Bali – Always Great Value for Money

For 70 cents or one dollar, you can have a decent meal. You may spend $5 on a night in a dorm room, $3,000 on a seven-bedroom villa with a tennis court, a gym, a butler, and infinity pool, or $170 on a 1200gr Golden Australian Angus Beef Grain Fed OP Rib.

Cost of Hotels, Resorts and Villas in Bali

What does it cost to stay in Bali in a hotel or villa?

Budget & Backpacking in Bali (Average USD 10-25 per night)

For as little as US$10, you may get a room at a guest house, homestay, Losmen, or tiny hotel with no stars. It is possible to find even cheaper lodgings with bunk beds. If you’d like a private room with a bathroom and air conditioning, though, you may locate a good hotel for less than US$20 a night. Young  backpackers and budget travelers still flock to Bali, and they tend to head to the southern areas (Kuta, Bukit, and Canggu) and in the east (Padangbai) because of the abundance of cheap hotels and eateries there.

In general, a backpacker should be able to get by for  USD$35 a day, which covers bare-bones lodging, three meals at US$3 each, and a few drinks. You may rent a scooter for around US$4 per day. However, the cost of alcoholic beverages and social gatherings would quickly deplete any such funds.

Accommodation Cost: Mid-Range (Average USD 30-60 per night)

The vast majority of Bali’s hotels are moderately priced 3-star establishments. Traditionally, these hotels have been on the smaller side and run by families. Meanwhile, up to 100-room hotels from major chains like Swissbel and Accor and local brands like Grandmas and Aston are entering the market. As more domestic and Chinese visitors come, these businesses will thrive and expand.

These hotels have been thoroughly inspected for cleanliness and comfort, and they often provide a good breakfast at a low price. Most of them are located somewhat farther from the shore, making the use of a scooter or a lengthy walk to the beach necessary.

Accommodation Cost: Affordable Luxury (Average USD 70-150 per night)

Depending on the location and proximity to the beach, this category ranges from three up to even five stars. Since also these hotels often provide different room categories, you could get very different experiences and pay different prices in the same hotel. This segment is often booked by families and individual travelers (single, couples and groups) who have grown out of their backpacker phase.

Expect well-appointed rooms, at least one restaurant, pool, nice gardens, good location, excellent service, tasty breakfast, and spacious rooms.

Accommodation Cost: Luxury & High-end (Average USD 150-350 per night)

One of a kind, unmatched excellence. When compared to other popular tourist destinations, Bali’s luxury offerings are surprisingly affordable. It’s no exaggeration to say that Bali is home to some of the top hotels in Asia, if not the world. The island’s warm friendliness permeates every aspect of the service, and the island’s artistic and cultural traditions inform the design of the accommodations.

Bali is home to facilities from some of the most prestigious hotel groups in the world, and these establishments do not disappoint in terms of beauty or quality. Balinese and regional firms have built and overseen a number of world-class hotels and resorts.

Good to know

Usually in Bali, you pay for the hotel room and not per person. Single rooms rarely exist. Therefore traveling as a couple costs almost as much as traveling solo, excluding the breakfast. Expect to pay during mid and low season 30%-50% less for rooms and villas than during high season (Easter Holidays, end of July – beginning of September, Christmas and New Years). One of the most important determinants of hotel and resort prices is location. In Bali, it is common for businesses (particularly accommodation and restaurants) to add up to 22% (11% VAT and 5-11% service charge) to the bill. Because wages in Indonesia are relatively low, service charges are usually distributed equally among staff members.

Costs for Private Villas in Bali

In Bali, the private villa market has expanded dramatically in the last five years. Hundreds of properties have appeared on the market; some are run professionally, while others are not. These properties come in all sizes and shapes, and the most important factor is location.

The main difference between staying in a hotel and staying in a villa is that you can get villas with up to 8 bedrooms, which is sometimes like renting your own small hotel with staff. If you are traveling in a group or with a family, renting a luxury villa is often less expensive per room per night than renting a few hotel rooms, making this segment appealing if you are traveling with friends or family.

Private villas are difficult to categorize, but you might be surprised at how affordable a luxurious holiday can be. Those properties are almost never near the beach or restaurants, requiring some form of transportation. However, there are many well-located villas in Seminyak, Kerobokan, and Canggu.

Some villas have a minimum stay, especially during peak season, and websites like Airbnb charge a cleaning or booking fee. Several villa management companies offer villas, but you can also find those properties on OTAs such as booking.com, airbnb.com, and so on.

Average Prices:

A private one-bedroom villa with a small pool starts at US$100-150. While true luxury is likely to start around US$200 per night.

These villas are fully serviced and equipped with all amenities. The more luxurious ones include a chef and a team to look after you during the day. The more rooms a villa has, the less it costs per night per room. We recommend that you look through the listings and get inspired.

