
Accommodation In Bali
Unlike places like Thailand and Cambodia there’s not much in the way of traditional hostel setups in Indo (2019 update – since I first wrote this guide plenty of hostel have sprung up all over the place!) , there are however a HEAP of guest houses and budget hotels to choose from.
Your best bet on this front is a good old fashioned Trip Advisor search or personal recommendation.
The following are based on where I’ve personally stayed in, the averages are what I’ve looked around for – but ultimately where you stay in Bali will determine your overall accommodation costs.
For example Canggu will set you back a lot more than the likes of Kuta.
- Cheapest Bed – Bali Reef Divers, Tulamben – £2.50 per person per night (4 share dorm)
- Average Bed – Ayu Beach Inn, Kuta – £7.50 per person per night (double room)
- Most Expensive Bed – Grand Sunti Hotel, Ubud – £30 per night (double room)
- Average nights accommodation (double/twin room) £5-7
Estimated monthly accommodation costs
£250
Food and Drink
When it comes to food and drink Indo is haps cheap and there’s such a variety to be found – whether you want traditional Indonesian dishes, other Asian dishes or simply want homely western food you’re totally covered and it won’t break your wallet either…
- Favourite local dish – Gado Gado (tofu, potato and veggies in a peanut sauce)
- Cheapest meal – Indonesian buffet at Warung Indonesia (in Kuta, Bali) – £1
- Average Indonesia meal – around £1
- Average western meal – around £2
- Meal in a more established restaurant/chain (inc drink) – around £3-5
- Most guesthouses also have a free breakfast too which is always a budget saver!
- Average cost of beer (large Bintang, Circle K) – £1.50
- Average cost of beer (large Bintang , restaurant) – £1.75
- Favourite place to eat – Warung Indonesia, an absolutely amazing Indonesian Buffett place in between Poppies 1 and 2 in Kuta, Bali and you can have a solid feed and a drink for under £1.50!
- Other Top Tip – you can party pretty damn cheap in Kuta (literally spending less than £5!) in places like the Skygarden BBQ (which includes an hour of free beer and 3 hours of unlimited buffet for £2.50!) check out my Kuta post for more info!
Estimated food cost per month (40 Indonesian dishes and 20 western dishes)
£80
Transport Costs In Bali
I’ll be honest here, when I’m in Indonesia I tend to base myself in Bali and surf, taking the odd day trip here and there – so my experiences are limited to minibuses and shared taxis, except for a few trips further afield!
- Airport – Kuta – £5
- Kuta – Uluwatu/Padang/Uluwatu Temple – £5 (return)
- Kuta- Ubud (inc Monkey Forest) – £ (day trip return)
- Kuta – Ubud – £4 (one way, shared shuttle)
- Ubud – Tulamben – £22.50 (private car)
- Tulamben – Kuta – £25 (private car)
- Kuta – Gili T – £25 return (mini bus & ferry combo)
- Bali – Nusa Lembongan – £20 return (mini bus and ferry combo)
- Bali – Komodo (flight) – approx £35 (one way)
Also if you’re looking for a reliable and reasonable driver my driver (and good friend!) Budah has put together a list of all his prices for you.
Simply drop him a Whats App on +62 819-9785-1578 and he’ll help you out – including discounts if you book a few trips!
- Canggu > Airport = 250k (£12.50)
- Canggu > Kuta = 200k (£10)
- Canggu > Semiyak = 150k (£7.50)
- Canggu > Ubud = 300k (£15)
- Canggu > Nusa Dua = 300k (15)
- Canggu > Uluwatu = 450k (£22.50)
- Airport > Ubud = 400k (£20)
- Airport > Nusa Dua = 250k (12.50)
- Airport > Kuta = 200k (£10)
- Ubud > Uluwatu 450k (£22.50)
- Nusa dua > Uluwatu = 250k (£12.50)
Also keep in mind that the airport departure tax is now 200,000IDR (roughly £10) – this has now been stopped
Depending on what you want to do in Bali the travel costs are going to be what set you back a good chuck of your budget. You can rent a moped pretty cheap here for shorter days trips for around £2.50 per day, or much less if you rent for the month, which will set you back around £40.
Over a month though an average kind of trip would be Airport – Kuta – Ubud – Gili T – Kuta – Uluwatu Temple – Kuta and a flight back from Komodo (if you’re doing a trip there)
Estimated transport costs
£89
Activities
There’s actually heaps of things to do in Bali and Indonesia – all depending on what floats your boat and how much cash you have to splash and of course how much time you have in your Bali itinerary!
