Are you wondering why Bali is so cheap for tourists? I’ve got you covered!
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already done some research into Bali and discovered it’s a popular tourist destination with ancient temples, volcanoes and fantastic beaches. It’s also a place Jack and I lived in for six months.
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Therefore, we know you can have a really nice holiday for a lot less than other popular destinations, such as Hawaii, Singapore or even areas of Thailand, which is renowned for being budget-friendly. So, why is Bali so cheap?
Why is Bali so cheap? Find out what makes Bali such an affordable holiday destination!
In this post, I want to explain why Bali is so cheap. I’m also going to cover topics including:
- Why the hotels, eating, drinking and even shopping in Bali can be less expensive than in other countries
- How Bali can get expensive if you’re not careful!
- And briefly summarise the cost of living.
Why Is Bali So Cheap?
To answer the question ‘Why is Bali so cheap’ we need to take a look at the country Bali belongs to, which is Indonesia.
Indonesia (is it a country worth visiting?) has a very low cost of living. This means that things like labour, food and accommodation are a lot cheaper than they would be in say, Western Europe, where the cost of living is high.
Due to the cost of living being low, this brings down all costs in general. For example, if the cost to buy food is cheap, and the cost of the labour to make the food is also cheap, then the cost to buy the meal at the end will be much more affordable.
In general, if the outgoing costs to produce a product are less or cheap, then this will make the whole product more affordable in the end.
This is what happens in Bali, (find out if Bali really is worth visiting here!) and why it is such a cheap place to visit in comparison to the West.
What Else Makes Bali An Affordable Island?
Another thing that makes Bali so cheap is the exchange rate. Bali uses the Indonesian rupiah, which is a very weak currency when compared to the Western currency. You will get around 18,000 rupiahs (IDR) to £1 English pound (GBP) and 14,850 IDR to $1 US dollar.
This means your money will go a lot further!
What Is The Average Cost Of A Trip To Bali?
Bali is a cheap island for tourists, but it can also turn into an expensive holiday. The average cost of a trip to Bali will massively depend on your travel style and preferences.
It is a destination that caters to the budget backpacker, where you can spend as little as $15 a day – if on a shoestring budget – to the high-rollers where the sky is the limit.
When working out how much money you need to save for your trip there are some important questions to ask yourself.
- Think about your accommodation, will you stay in hostels, hotels or a private villa?
- Are you going to be taking guided tours or sightseeing independently?
- What about transport? It’s popular to rent scooters in Bali, but car rentals and chartered drivers are also common.
- One thing that will turn your cheap holiday to Bali into an expensive one is booze! Drinking will always increase your budget and it’s not that cheap in Bali.
For the everyday holidaymakers, I would say a daily budget of $150 (hotel excluded) is a good figure to aim towards. For a more detailed breakdown, check out the table below!
How Much Money Do You Need to Spend for Bali for a Week?
As I said, this completely depends on the type of holiday you are taking. If you’re in Bali for a week backpacking or on a luxury holiday, the total amount of money you will need to spend is going to be different.
I’ve put together this table to show the different levels of spending money you might need for Bali for basic expenditures in a week, note shopping and alcohol costs are not included. Costs are estimates.
⭐ Pro tip >> When in Bali, the cheapest way to get around is to have your own scooter. Check out our renting a scooter in Bali guide.
Why Are Bali Hotels So Cheap?
Accommodation in Bali is something which blows my mind every time. Bali hotels can be super cheap in comparison to what you would get for your money in, for example, France – (why France, it just came to my head, lol) or very expensive.
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Why are Bali hotels so cheap? We go back to the cost of living. It takes a lot less money to build, maintain and manage the hotels, and so this gets reflected in the price.
Also, most hotels in Bali will offer a ‘breakfast included’ deal which is essentially a free breakfast. This saves even more money. Food is not very expensive, but every little bit helps, especially when it comes to budget travel!
You can find hostels for as little as $4 a night although personally, I would up the budget to around $10 to $15 for a comfortable stay. This is still ridiculously cheap accommodation in Bali.
