Updated: October 2022
Bali is a super budget-friendly destination, so it’s pretty easy to visit the island and not have to worry about breaking the bank. Though often busy with tourists, Bali is still surprisingly affordable if you know where to look. Depending on your accommodation style, I would estimate that $50-100 USD a day is a good range to budget in order to travel comfortably around Bali.
Here are my tips for traveling Bali on a budget!
Budget Accommodations in Bali
There are tons of great hostel options in Bali if you prefer the social scene! My go-to is renting a private villa on Airbnb, and I’ve even found some for as low as $50 USD a night. Look for jungle vibes, pretty pools, and breathtaking cliff-side views; there’s no shortage of these on the island.
Canggu/Seminyak Area
Grandmas Plus Hotel Seminyak: Just a 2-minute walk from Seminyak Beach, this budget hotel offers modern, single rooms starting at $23 USD per night.
Black Pearl Hostel: Located in Canggu and within a short walk to Echo Beach, this hostel has a beautiful pool and offers a restaurant, free WiFi, an outdoor swimming pool, plus garden and pool view terraces. Beds start at $14 USD per night.
Kos One Hostel: This is a very trendy and design-centric hostel — it has a beautiful pool and a stunning buffet breakfast.
La Boheme Canggu: This property also has one of the top-rated locations in Canggu! Beds start at $11 USD per night.
Ubud Area
Run House B&B: A simple B&B with air-conditioned rooms and free WiFi, and close to the Ubud Palace and Monkey Forest. Double rooms start at $13 USD per night!
WW Backpackers: A high-rated hostel in Ubud, very central to all the sites.
Suka’s House B&B: Suka’s House Bed & Breakfast features an outdoor pool and private rooms starting at $25 USD. Daily breakfast is served on the private terrace overlooking the garden.
Read More: Where to Stay in Bali
Transportation Around Bali
Taxis are the most expensive transport around here. Renting a motorbike is the “way” of Bali and very cheap. You can hire one for 30,000-50,000 IDR ($3-$5 USD) a day! If you don’t feel comfortable driving yourself, you can use the GO-JEK app for an Uber-type service but on the back of a motorbike.
Read More: 10 Tips for Your First Trip to Bali
Budget Meals in Bali
Even if the hotels were insanely expensive in Bali, the cuisine alone would make it worth the visit. Mouthwatering dishes like nasi goreng (fried rice), mie goreng (noodles), satays, martabak pancakes, and noodle soups are abounding.
Local food and street food are very affordable—a plateful of chicken, rice, and veggies might only set you back a few dollars. Look for local ‘warungs’, which are local restaurants with typical Indonesian cuisines.
As a plus, food found at warungs is generally really fresh!
Restaurants owned by westerners have started marking up their prices a bit compared to five years ago, but typically, you can budget between $15-$30 USD a day on food and drink and eat quite well. Bali is full of casual cafes, and is very accommodating to vegans and vegetarians!
Read More: Where to Find the Best Vegan Food in Bali
Spa Services in Bali
One of the biggest attractions of Bali is the affordable spa services. Massage houses can be found on nearly every corner offering one-hour massages for $10-30 USD.
If you ever feel like splurging, try a spa at one of the many luxury hotels which usually include a day pass and pool access!
Read More: Which Four Seasons Bali Resort is Better
Staying at the AYANA Resort and Spa BALI
Budget Activities in Bali
There’s so much to see and do in Bali. Hanging out at the beautiful beaches will cost you nothing — and most of the beach bars offer affordable drink prices, so you can hang out in their loungers for a few hours!
For tours around the island, hire a local driver for the day, and split the cost with fellow travelers to save money. You can hire a driver for around $30 USD for the day and visit sites like Ubud Monkey Forest, Mt. Batur, Uluwatu, and the Pura Gunung Kawi Temple.
Read More: Top Things to See and Do in Ubud, Bali
The Ultimate Bali Travel Guide
Shopping on a Budget in Bali
Bali is also an amazing place to buy from local artisans. The Ubud market is one of the best locations for shopping.
For mass-produced items, you’ll find that you can haggle for less than half the initial price most vendors ask. As a benchmark, the typical, vibrant and loose-fitting pants for sale at nearly every vendor can usually be brought down about $5-7 USD.
Don’t miss my Ultimate Bali Travel Guide for more tips and recommendations!
Thanks for the great tips— we’re planning a ladies trip to Bali in about a month from California. What are your recommendations on bringing money to Bali for 10 days— I’ve heard bringing $100 bills would give you a better rate of exchange, rather than using an ATM.
I recommend withdrawing money from an ATM upon arrival (there are ATMs right when you enter the Arrival area in the Bali Airport), for a better exchange rate, unless your bank/card charges high international fees, in which case exchanging cash is the next best option. Bringing $100 bills makes no difference. It’s still just an exchange rate and I wouldn’t risk carrying that much cash on you. Best to withdraw from an ATM as you need it!
Keep in mind there are usually bank fees on top of the ATM fee depending on your bank ($5 is pretty typical). I prefer Schwab because they reimburse you for ATM fees and don’t charge for withdrawals anywhere in the world.
Hi, Kiersten!
My bf and I are trying to get a budget trip to Bali for Christmas, and you recommended staying in a villa which is cheaper than I thought!
It would be nice if you could tell me your recommendations!
Cheers 🙂
Yep! A villa is totally the way to go. Check Airbnb 🙂