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Bali (Part 1) – Is It Really Cheap?

Reflection Of Money Leaving My Wallet – Accommodation, Food & Transportation

Bali being a province of one of the 3rd world countries, I expected it to be inexpensive. Bali was more expensive than I thought, especially comparing it to other 3rd world countries I have visited. In all fairness, food and accommodation were decently priced depending upon where you chose to stay and eat. However, transportation is the real culprit in this country. Hell, Australia is much cheaper (not really), but I felt that way.

Accommodations:

Cool Ganesh Statue In Lembongan Hostel

I would say the cheapest expense, for value, in Bali is probably the accommodations. With hostels starting from $6 CAD/ night, you can’t go wrong. If you have a little bigger budget, you can get a private Vila starting from $60 CAD/ night in Bali.

Food:

Mangoes & Dragon Fruit – Mhmmm

Probably the most inconsistent expense depending upon where you choose to eat. Food is one of those factors, no matter where you go, the pricing is going to be inconsistent. Average food cost in middle to medium-high restaurants are between $5 – $10 Canadian depending upon what you get; also add in the 10% tax and 5% service charge (could be higher at different places). These restaurants are likely owned by foreigners.

Your best bet for cheap food is to go to a Warung – local, tax-free, Indonesian family run restaurants. The food here cost between $1.50 to $5 depending upon where you go and what you eat. But watch out for some medium to high end restaurants advertising their restaurants as “Warung” too but the prices will be more expensive along with taxes compared to the actual Warungs!

A+ Pop Culture Reference – Didn’t Actually Eat Here.

Transportation:

Not Bali, But A True Reflection Of The Traffic – Photo From Pexels Stock Images, Shot By Suzukii Xingfu
 

Definitely the most expensive part of Bali! All the drivers are greedy here. Is it fair for me to judge them trying to out smart a foreigner, absolutely not, but as a backpacker on a budget, I am going to be that person. From the Denpasar airport to Canggu, based on the Go-Jek and Grab prices, it should have been around 75K IDR ($7.50), however, my friend and I had to spent around 250K IDR ($25) to get to our hostel in Canggu, and this was after negotiations.

Oh and public transportation is nonexistent in Bali!

Speaking of which, Go-Jek and Grab will be your friend in Bali; they are equal to Uber in Bali. Taxis can be tricky and expensive. Go-Jek is an Indonesian company, but Grab is an international company. But… WATCH OUT! Some drivers on these apps will contact you separately on WhatsApp or the ride share app’s messaging tool to ask for more money. For example, for one incident, the Go-Jek app quoted me 50K IDR ($5) for a trip, but the driver contacted me separately asking for 400K IDR ($40).

Boat/ferry trips are also expensive. To go to the islands, expect to spend about $50 CAD round trip for a 30-minute ferry ride. A 15-minute boat ride is around $6 CAD.

Tips To Survive Bali:

Coconut Water Anyone?
  • Best way to get around Bali is via a scooter. Scooter rentals are anywhere between $5-$7 per day and about $2 for a full tank of gas (unless you get lucky). Mind you, this can be dangerous as you weave through the hectic Bali traffic and narrow roads if you have no experience.
  • For Go-Jek, sign up with an Indonesian sim card ($7) and instead of paying cash, add some money to the app. Get a local or tourist with Indonesian bank account to add money to the account. I noticed that when you are paying through the app with an Indonesian cell number, the drivers automatically assume you are a local and don’t pester you for more money. If the drivers message you in Balinese, use Google translate and reply; trust me it helps with the expensive trips. Also, by using the app to pay, you save money as they discount the trips.
  • Bring currency from home and exchange it in Bali. US and Australian dollars are the most preferred currency followed by Pounds and Euros, but there are exchange centers that take all currencies as well. It is much cheaper than pulling out money from the ATM and paying the fees. The exchange rates are pretty good too except in the islands.
  • Pay hostels and restaurant with cash because they charge you extra transaction fees if you were to use your credit cards.
  • Bali Belly! Luckily I didn’t get one even after eating most of my meals from Warungs. Just be careful of the restaurants you decide to eat at. And DO NOT drink tap water.
  • Get travel insurance (I should be listening to this advice as well). Although I have been lucky enough to leave Bali without any issues, I have heard horror stories from fellow travelers. Consultation fee in one of the Balinese clinics is about $35.

Personally, I thought Bali is cheap if you are going down for a quick vacation. But if you are planning to head to Bali as a backpacker, it might not be the best place to start your backpacking trip. *Learn from my experience* 😀

Now Have Some Tea & Book Your Flights To Bali!