Cost per day · Indonesia
Bali on $25, $80 or $400 a day
How much does Bali cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $25 a day, mid-range trips run around $80, and luxury starts near $400 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included.
That makes Bali the 11th cheapest of 82 cities for a mid-range trip — see all 82 ranked.
Bali is one of the world's most seductive islands — volcanic peaks, rice terraces, Hindu temples, and a surf culture that runs from Canggu to Uluwatu. The food scene has exploded from warung street food to world-class fine dining. For wellness, creativity, and sheer beauty, it remains unmatched.
Bali is one of Asia's great budget destinations — quality warungs serve excellent food for under $3, accommodation is cheap and often beautiful, and the island's free spiritual and natural experiences are its best. A scooter at $5/day unlocks everything.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
Bali's postcard — a green amphitheatre of stepped paddies north of Ubud, farmed by a thousand-year-old UNESCO irrigation cooperative.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →The 121-metre god on his eagle — Indonesia's tallest statue, 28 years in the making, over an amphitheatre of daily Balinese dance.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →Asia's best waterpark, hiding in a Kuta garden — world-class slides under mature rainforest canopy, and the island's easiest family day.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Budget hostel in the Kuta area with dorms, a pool and a shaded terrace.
Check prices on Klook →Reliable Accor budget hotel a short walk from Kuta Beach, with a pool and air conditioning throughout.
Check prices on Klook →Small hostel in Kuta with a pool and a social common area, walking distance to the beach.
Check prices on Klook →Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Ubud Culture Day ~$30
Day 2: Temples & South Bali ~$25
Day 3: Surf & Rice Fields ~$22
Rent a scooter from day one — it's essential. Eat at warungs (local restaurants) not tourist cafés. Tegallalang Rice Terraces are free to access on foot (skip the paid Instagram frames). Canggu surf breaks are free.
Mid-range Bali is extraordinary value — private pool villas, world-class spas, and restaurants like Locavore all within reach. The island's villa culture means you can get a private infinity pool for $100-150 per night — something that costs $1,000+ in most places.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
The 121-metre god on his eagle — Indonesia's tallest statue, 28 years in the making, over an amphitheatre of daily Balinese dance.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →Asia's best waterpark, hiding in a Kuta garden — world-class slides under mature rainforest canopy, and the island's easiest family day.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →Bali's postcard — a green amphitheatre of stepped paddies north of Ubud, farmed by a thousand-year-old UNESCO irrigation cooperative.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Four-star opposite Kuta Beach with a rooftop pool and sunset views over the strait.
Check prices on Klook →Beachfront resort on Tanjung Benoa with lagoon pools and direct access to a calm swimming beach.
Check prices on Klook →Long-established Sanur resort set in nine hectares of gardens, on the quiet east-coast beach.
Check prices on Klook →Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Ubud Immersion ~$100
Day 2: Seminyak & the Coast ~$110
Day 3: Uluwatu & Nusa Dua ~$90
Book Locavore in Ubud 2-3 weeks ahead — it's one of Asia's top restaurants and genuinely affordable. Private villa with pool beats any hotel for groups. Get a good driver for the day (Rp 600,000 / $40) for island exploring.
Luxury Bali is defined by extraordinary private estates — the Four Seasons at Sayan is architecturally one of the world's great hotels, the Aman Bali is serene perfection, and private villas with staff and butler service are available at prices that would buy a basic room in Paris. Ubud is the best base for true luxury.
✈️ How to Get There
🗺️ What to Do
Bali's postcard — a green amphitheatre of stepped paddies north of Ubud, farmed by a thousand-year-old UNESCO irrigation cooperative.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →The 121-metre god on his eagle — Indonesia's tallest statue, 28 years in the making, over an amphitheatre of daily Balinese dance.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →Asia's best waterpark, hiding in a Kuta garden — world-class slides under mature rainforest canopy, and the island's easiest family day.
Read guide → Get tickets on Tiqets →🏨 Where to Stay
Large Hilton-group resort on Tanjung Benoa beach, with a lagoon pool and a well-regarded spa.
Check prices on Klook →Clifftop resort at Nusa Dua with a private beach reached by lift and some of the largest suites on the island.
Check prices on Klook →Ubud wellness resort, extraordinary pool, Como Shambhala spa
Check prices on Klook →Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Private Villa & Ubud ~$500
Day 2: Bulgari & the Bukit ~$600
Day 3: Nusa Lembongan & Departure ~$550
Four Seasons Sayan's river gorge view is the most spectacular hotel setting in Asia. Mozaic restaurant in Ubud is the island's finest — book 2 weeks ahead. Private water purification ceremony at a local temple is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, book through your hotel.
About Bali
Tropical climate with two distinct seasons: dry (May–September, 28–32°C, low humidity — the best time) and wet (October–April, afternoon downpours, muggy mornings). December–January sees the heaviest rain. The shoulder months of May and October offer better prices and manageable crowds. Even in wet season, Bali is warm and many rainy-day activities are excellent.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27° | 27° | 28° | 29° | 29° | 28° | 27° | 27° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 27° |
| 19d | 17d | 14d | 10d | 7d | 4d | 3d | 3d | 5d | 10d | 15d | 18d |
| mid | mid | mid | mid | mid | high | high | high | high | mid | low | low |
Bali has no public transport worth using. Getting around means: renting a scooter (Rp 50,000–80,000/day — exhilarating and dangerous if you're not experienced), hiring a private driver (Rp 500,000–700,000 for a full day — excellent value, they know everything), or using Gojek/Grab for short trips (Rp 15,000–30,000). Taxis exist but always use metered Blue Bird cabs or apps — unlicensed taxis are a persistent scam. Ubud and Seminyak are walkable within their own centers.