Here are some of my favourites;
- PADI Open Water – 3 days, Gili T – £235
- Uluwatu Day trip (from Kuta) – £8
- Surfboard hire – 1 day, £2.50
- Surf lessons (1 day) – £15
- Freedive course on Gili T (3 days) – £175
- Trip to Gili T (5 days from Bali inc accommodation, day bike hire and return transfers) – roughly £70
- Monkey Forest & Rice Paddies in Ubud (including entry fee and return shuttle) – £9
- Full body Massage – £5
-
Surfing In Kuta - Komodo National Park Overnight Trip – £110
- Island Hopping Surf Camp (6 days)– £495
- Surf Charter Boat (1 Week) – £680
- Diving in Tulamben (3 night, 5 dive package) – £75
- Waterbomb Waterpark – £20
- Uluwatu Temple Kecak Dance – £6.5
If I had to pull out what the average backpacker would do over a month I’d say you’d be looking at a day trip down to Uluwatu to surf or see the temple, at least a day trip to Ubud (if not longer) a stay on Gili T, trip to Komodo National Park, a surf lesson on Kuta Beach and a couple of massages.
Estimated Activity Costs
£198
Also if you’re looking to get internet on your phone whilst you’re out there for Whats App, Skype, Facebook etc you can grab an iPhone SIM from Telkomsel with 2GB of data for around 150,000IDR – or about £7.50
An Average Months Budget In Bali
So, based on my personal experience and estimates, a month in Indonesia will set you back
Around £547
or roughly £17.60 per day
This would include accommodation, meals, transport and some of the key activities.
One of the key exclusions in this estimate it ALCOHOL though, so if you’re intending on partying expect this overall cost to rise! But in all honesty drinking in Indonesia is pretty cheap though with a small beer being less than £1 in a corner shop or around £1-2 in a restaurant.
As always though I’d like to point out that this is merely a base point for your spending in Indonesia and it’s always best to over budget for travelling to allow for personal changes in spending habits! For example my last trip to Indonesia cost me nearly £800 for the month I was there!
There are also a range of group tours in Bali for those travelling solo or who want to kick back and enjoy their trip without worrying about how to get around and booking activities too! My pick of those would be the epic 18 day Bali and Komodo Adventure Tour which covers Canggu, Ubud, Gili T, Lombok and Komodo National Park!
And of course if 30 days simply isn’t enough for your adventure in Bali and Indonesia you can also extend your visa to 60 days! Check out my post on Bali Visa on Arrival and Bali Visa Extension for more info on how to sort it
Want more budgeting tips? Then check out the following;
**PLEASE NOTE; This is to be used as a guide only – currency and cost fluctuate depending on season and exchange rates. Information was correct at the time of writing**
This is SO helpful for my trip to Bali in Aug / Sep!!! Thank you Chris! xx
http://www.bohemianmuses.blogspot.com
Hi! I’d like to ask how did you get to Gili T for £25 return? I’m going to Bali at the end of this month, and I’d like to visit Gili T as well, but I’ve heard the ferry is not operating anymore, so the only option from Bali (except flying to Lombok which is more time consuming) is the kind of expensive (80-100 USD return) fastboat service. So how did you manage to make it much cheaper?
Thanks!
Your blog is awesome, keep it up!
Borisz
Hey Borisz,
I was there at the beginning of the month and the boat services were still running – it was easy enough to book them via guesthouses in Kuta or from various travel vendors around the place.
Thank you! I was a bit worried about the speedboat prices, as I found they’re around 100 USD return, but it’s good to know the cheaper option is still available!
I have a feeling that might be a private speedboat transfer Borisz as the boats I’ve been getting were much cheaper.
Wow! This is so detailed and helpful. Great post…thank you! Im taking notes for my future trip in Indonesia.
No worries Vanessa – glad it helped!
Nice calculation. These tips will definitely make my 1st holidays trip to Indonesia awesome.
No worries Hannah – let me know how you get on!
Hi Chris,
I’ve been reading this budget series and it’s so helpful, thanks very much :) Is there as way to see when an article was written to gauge how up to date the prices are likely to be please?
All the best,
Gilly
Hey Gilly,
Stoked it’s helping you out! Although the post dates aren’t displayed the date of the first comment is usually the best way to check it!
Thank you so much. Can’t wait for my trip.
have an awesome time Leana – let me know how you get on!
this is a great list thanks for putting it together!! Me and my gf will be heading to indonesia with more or less tight budget. And we were beginning to think it was not possible (diving + travel + komodo).
I have a question about komodo, how did you find something so cheap for 4 days? Can you share a link?
Best!!
Hey Pinar,
Stoked to hear you’re heading to Indonesia – love it out there! With the Komodo trip I haven’t actually personally been there, but a close friend I was travelling with did it before she met up with me. She actually booked hers out there, I can see if I can find out what company :)
Thanks so much for this. So helpful! Unfortunately I made the mistake of forgetting to double your estimates for two of us – and have promised my hubby that we can live it large out there for an entire month for £600 minus flights!! anddddd I threw in some diving promises too n convinced him to take a month off work and booked flights… trouble looming.
Can you recommend the cheapest spots to stay on in Bali, Lombok and Gili? Not that we can be choosy, but we’d like to avoid booze/party hotspots if possible.
Plz help if u can.
