Planning
Bali travel budget: how much to plan, item by item
Bali can be done on very little or cost as much as a stay in Europe. The gap does not come from the island, but from a few choices: where you sleep, how you get around, and how many organized tours you buy.
- Updated on
- 6 min read
- By Kylian Dev
Contents
Key points
- The site’s reference rate: €1 ≈ IDR 20,000 (rounded, mid-October 2026). Recalculate at the day’s rate.
- Two official fixed fees per person: the e-VoA at IDR 500,000 and the tourist levy at IDR 150,000.
- Private transport, beach clubs and organized tours make the budget vary more than meals.
- All ranges are 2026 orders of magnitude, varying with the season and the neighborhood.
You often read a single figure for “the Bali budget”. It means nothing until you know whether the traveler sleeps in a guesthouse or a villa, eats at a warung or a restaurant, and gets around by scooter or with a driver. This guide therefore starts from the choices, item by item, and from the only official amounts known.
For the estimated ranges per day and per profile, see the budget table on the home page; to work out your own trip, use the budget calculator, where every assumption can be changed. To cut the bill without skimping on the essentials, the season counts too: see when to go to Bali.
Bali budget: three traveler profiles, item by item
The backpacker sleeps in a guesthouse, eats at warung and gets around by scooter or ride-hailing. The comfort traveler chooses a hotel with a pool, alternates warung and restaurant and takes a driver for the long stages. The family often rents a villa and needs a private vehicle: it is the most expensive profile per day.
| Item | Backpacker | Comfort | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | Guesthouse or homestay, simple room | Boutique hotel with a pool | Villa or family rooms |
| Meals | Warung and markets | Warung at lunch, restaurants in the evening | Restaurants, cooking in the villa |
| Transport | Scooter with a license, ride-hailing in the south | Driver for the stages, ride-hailing in town | Driver by the day almost every day |
| Activities | Walks, beaches, temples | One or two guided outings | Outings suited to children |
| Admissions | Temple and site contributions | Same, plus a few shows | Multiplied by the number of people |
| Official fees | e-VoA and tourist levy | e-VoA and tourist levy | e-VoA and tourist levy for each person |
The first item is almost always accommodation. The second depends on transport: a traveler who hires a driver every day can spend more on getting around than on meals.
The official fixed fees, to plan per person
Two official amounts do not vary with the profile and are paid per person: the e-VoA and the Bali tourist levy.
e-VoA
≈ €25
IDR 500,000
Source: evisa.imigrasi.go.id
Bali tourist levy
≈ €7.50
IDR 150,000
Source: lovebali.baliprov.go.id
Fast boat to Nusa Penida
≈ €7.50
IDR 150,000
Source: sailtix.com
Converted at the site’s reference rate: €1 ≈ IDR 20,000 (mid-October 2026, rounded).
Both fees are paid online on the official websites before departure. The details of the procedures are in the guide Bali visa and arrival.
What makes the budget soar in Bali
Three items make a budget drift: private transport when you change base often, the beach clubs and restaurants of Canggu, Seminyak or Uluwatu, and organized tours sold in hotels. Then come nights booked late in high season and repeated ATM withdrawals.
- Private transport: an itinerary that changes base every two days multiplies the days with a driver.
- Beach clubs: entry fees, minimum spend and cocktails at European prices.
- Packaged tours: the same visit often costs much more through a hotel desk than with a driver booked directly.
- High season: in July, August and during the year-end holidays, accommodation rates rise sharply.
- Small bank fees: each withdrawal abroad can incur fixed fees on the Indonesian bank’s side and on your own bank’s side.
How to pay less in Bali without sacrificing the trip
The most effective lever is to reduce the number of bases: fewer transfers, fewer drivers. Then, travel outside July-August and the holidays, book a driver directly rather than through an agency, eat at warung and pay in rupiah rather than in euros.
- Choose two or three bases and take day trips from them rather than moving from stage to stage.
- Go in May, June, September or in the rainy season, when prices drop.
- Book a driver by the day directly, setting the route and the price before leaving.
- Use ride-hailing apps in the south, where they are allowed.
- Pay in rupiah and refuse the conversion into euros offered by the payment terminal.
The transport options and their limits are detailed in the guide getting around Bali.
Estimating your own budget for Bali, step by step
To estimate a realistic budget, start from the itinerary, not from a daily allowance. Count the nights per region, the number of days with a driver, the boat crossings and the paid activities. Add the official fixed fees per person, then a margin for the unexpected and the season.
- List your bases and the number of nights in each: accommodation prices vary greatly between the south, Ubud, the east and the north.
- Count the changes of base: each one generally corresponds to a day or half a day with a driver.
- Add the crossings: a one-way ticket to Nusa Penida is around IDR 150,000, depending on the operator.
- Price the activities that really matter to you, and only those.
- Add the e-VoA and the tourist levy for each traveler, then a margin for high season.
Do the conversion into euros at the end, at the day’s rate. The site uses €1 ≈ IDR 20,000, rounded in mid-October 2026: a handy approximation, not an exchange rate.
Accommodation: what sets the price
For the same comfort, a room costs more near the beach in the south or in the heart of Ubud than on the edge of a rice field, a little out of the way. In the east and the north, the choice is simpler and often more affordable. A private pool and a view push prices up faster than the size of the room. The neighborhoods and the observed ranges by region are in where to stay in Bali.
Withdrawals, bank fees and tipping
The currency is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR). ATMs limit the amount per transaction and charge fixed fees; a foreign card is sometimes declined. Keep two cards and cash for the warung. Tipping is not compulsory, but it is customary in tourism.
- Prefer ATMs attached to a bank branch, which are less exposed to fraud.
- Since the amount per withdrawal is capped and each transaction is charged, withdraw less often.
- Only change money at licensed counters and count it again in front of the counter.
- Tell your bank about your trip to avoid your card being blocked.
For tipping, no set figure applies. A gesture for a driver, a guide or the staff of your accommodation is appreciated, all the more so if the service was attentive. Withdrawal fees, QRIS and the restaurant “++” are detailed in money and payments in Bali.
Frequently asked questions
What budget should you plan for two weeks in Bali?
It depends above all on accommodation and transport. Add per person the e-VoA (IDR 500,000) and the tourist levy (IDR 150,000), then estimate each item according to your profile.
Is Bali expensive for a European traveler?
It can be very affordable in a guesthouse and at warung, or as expensive as Europe in a villa with a driver. The gaps come from choices, more than from the island.
Should you bring euros or withdraw on the spot?
Withdrawing on the spot with a bank card is the simplest. Keep a second card, since a foreign card is sometimes declined, and a few euros in reserve.
How much should you tip in Bali?
Tipping is not compulsory. It is customary in tourism, especially for drivers, guides and hotel staff, in line with your satisfaction.
Is the site’s exchange rate up to date?
The site uses €1 ≈ IDR 20,000, a rate rounded in mid-October 2026. Recalculate with the day’s rate before converting your amounts.
Sources
Figures and rules checked on October 17, 2026 against the sources below. Entry rules and fees change: always check them on the official websites before you leave.