A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in Indonesia — data plans start at $4.50 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.
Bali's cultural heart in the rainforest hills of central Bali. The Monkey Forest, the Tegallalang rice terraces (sunrise is the reason), the Goa Gajah elephant cave, and more yoga studios per square kilometer than Rishikesh. The Ubud Palace stages traditional Kecak fire dances nightly. The morning market runs until 9am — arrive at 6am. Restaurants here are Bali's best outside a luxury villa.
Best for midrangeBali's most sophisticated beach strip: Potato Head Beach Club, Ku De Ta (now AYANA Segara), designer boutiques, and the best restaurants in southern Bali. The beach itself faces west — every evening becomes a sunset ritual. Less chaotic than Kuta, more accessible than Uluwatu. Where Bali's Instagram was essentially invented.
Best for midrangeThe neighborhood that ate itself and became famous for it. What was a rice-field-and-surf-break fishing village is now a sprawl of co-working cafés, vegan restaurants, and villa compounds. But Batu Bolong and Echo Beach still break well, the sunsets over the rice fields are real, and it's the most affordable place to eat and sleep well in southern Bali.
Best for budgetThe limestone Bukit Peninsula at Bali's southern tip: dramatic sea cliffs, the Uluwatu temple perched 70m above the ocean, and the finest surf breaks on the island (Padang Padang, Bingin, Impossibles). Accommodation ranges from basic warung surfer shacks to the Bulgari Bali — the most dramatically sited hotel in Southeast Asia.
Best for luxuryThe least hyped beach town in Bali — no hard-sell, no beach clubs, a working harbor, and a calm lagoon beach behind a reef. The sunrise here is better than Seminyak's sunset. Old-Bali resort culture: Dutch colonial and Australian expat, peaceful mornings, a 5km beachfront path. Fast ferry port for Nusa Lembongan and Gili Islands.
Best for budgetThe original Bali resort strip and still the loudest, busiest, most affordable beach in the south. Surfing lessons start at $25 including board. The beach is long and the breaks are consistent. Bintang tank tops, €2 cocktails, €8 massages on the beach. Not for everyone — but the vibe is genuinely exuberant and the sunset can still surprise you.
Best for budget- ✓Wear a sarong and sash when entering temples — available to borrow at entrances
- ✓Step over, never on, the small flower-and-incense offerings (canang sari) on the ground
- ✓Walk around temple shrines clockwise, never counterclockwise
- ✓Accept items or food offered to you with your right hand or both hands
- ✓Ask permission before photographing ceremonies, shrines, or people
- ✓Greet "Om Swastiastu" at temples — the traditional Balinese Hindu greeting
- ✗Enter temples during menstruation — signs are posted; this is a deeply held religious custom
- ✗Point with your index finger — use an open hand or your thumb instead
- ✗Touch anyone's head — it is considered disrespectful in Balinese culture
- ✗Raise your voice in anger — losing face publicly is deeply uncomfortable for everyone involved
- ✗Photograph religious ceremonies without asking — many are private family events
- ✗Refer to Bali as just a "party island" — locals are quietly proud of their spiritual culture
Travel Insurance for Bali
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to Bali. Safety is rated Generally very safe — traffic is the main hazard. Motorbike accidents are the leading cause of tourist injury. — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
Visa note: Visa on Arrival (VoA) available at Ngurah Rai airport for most nationalities — $35 USD, cash or card. 30 days, extendable once for $35. Indonesia's e-VoA can also be purchased before arrival at molina.imigrasi.go.id.. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.
Get travel insurance for Bali →FAQ: Bali Travel Questions
Is Bali safe to visit? ▾
Generally very safe — traffic is the main hazard. Motorbike accidents are the leading cause of tourist injury.
When is the best time to visit Bali? ▾
May – September (dry season) Tropical climate with two distinct seasons: dry (May–September, 28–32°C, low humidity — the best time) and wet (October–April, afternoon downpours, muggy mornings). December–January sees the heaviest rain. The shoulder months of May and October offer better prices and manageable crowds. Even in wet season, Bali is warm and many rainy-day activities are excellent.
How much does a trip to Bali cost per day? ▾
- budget: $25–$45/day
- midrange: $80–$160/day
- luxury: $400–$900/day
- business: $150–$350/day
Do I need a visa to visit Indonesia? ▾
Visa on Arrival (VoA) available at Ngurah Rai airport for most nationalities — $35 USD, cash or card. 30 days, extendable once for $35. Indonesia's e-VoA can also be purchased before arrival at molina.imigrasi.go.id.
How do I get around Bali? ▾
Bali has no public transport worth using. Getting around means: renting a scooter (Rp 50,000–80,000/day — exhilarating and dangerous if you're not experienced), hiring a private driver (Rp 500,000–700,000 for a full day — excellent value, they know everything), or using Gojek/Grab for short trips (Rp 15,000–30,000). Taxis exist but always use metered Blue Bird cabs or apps — unlicensed taxis are a persistent scam. Ubud and Seminyak are walkable within their own centers. Taxi base fare ~$1.
Is tipping expected in Bali? ▾
10% at restaurants if no service charge added. Rp 20,000–50,000 (€1–3) for guides, drivers, and hotel staff. Negotiating prices is expected at markets; don't be aggressive.
What currency is used in Indonesia? ▾
The local currency is IDR (Rp) — Indonesian rupiah. Millions of rupiah are normal; don't panic. 1 USD ≈ 16,000 Rp., and the official language is Balinese, Indonesian (Bahasa). English widely spoken in tourist areas..