Bali Cost of Living 2026: Real Monthly Budgets for Expats and Nomads

The short answer

A single person can live in Bali for roughly US$900 to $1,400 a month on a simple budget, around US$1,500 to $2,300 for a comfortable mid-range life, and US$2,300 to $3,900 or more with a private pool villa, daily cafe meals and regular nights out. Couples can share much of the cost; families with international school fees should budget from around US$4,000 a month and often far more.

Rent is the big variable, and where you live matters more than almost anything else. Ubud and Sanur are noticeably cheaper than Canggu, Seminyak or the best cliff-top spots in Uluwatu. Figures below are 2026 prices at roughly IDR 18,000 to the US dollar. They are a realistic guide, not a quote: prices vary with season, lease length and how hard you look.

Rent by area

Long-term rent in Bali usually means a monthly rental, or a yearly lease paid upfront, which is cheaper still. Prices have risen sharply since 2022, especially in the Canggu area.

• Canggu, Berawa and Pererenan: the nomad capital, with cafes, coworking, surf and heavy traffic. Basic rooms and studios from around IDR 6 to 15 million (US$330 to $830); a one-bedroom villa with a private pool roughly IDR 16 to 50 million (US$900 to $2,800).
• Ubud: green, creative and quieter at night. Basic places from around IDR 6 to 11 million (US$350 to $600); one-bedroom villas roughly IDR 10 to 35 million (US$550 to $1,950), with the best value outside the center.
• Sanur: calm, flat, walkable and popular with families and older expats. Simple places from around IDR 5.5 to 9 million (US$300 to $500); villas from about IDR 8 million to 40 million for a pool villa near the beach.
• Uluwatu and the Bukit: world-class surf and long distances between everything. Basic rooms can be cheap, but villas with views start around IDR 25 million and climb steeply.

What drives the spread is how you find it. Places listed on international platforms and Instagram are priced for newcomers; places found through local Facebook groups, word of mouth or by riding around and asking at "dikontrakkan" (for rent) signs are often much cheaper. See a property in person, ask what is included (cleaning, pool, Wi-Fi, electricity, garbage and banjar fees) and get a written contract.

Food and groceries

Food is where Bali still feels like a bargain, as long as you eat at least partly like a local.

• Warung meal: IDR 15,000 to 50,000 (US$1 to $3)
• Cafe meal: IDR 60,000 to 150,000 (US$3 to $8)
• Mid-range restaurant: IDR 150,000 to 350,000 per person (US$8 to $19)
• Groceries for one, mostly local ingredients: around IDR 2 to 3.5 million a month (US$110 to $195)

Two warung meals a day comes to only around US$80 to $180 a month. Eat at Western cafes every day and the same line jumps to US$300 to $500 or more. Imported cheese, wine, cereals and meat from the big supermarkets cost as much as at home.

Work, transport and everyday costs

• Coworking: day passes around IDR 200,000 to 300,000 (US$11 to $17); monthly memberships around IDR 2 to 3.2 million (US$110 to $180). Home fiber is good in most areas, but power cuts happen, so keep a mobile data plan as backup.
• Scooter: monthly rental around IDR 1.2 to 1.8 million (US$65 to $100), plus fuel at about IDR 10,000 a liter. You need a license valid for motorcycles; see our guide to renting a scooter.
• Utilities: electricity, water and internet together run around US$50 to $200 a month. Air conditioning is the biggest swing factor.
• Gym, yoga and fitness: roughly US$30 to $200 a month, from a local gym to premium memberships.
• Health insurance: around US$50 to $200 a month for international cover with medical evacuation, depending on age and plan. Do not live here without it. Scooter accidents are one of the most common reasons foreigners end up in hospital, and serious cases may need evacuation.

Visa costs (official figures)

Visa fees belong in your monthly budget, and they change, so confirm everything on the official e-visa portal, evisa.imigrasi.go.id, before applying. According to Indonesian immigration offices:

• Visa on Arrival: IDR 500,000 for 30 days, extendable once for another 30 days. The extension costs a further IDR 500,000 and requires an online application and a visit to an immigration office for photo and interview. That works out to roughly IDR 500,000 (US$28) a month for a 60-day stay.
• Tourist visit visa (C1): IDR 1,500,000 for an initial 60 days, extendable up to 180 days in total; extensions cost extra. It is a visit visa and does not allow work.
• Overstay: IDR 1,000,000 per day. Do not let your permit lapse.

For staying longer while working for clients or an employer abroad, Indonesia offers the E33G remote worker visa, which leads to a limited stay permit (KITAS). Check its current fee, income threshold and conditions on the official immigration listing; our guide to moving to Bali as a digital nomad explains how it works. Tourists also pay Bali's IDR 150,000 tourist levy once per visit; KITAS and KITAP holders are exempt.

Realistic monthly budgets

Simple life: around US$900 to $1,400 (IDR 16 to 25 million). A room or small studio in Sanur, Ubud or the quieter edges of Canggu, mostly warung food with some cafe meals, a rented scooter, a basic coworking plan or working from home, and basic insurance.

Comfortable: around US$1,500 to $2,300 (IDR 27 to 41 million). A one-bedroom villa or a nice apartment, a gym or yoga membership, coworking, regular cafe meals and dinners out, and decent international health insurance.

Premium: US$2,300 to $3,900 or more (IDR 41 to 70 million). A private pool villa in Canggu, Pererenan or Uluwatu, daily cafe meals, weekend trips to the Gilis or Nusa Penida, beach clubs and a cleaner several times a week.

Area makes a real difference to these numbers: a similar lifestyle can cost 30 to 40 percent less in Ubud or Sanur than in Canggu or Seminyak.

The honest picture

Bali still offers a quality of life that is hard to match for the money: warm weather, good food, strong internet, a big international community and nature on your doorstep. But it is not the US$500-a-month paradise of old blog posts. Rents in popular areas have climbed fast, imported goods are expensive, and costs like visas, insurance and flights home add up.

The people who live here happily for years usually do three things: they choose their neighborhood carefully, eat local most of the time, and keep their visa and insurance in order from day one. For first-week costs and a short-trip budget, see is Bali expensive?