The Ultimate Bali trip budget guide
Let’s all be honest - traveling to Bali is an absolute dream.
When I crafted my 3 month Southeast Asia itinerary, I did the typical loop that most backpackers do, but after a year of HARD work in Korea, I wanted to kick my trip off by blissing out in Bali - the island of the gods.
Bali is an extremely popular holiday destination, and because of the rise of tourists, has adapted by incorporating high-end party venues and beach clubs, epic hotels, and Michelin star restaurants - which can make a Bali trip seem super unattainable to those who travel on a tight budget.
I - someone who just quit their job and had 2.5 months of travel to complete even after their 3 weeks in Bali - definitely could not afford to (and excuse the horrific pun) ball out in Bali. I’ve only ever seen Bali done for boujee bachelorette parties or for honeymoons, and I was mildly fearful for the lifespan of my bank account.
Ever up for a challenge, however, I set my Bali trip budget to a mildly terrifying 35 dollars a day.
Spoiler alert, I failed.
Not by much though! In the end it worked out to about 40 dollars a day, which I would say is a success. I spent $850 dollars over the course of 3 weeks in Bali, which is FAR less than it takes to live in the United states. Bali doesn’t have to be some out-of-reach, once-in-a-lifetime destination. If you’re committed, you can have an epic Bali trip on a budget.
Let me show you exactly how I did it.
*** Disclaimer: I was a solo female traveler backpacking through Bali, and this Bali trip budget guide will reflect that! If you’re traveling with a family, or don’t necessarily want to “rough it” like I sometimes did, you will end up spending a little bit more.
I just want to show you that Bali is accessible, even if you’re a backpacker. Plus, the magic of Bali isn’t found in clubs or expensive hotels - it’s in the island itself.
(Don’t worry. I still went to clubs and took pictures on the edge of infinity pools overlooking rice paddies. Obviously. Even if we’re doing Bali on a budget, we’re still doing BALI. Duh.) ***
Bali Trip Budget Guide
How to get to Bali.
As much as I would like to say that the 40 dollars a day that I spent included airfare, but alas. Not even I can finesse the budget that much.
As I was already living in Asia at the time, my flight to Bali was much less expensive that flying from somewhere like the states, which definitely helped. If you don’t have that luxury, be sure to get the Hopper app.
Unfortunately I am not sponsored by them. I just genuinely love them (But @Hopper if you’re listening… hit a girl up.)
I used to swear by Skyscanner to find cheap flights, but I am a Hopper convert. You can type in your destination and immediately see which days of each month are green (cheap), yellow (mid-range) and red (expensive). You can then set the app to notify you when the prices drop, and whether or not they predict the prices being lower in the future.
They even let you know when the price is the lowest they’ve seen, and tell you to book before the prices go back up. Mind. Blown.
Totally not related but I set a price watch for a flight from D.C. to Capetown and one day it dropped from $621 to $210. That’s a massive flight, too. Like ???? I’m obsessed with this app. I wish I was sponsored. This is your best bet for finding cheap flights to Bali.
Upon arrival, you’ll need to pay for a Visa - which is $50 USD.
Now you’re in Bali - and the real budget magic begins.
Transportation
A huge cost of traveling is, well, traveling. Once you get to Bali, you can obviously choose to remain in one or two locations, but if you’re really trying to see all that Bali has to offer, you’re going to have quite a few travel expenses. Think taxis to and from the airport, traveling to the beach or temples, driving to remote waterfalls, and taking ferries to un-missable places like the Gili Islands and Nusa Penida. It can add up! Especially if you’re a solo traveler and don’t have anyone to split expenses with.
Here are my top tips for saving money on transportation during your trip to Bali.
The first non-negotiable is to download the Grab app. It’s like Uber, but much less expensive. a ten minute ride literally costs 2 dollars. Absolute STEAL.
I know it can seem intimidating at first, but if it’s just you or you and one other person, the Grab motorbike option is going to be your best bet. I was super nervous about ordering one for the first time, but the journey from the airport to my hostel in Uluwatu was around an hour - and the cost of ordering a car for just myself was going to be 5x the price of a motorbike.
