Cost of Living in Bali: Real Budgets for 2026

Bali can cost you 900 dollars a month or 5,000. Both figures are real, both are common, and neither tells you anything without context. This guide breaks down what life on the island actually costs in 2026, line by line, for a solo expat, a couple and a family, with the traps that inflate budgets when nobody warns you.

The short version

Housing: the line that decides everything

Rent is where Bali budgets diverge. Monthly, in US dollars:

• Room in a shared villa or kost: 250 to 500 in most areas.
• Studio or one bedroom villa: 500 to 900 outside the hotspots, 800 to 1,400 in Canggu or Uluwatu.
• Two bedroom villa with pool: 900 to 1,800 depending on area and finish.
• Family villa near international schools: 1,500 to 3,000 and up.

Two rules save money. First, yearly contracts cost 30 to 50 percent less per month than monthly deals, which is why settled expats sign long. Second, prices drop fast just 10 minutes away from the beach clubs: Pererenan instead of central Canggu, Umalas instead of Seminyak.

Food: from 3 dollar plates to 30 dollar brunches

A meal at a local warung costs 2 to 4 dollars, and eating Indonesian daily keeps a food budget under 300 a month without trying. Western cafés are a different economy: 6 to 9 dollars for a smoothie bowl, 12 to 18 for brunch, 25 and up for a nice dinner with a drink. Groceries at expat supermarkets (imported cheese, wine, cereals) cost Europe-plus prices; local markets are a fraction of that. Most expats land around 400 to 600 a month eating both ways.

Getting around

A scooter rents for 60 to 100 dollars a month, fuel included add another 15. Buying secondhand costs 700 to 1,200. Cars are the exception, not the rule: traffic and parking make them impractical in the busy corridors, and a driver for day trips costs 40 to 60 dollars a day, often the smarter deal. Ride apps (Gojek, Grab) are cheap for short hops.

The lines people forget

• Health insurance: 60 to 250 a month depending on age and coverage. Not optional, see our health section.
• Visas: a VOA run costs about 65 dollars every 60 days; a remote worker or investor KITAS runs several hundred per year via an agent. Details in the visa guide.
• Coworking: 100 to 180 a month for unlimited desks in Canggu or Ubud, often with pool.
• School fees: international schools charge 4,000 to 15,000 dollars a year per child. This single line moves a family from "cheap paradise" to "plan carefully".
• Flights home: budget one or two long hauls a year; they belong in the real monthly average.

Sample budget: comfortable solo, Canggu area

Frequently asked questions