Oh dear Safirah! Good luck with that!
Gili T is easy enough to find a nice guesthouse, just have a short walk around and see whats available (I stay in different places each time) and in Bali it depends where you want to be. I use Ayu Beach Inn on Poppies 1 in Kuta which is close to the surf and town, but Kuta isn’t for everyone! Canggu is a really nice spot but I’ve never stayed there except for day trips.
Sorry I cant be more help on that front!
Hey, I noticed that you went on a Komodo sailing trip – I’m heading out to Bali in a couple of weeks and was wondering what company you used? Thanks!
Hey Freya, I actually didn’t do one myself – I used the info from my buddies trip she went on whilst we were out there. Unfortunately I totally forget to take down the name!
Hi Chris, I’m planning to go to Bali in 2016 and was wondering if we could camp around near the beaches?
Hey Erika,
Hmmm I’m not to sure about camping to be honest, you might be able to get away with it at some of the more remote beaches though but play it safe.
Really good post! Proud to be Balinese. Hope more customers come to my island. Cheers!
Awesome info! this article is very helpful for everyone who plan to stay longer in Bali.
Just want to add a little more, if you want to search for Affordable Bali Long Term Rental for weekly/monthly/yearly there is a local site Bali Budget Housing they list house, villa and apartment.
Hope this help! :)
thanks for sharing Lauren, always good to have some extra resources in there!
Great post. Really helpful.
I’m gonna stay for one month in Bali too.
Can you recommend a good guest house/hotel (15-25 $ per night) incl. a swimming pool (to chillax after a long sports day) or in general a strategically wise accomodation location?
My central aim is to surf/dive and to go out from time to time (not clubs, but rather easy going bars).
I intend to have a sort of base from where I can reach grocery stores, surf beach breaks and bars by walking distance. At the same time I would like to stay somewhere where the tourist noise level rather low and have the chance to meet some cool people.
I would appreciate if you provided some feedback.
Thank you,
Konrad
Hey Konrad,
In that case I can recommend Uluwatu or Canggu for your base – really nice surf spots and you can easily day trip for scuba diving and exploring. Gili T and Ahmed might also be worth checking out for diving too!
This is extremely helpful as I am planning a three week trip to Bali and Lombok in 2017. I am also looking at visiting in November time frame as I will be able to get three weeks off no problem at that time of the year. However, I hear that it is the beginning of the rainy season in Indonesia at that time. Have you been to Bali during the rainy season at all? And if so, how wet does it really get?
Hey Ray,
Stoked it helped you out!
Indeed I’ve been in Bali around Nov/Dec time and there can be some heavy downpours, however it’s still warm and the sun still comes out. It can be pretty hit and miss though.
I couldn’t have come across this post at a better time as I’m planning a major kayak adventure in Bali for like a month. Thanks for giving me an idea of how much I need to budget. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this. I will be there in a week or two, what budgetsurf schools can you recommend. The camps seem to be more expensive. Or do you think a camp is worth the money.
Thank you already. :))
No worries Anna – stoked it helped you out! There are cheaper surf schools on the beaches if you just want a few lessons, but the surf camps are solid if you’re wanting to meet heaps of people and include accommodation too. If you wanted to do something like the Mojo Indo Island hopper its all a good way of travelling around too – hit me up if you want some discounts!
Hello! I will be in Bali next week. Just out of curiosity, what company did you book your Komodo tour with? Also, is it best to book in the city or ahead of time?
Hi Michael, it was my buddy that booked that Komodo trip and I totally forgot to write down the name! Sorry!
Hi there,
i know this is out of topics, but please help me
i want to make the route map like you’ve been made, please help me how to make it, pleaseeeeee
Great blog! Thanks for the useful list of prices and the inspirational pics! Planning to go to Indonesië soon. Currently enjoying beautiful Laos.
Thanks Frank! How’s Laos going?
You’ll love Indo!
Awesome thanks for the info! Me and my girlfriend are planning a month in Bali next winter… We are hoping to see the surrounding islands as well. Is it cheaper to fly or take a boat? Thanks!
It depends what island you are looking at Micah – spots like Lombok, Nusa Lembongan and the Gili Islands are easily reached by ferry
Thank you for your helpful great article. Me and my friedns will go in Bali after two months and that time your article will be very helpful for us. That’s why i just bookmarked your site. Keep doing good work, my dear. Best Of Luck and thanks again.
No worries Asking, have an amazing trip :)
Thank you for shared your experience in Bali, Chris.
I really appreciated it.
Here the valuable info about the entrance fee of the sights in Bali:
http://www.bali-backpacker.com/the-entrance-fee-of-the-sights-attractions-in-bali/
It will be useful for your blog reader.
So, they can calculate how much the budget they will spend it while in Bali.
Also it provide some efficient itineraries, it will be helpful for sure.
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate
to this fantastic blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding
your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and
will share this blog with my Facebook group. Chat soon!