I had my big 46 liter backpack with me as well as a daypack and a fannypack, and was very worried that a motorbike wasn’t an option for me. After observing a few people around me pass their backpack to the driver to put in between their handlebars and hop on the back, I decided to give it a go.
It was seamless. I quickly realized that there are handlebars under the back of the seat, so no need to hold on to the driver (awkard, amiright?).
The motorbike option is the best, even if you just need a ride to the temple. Something about being on the back of a motorbike as you sail through the roads of Bali? I’d choose that option even if it wasn’t the cheapest.
Another great option is to carpool with fellow travelers you meet in hostels. Especially if you’re a solo traveler and staying in hostels, it’s SO easy to find someone going the same way as you. Even if you have to switch your itinerary around if they’re planning on leaving earlier or later than you, it’s worth it if you can snag a car if it’s raining or if it’s a particularly long journey. I did this probably three times, and being able to split the cost was a lifesaver.
Don’t be afraid to ask around!
If your day revolves around lots of driving, consider renting a motorbike if the total daily cost of taxis would exceed the price of renting. The traffic and the roads in Bali are slightly horrific, but if you’ve driven a motorbike before or are comfortable giving it a go, that’s definitely a way to cut costs as well.
Another option that is definitely more catered to solo travelers but still worth a mention is to hop on the back of other traveler’s rented motorbikes. Lots of people rent motorbikes for months on end to save money, but since I was only there for three weeks and didn’t know how to drive a motorbike, I made friends and mooched off of them.
Not even sorry about it.
Shoutout Nat, who literally chauffeured me all over Uluwatu and Canggu. I paid him in gas and temple entry tickets to make up for the mooching so I really don’t feel bad at all.
Ferries are where unfortunately there aren’t too many budget work-arounds - and although I looked HARD for an alternative, I did shell out probably 60 dollars for three separate ferries, which definitely jacked my grand total up quite a bit.
My grand total that I spend on transportation for three weeks in Bali was *drum-roll please* $139.42! Not too shabby.
Accommodation
***This is where I might lose some folks.
I know that people dream of staying in gorgeous villas with infinity pools and epic views on their Bali trip, but staying in resorts is a surefire way to blow the budget.
When it came to accommodation, I cut corners where I could. I only stayed in a big fancy villa if I had a group of friends to split the cost with, and I typically stayed in the cheapest rooms a hostel had to offer.
If you’ve read my How to Make Friends While Traveling Solo post, you’ll already know that for me, cheap hostel dorm rooms are a blessing in disguise. They can range from 8-12 dollars a night (absolute STEAL), you make loads of friends, and if you’re out making the most of your time in Bali, you won’t be spending that much time in the room regardless.
Besides, the hostels in Bali are stunning most of the time anyways.
If it’s just you and one other friend, consider splitting a private room in the hostel! The price per person is comparable to a dorm bed, except it will feel a little closer to a hotel.
Full disclosure: I had three nights where some friends that I met splurged on a villa and refused to split the bill - so my total is slightly lower than if I had paid those three extra days. Obviously super grateful for the generosity, but maybe take what I spent and bump it up my 40 ish dollars to give you a realistic budget.
My grand total of what I spent on accommodation for three weeks in Bali was $165.98!
See what I mean guys? Bali doesn’t have to be some unattainable, rich person holiday destination. If you go in with a plan, you can execute an epic Bali trip on a budget.
Food
Food was where I went a little off the rails. Something about those aesthetic Bali brunches?? Can’t get enough. Can’t stay away.
One thing that shocked me about the brunches, however, was that a latte typically rivaled the cost of your main dish. So maybe try to stick to water if you’re hardcore budgeting?
Additionally, you could try to choose to stay at a hostel that has free breakfast. I stayed at a few, and never really took them up on the offer, which definitely could’ve saved me a decent amount of money.