Bali becomes a fantastic place to visit if you’re travelling to Bali on a budget as you will be able to find cheap accommodation, which I would say is one of the most expensive parts of travelling.
Some of our favourite hotels in Bali:
It’s also very possible to stay for a holiday in Bali in luxury without going bankrupt. (And I mean luxury, think private villas with butlers!) You can spend nauseating amounts of money on luxury hotels – $250 a night – when compared to the cost of living in Bali.
Of course, it’s also possible to stay somewhere very decent for a lot less too. The average is around $100 a night and you will get somewhere simply stunning.
⭐ Pro tip >>To make Bali even more affordable you can opt to combine your hotel and flights. Our fav booking site is Booking.com as they have a huge selection of accommodations but they offer packages and attraction deals.
Best Hotels In Bali
The above is Frangipani House & Spa in Canggu and was the perfect place for us to kick back and chill during our time in Bali. The rooms varied between twins and doubles and were always kept super clean. We managed to get our room for £180 (it’s now around £250) per month!
Jack and I lived in Bali for 6 months and had one of the best experiences with our accommodation. We were based for 5 months in Canggu – which is a hip laidback neighbourhood.
- Best Hostel in Ubud – Bubu Mesari Ubud Villa
- Best Hostel in Canggu – The Calmtree Bungalows
- Best Hostel in Nusa Lembongan – The Shacks at Sandy Bay
- Best Beach Hostel – Palm Garden Amed Beach & Spa Resort Bali
- Best Digital Nomad Hostel – TRIBAL Coworking Bali
Best Budget-Friendly Hotels In Bali
As far as budget-friendly hotels in Bali go the two below topped them all! They were our favourite and the best value for money. Frangipani House and Spa was actually a guesthouse, which is very similar to a hotel but much smaller with a shared communal area. It’s kind of like in between a hotel and a hostel.
👉Canggu: Frangipani House and Spa is a superb guesthouse to stay in if you are looking for somewhere a little longer term and in the Batu Balong beach area within Canggu. It’s very budget-friendly especially if you stay for longer periods.
👉 Ubud: Wina Ubud B&B is another great spot if you are in Ubud. It’s one of the prettiest hotels we stayed in but it doesn’t have a pool, and the price reflects this, however, the breakfast was sensational and the room was very high standard and clean.
⭐ Pro tip >> Are you looking for a hotel in Bali? We love finding great hotel deals but to make sure we get the best deal you need to keep searching! Make sure you’re comparing deals too – Check Out More Bali Hotel Deals Here
Is Bali Cheap To Eat And Drink?
The answer here is yes and no. In relative terms, Bali is cheap to eat and drink.
However, Bali has had a lot of Western influence which has brought many high-end restaurants, cafes and bars to be enjoyed throughout the island which can get pricey. This is especially noticeable if you are on a backpacking trip rather than living in Bali or on a holiday.
For eating and drinking in Bali, the cheapest way is to head over to the local warungs which are Indonesian restaurants. There you will find extremely cheap food and drinks, it’s likely you’ll pick up a meal for £2 /$2.42! (And the food is very good).
Drinking in Bali can get expensive. This is generally because it’s the Western bars which serve the alcohol and their prices are at a premium. It’s by no means as expensive as it would be back home, but in comparison to the cost of food in Bali alcohol is more expensive.
So, if you’re visiting Bali on a 5-day backpacking trip it’s a good idea to buy the local beers, known as ‘Bintang’ and stay away from pricey cocktails. Eat the food from the warungs and you will soon notice how cheap Bali really is!
⭐ Pro tip >>We’ve had a little look and found this highly-rated foodie-tasting tour. If you fancy it, click here for more details: 10 Tastings of Bali for a Local’s Private Street Food Tour – Sounds FANTASTIC!
Is Bali Cheap To Live?
Bali is so cheap to live or at least it can be. We lived in Bali for 6 months and really did Bali on a budget. We managed to keep it within £650 / $790 per month per person.
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It can be done for less but we enjoyed surfing lessons, yoga classes and explored the island as much as we could. We also had at least one meal out a day and cooked the rest at home.
