Bali Budget Calculator
- Housing + utilities $743 44%
- Food & drink $535 31%
- Getting around $99 6%
- Work + connectivity $173 10%
- Health, gym, fun $154 9%
These are mid-market figures. Paying with a typical bank card in Bali adds roughly 3% on top, about $51 a month on this budget. Find the best travel card for Bali →
A solo digital-nomad month, per person, side by side with places in the region.
A month here is about 61% of a mid-size US city.
See the cost breakdown
- Rent (1-bed) 1× 1-bed $648
- Utilities + internet flat estimate $95
- Eating out (local) 32 × $3.72 $119
- Eating out (mid-range) 16 × $10 $167
- Groceries (cooking in) 32 meals × $2.08 $66
- Coffees 45 × $3.28 $148
- Beers out 10 × $3.51 $35
- Getting around scooter + 12 taxis $99
- Coworking $144/mo $144
- SIM / data 7-day SIM × 4 $29
- Gym $48/mo $48
- Massages 2 × $10 $20
- Health (amortised) GP + dentist ÷ 12 $5.68
- Nightlife / buffer flat estimate $80
Figures assume a long-term stay (30+ days) and cover rent, food, transport, internet and everyday spending. Flights, visas and insurance aren't included. Rent, utilities and internet are shared across the household; everything else is per person. Rent, food and transport use the tracked prices below; utilities, the buffer and amortised health are modelled estimates.
Updated August 2026
Average prices in Bali
Bali is still good value, but the days of ultra-budget travel are fading as demand from remote workers has driven up rental prices in popular areas. You can still eat cheap at local warungs for a few dollars, but imported goods and Western-style cafes can get expensive.
Rent in Bali by area
Where you sleep makes the biggest impact on the total. These areas range from pricier to cheaper than the island average. The neighborhood multipliers are our own estimates from local listings, so treat them as a rough guide:
- Uluwatu Pricier Uluwatu has a big villa market and some of Bali's higher rents, especially around the popular parts of the Bukit. A modern one-bed there is often above Seminyak now.
- Canggu Pricier Canggu is the main hub for remote workers, with cafes, coworking and surf close by. It also has some of the highest rents on the island, and everyday spending gets expensive quickly.
- Seminyak Pricier Seminyak is easy to get around on foot and full of restaurants, but rents and everyday prices reflect the heavy tourist demand.
- Sanur Mid Sanur is quieter than the west-coast tourist areas and works well for families. Rents sit around the island average.
- Ubud Cheaper Ubud can be cheaper than the beach areas, especially outside the center. The trade-off is longer trips to the coast.
- Denpasar Cheaper Denpasar is the most local option on this list, with fewer tourists and some of the lowest rents.
Is Bali expensive?
Bali is cheap for rent, transport and local food, and close to home prices for anything imported or aimed at tourists. Most of the extra spending comes from cafe meals, nightlife and short-term accommodation rather than rent.
A comfortable month in Bali costs far less than the same setup in a mid-size US, UK or Australian city, which is one reason so many remote workers end up here. It is broadly comparable with Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, a bit pricier than most Vietnamese cities, and well below Singapore.
Sending money to Bali
If your income or savings are overseas, you will usually be moving money into rupiah: rent deposits, monthly transfers, or topping up before a big bill. Poor exchange rates and transfer fees can add up against what you save on living costs.
Rent and deposits are usually paid in cash or by bank transfer, so how you get money into rupiah matters. Check what you would receive today, then read the full Bali money guide for ATMs, cards and QRIS.
What you'll receive today
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Paying rent, using ATMs, tapping a card? See the full Bali money guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How much do you need per month to live in Bali?
For one person, plan on about $790 for a basic lifestyle, $1,700 for a comfortable digital-nomad setup with a one-bed and coworking, and $3,060 for a luxury villa-and-car life. Set your own household size, neighborhood and currency in the calculator above.
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Can you live in Bali on $1,000 a month?
Yes. $1,000 a month works for one person if you rent somewhere simple, eat mostly local food and use a scooter. You will need to go easy on Western-style cafes, nightlife and other tourist spending.
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Is Bali cheaper than Thailand?
They are close. Bali rent and coworking are a touch higher than Chiang Mai and roughly on par with Bangkok, while local food is similarly cheap in both. Vietnam is usually cheaper than either, and Singapore is much more expensive.
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What costs do people forget when budgeting for Bali?
Health insurance and visa costs are the easy ones to leave out. The other common shock is how fast spending rises once you swap warungs for Western-style cafes. Short-term, nightly accommodation also costs much more than a monthly rental, so that is worth checking if the budget is tight.
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Do you need a scooter, or can you get by without?
A scooter makes life much easier in Canggu, Ubud and Uluwatu, especially outside the main areas. You can lean on ride-hailing instead, but the cost adds up. The Basic and Digital Nomad settings assume a monthly scooter rental; Luxury swaps it for getting around by car.