Sticking to hostel breakkies or not drinking coffee is easier said than done, I know! I myself was more than happy to splurge a little bit on stunning smoothie bowls, vegan cinnamon rolls, and a nice, strong latte. Since I was traveling by myself, I would frequently go on an adventure to find a new brunch place and use my brunch time to plan the rest of my day.
Zero regrets on spending too much on food while traveling through Bali.
To stay close to my budget, however, I tried to balance this out by eating at the local warungs for lunch and dinner - you can get fried rice or fried noodles (Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng) for 2-3 dollars! Traditional Indonesian food is GAS so I never felt like I was missing out on all the boujee restaurants that sell overpriced western food.
All in all, I spent $245.48 on food over the course of three weeks in Bali. How this got higher than my literal cost of accommodation, I have not one single idea. I blame overpriced lattes and me going to eat whenever I got bored or it was raining. Idk.
But like - from these pictures you can tell that I ate like an empress. two hundred and fifty dollars VERY well spent.
Activities
Activities can really make or break the budget; there are so many things to do in Bali! Unfortunately, you have to be a little picky when it comes to how you spend your money.
Luckily, most things in Bali are super cheap, so you can still do a lot, even on a shoestring budget. I spent $225.73 on activities, and I got so much out of that.
I got an hour long Balinese massage probably twice a week, paid for the entry fees for waterfalls and temples, bought a few drinks at some pool clubs (this is where you can get those epic infinity pool/rice terrace insta photos - no need to splurge on a villa when there are public pool clubs!), two snorkeling trips, and a hike up a volcano.
Some places in Bali, you need to pay for local guides or a photo fee, so this includes that as well.
Once again, in the spirit of full transparency, I did have a friend offer to foot the bill on our private driver who took us all over the island of Nusa Penida, but that would’ve added about $25 dollars to this budget.
I think a budget of $300 could give you the opportunity to do everything you dreamed of Bali and more, which is extremely do-able.
***One thing to note! I am not a big partier. I know people who spent more than my entire Bali trip budget in just one weekend because they were buying tables and shots and bottle service at expensive, boujee beach clubs.
While this is super fun and what some people want their Bali holiday to look like, just know that although lots of things in Bali are dirt cheap, alcohol is not one of them.
I still went out quite a bit, don’t get me wrong. I would buy a drink and just enjoy the vibes! To me, there’s nothing worse than being hungover while you’re trying to see everything a country has to offer anyways. If I had chosen to party more, my budget definitely would’ve been done for in 2 seconds flat.
If that’s something that’s a priority to you, adjust it for the normal price of drinks in the rest of the world! Just know that cutting that out will save you LOADS.
(And ladies - the people blowing thousands on a night out are always game to buy you a drink👀 )
Bali Trip Budget Grand Total
The grand total of what I spent over the course of 3 weeks in Bali was $816 flat.
I posted this number over on my Instagram a little while ago, and *wait for it* got my very first HATE comment. I felt like I had cracked the budget travel code and was shocked by the negative response online. I just wanted to address it here in case any of you are thinking similar thoughts!
This person commented on my reel asking how many times I got assaulted and drugged from staying in hostels and traveling on such a tight budget - which was highly offensive. I think it’s so crazy that it’s IMBEDDED in so many of our minds that travel is expensive and out-of-reach, and budget options = giving up your safety.
Even in the hostels I stayed in that cost $4 dollars per night, I never felt unsafe in Bali or anywhere else in southeast Asia. The hostels I stayed in were amazing, the people were incredible, and all of the numbers I’m giving you are 100% real - I tracked every penny in a very extra excel spreadsheet. The numbers are from September of 2022. I stayed perfectly safe the whole time I was there.
If I can do nearly a month in Bali for significantly less than what most people pay in rent, then you can too! When there’s a will, there’s a way. Never let your small budget or your idea of what travel to a particular country ~should~ look like prevent you from going and experiencing it for yourself.
Make that Bali trip happen! I hope this post shows you that you CAN afford to travel and that you shouldn’t let your preconceived notions stop you from booking those flights.
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