We took full advantage of the food deals and buffets too. A great place to check out food deals is on a restaurant’s Instagram page. A lot of places offer deals such as discounts and 2-4-1. In Ubud, we used to love visiting Sawobali which did an all-you-can vegan eat buffet for 50,000. It was an incredible deal and the food was unbeatable.
We did enjoy a few nights out, however, I want to stress that we didn’t consume much alcohol during our time in Bali, as this would have made things much more expensive. Instead, we enjoyed taking nature walks like the famous one at Campuhan Ridge and visiting rice fields like the hidden Kajeng Rice fields in Central Ubud, which are free.
We worked it out that it would cost around a minimum of £300 -£500 ($363 – $605) per month more if we had been drinking!
Bali Cost of Living
If you’re thinking to move to Bali to live, and want to find out if you can afford to live in Bali on a budget, I have put together this little table to show the typical costs of living in Bali.
These costs are representative of our time in Bali and how much we spent living with a budget in mind but still giving ourselves enough to enjoy Bali.
Is Bali Dangerous?
In my opinion, Bali is not a dangerous island. The culture in Bali is very warm and kind with most of the local people following the Hindu religion. We found the local Balinese people to be very friendly and helpful.
That being said, as with any popular holiday destination there is always the chance of petty crime, mostly bags being stolen from the beach and restaurants, etc.
It’s wise to keep an eye on your belongings, I wouldn’t leave anything valuable laying around. Another good thing to keep in mind is to check your bill as sometimes things get added on!
In the case of more serious crime, Bali has a low crime rate and feels very safe. They are accustomed to tourists and speak English as a third language, it’s very easy to get around Bali with most locals wanting to engage in conversation.
The Negative Impacts Of Low-Cost Tourism In Bali
As much as it’s amazing for us to have a very cheap place to holiday, there are some negatives to low-cost tourism in Bali.
For example, the environmental impact tourism is having on Bali is significant as low-cost tourism often encourages wasteful practices, like single-use plastics and unchecked development, which harm the island’s natural beauty.
The demand for cheap services can sometimes result in low wages for local workers in the tourism industry. This can contribute to economic disparities in Bali, with many struggling to make a decent living.
Overcrowding is a huge issue at the moment in Bali. This not only diminishes the experience for you but can also put stress on the local infrastructure and resources.
The surge in low-cost tourism has also led to increased traffic congestion and pollution in some areas of Bali. This not only affects the quality of life for locals but also impacts the overall attractiveness of the island.
Resources For Bali
Is it your first time visiting Bali? We’ve written lots of useful posts to help you plan your trip. You can check them all out on our Bali Page here, but below are some of our most popular articles:
- Amed in east Bali was a fantastic place to visit, filled with fun activities
- If you’re looking for epic hot springs, head to Banjar Hot Springs.
- I also enjoyed visiting Uluwatu in the south.
- Find out if Penglipuran Village is worth your time.
- Head north to Pemuteran and go snorkelling in beautiful corals.
- If you’re interested in diving, learn how to become certified.
- Find out why our favourite waterfall in Bali was Aling Aling.
- Finally, head to Komodo Island near Flores.
Why Is Bali So Cheap Conclusion
As you can see, Bali can be cheap to holiday in and to live in. Even if you plan to visit on a luxury holiday, in comparison, it will still be cheaper than other holiday destinations.
It’s a great island to visit and the perfect island getaway which won’t cost you too much. The most expensive thing will be the flight to Bali!
To keep costs down, choose local restaurants, reduce alcohol intake, choose your accommodation wisely and shop at the local markets.
⭐ Pro tip >> Just in case: If you’re searching for some epic tours to do in Bali, we’ve handpicked and created easy-to-digest guides:
- For a cycling adventure, check out these Best Bali Bike tours.
- If you’re after a day tour to East Bali to visit ancient temples, these are the ones for you.
- Or, if you prefer a visit to the iconic Tanha Lot Temple, we’ve got you covered here!
- You can’t visit Bali without jumping on an ATV – 11 Best ATV Tours In Bali
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