The most luxurious, with 6-8 bedrooms, can cost up to USD3,000-4,000 per night. But then you get a gym, a game room, incredible pool, amazing food, and possibly even a private tennis court, as well as your own chauffeur and car.

Weddings:

The bigger villas (four to seven bedrooms) are often rented out for weddings. Bali is a popular destination for weddings, and there are a number of organizers that can handle all the details so that the newlyweds and their guests may have the perfect ceremony and reception.

Cost of Food and Drinks in Bali

Budget & Backpacking (Average USD 1.5-2.5 per meal)

All across Bali, you’ll find traditional warungs (small eateries) and street-food stalls selling tasty food. It’s good, and it’s also very fresh. The majority of the individuals who manage these businesses now have the financial means to purchase a refrigerator and freezer, which has contributed to a notable rise in sanitation standards. It’s simple to see whether the kitchen, service, and food, are up to your standards since they’re all out in the open.

This is also where the majority of the locals go to eat during their lunch periods and after work. All Indonesians, including the Balinese, have an insatiable appetite. They like spending time together eating at nice restaurants.

Mid-Range (Average USD 3-7 per meal)

In this category, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of eateries across Bali. The majority of visitors as well as an increasing number of middle class Balinese eat there. These locations frequently go by the name “warung,” and are excellent eateries. You may discover a wide variety of cuisine and culture in this area. Bali is fantastic since many of these locations are in natural settings. A lot of these places  offer a distinct look and feel providing comf ortable lounges and outside decks.

Middle-range restaurants may be slightly more costly in tourist hot spots. Additionally, the costs in the hotel’s restaurants are generally 30–50% higher than another restaurant in the neighborhood. 

Higher-end up to fine dining (Average USD 15–50 per meal)

Numerous restaurants in this category are found in five-star resorts and hotels. Bali is home to some of Asia’s top chefs, who have made a name for themselves in this fiercely competitive industry.

Cost of Drinks in Bali

Water and soft drinks are inexpensive. Beer and juices are acceptable. Wine and liquor may be rather pricey (due to local taxes). Green juices and smoothies are becoming a little more pricey. Soft drink costs at regular restaurants aren’t all that much more than they are in convenience stores. However, many hotels with stars still mark up significantly. In a convenience store, a 1.5-liter bottle of water will run you about 50 cents.

Generally speaking, imported beers are always much more expensive than  domestic beers  like Corona or San Miguel beer versus Bintang beer.

Average price at a bar or restaurant, *excluding hotels:

• Soft Drinks such as coke, sprite (Average US75¢-$1 per bottle)
• Beer (Average US$2-4 per bottle)
• Local wine (Average US$3-5 per glass)
• Imported wine (Average US$5-10 per glass)
• Cocktails (Average US$5-10 per glass)
• Spirits (Average US$4-10 per glass)

Transportation Cost in Bali

Depending on where you stay and how far you need to travel to get to the beach, shops or restaurants, the transportation costs per day can, of course, vary quite a bit. Choosing the location for your accommodation and therefore the method of transportation should be your main concern when planning your holiday since Bali is not very “pedestrian-friendly” due to lack of sidewalks, the heat and far distances.

Bicycle Rental (Average US$2-4 per day)

Not very common but a good way to get around in Ubud, Canggu and the more remote areas

Scooter/ Motorbikes Rental (Average US$4-5 per day)

Rent a scooter including helmet per day. Countless rental places all over Bali. Usually, without any insurance!

Premium Scooters/ Motorbikes (Average US$5-15 per day)

Special scooter with a bigger seat and large compartment to keep your belongings safe. NMax, PCX, or Vespa with insurance, well maintained with drop and pick-up service to your hotel.

Scooter Taxi/ Ojek (Average US$3-5/ trip)

Managed by the local community, these guys hang around mostly during evenings and night near the pubs and clubs since many areas ban the app-driven transportation services like Go-Jek, Grab, Uber, etc. You can recognize them wearing a west with a number on it (some of them don’t). You would have to bargain with them, but they usually charge something between per trip if it’s not too far.

App driven scooter taxis (Average US$1-3 per trip) are significantly cheaper. Most visitors use those services twice a day

Taxi cars (Average ca. US$5-10 per trip, 30 minutes far)

The cars that are managed by the local communities (you can’t miss them, since they continuously say “transport, transport”) charge roughly twice what the standard taxi and app-driven services would charge. Bluebird, Grabcar, Go-car (from Go-Jek app) are not expensive. An average trip from Seminyak to Kuta would cost you roughly USD seven if you use those taxi services.

Hiring a car with driver 8-10 hours (Average US$45-60)

It is the most convenient way if you wish to explore the island and go for day trips. 8-10 hours rental, including gasoline and driver, will cost you anything between US$40-60, depending on the condition of the car. The driver is registered, pays insurance and taxes etc.