This Budget Baller in Bali guide for all those who don’t want to travel like homeless vagabonds and gypsies. This is for the people who like semi-comfort and livability in the places they stay and planes they ride. If you’re one of those extreme people who only stay at places less than $5 a night infested with cockroaches and other unthinkables or use Couch Surfing only, then this guide is not for you. If you’re traveling to Vietnam, check out How to be a Budget Baller in Vietnam and How to Get a Cheap Halong Bay Tour.
1. Flights
Everyone’s flights will be different depending on where they are flying from. I’m going to give you a break down on how much my flights were from Vietnam to Bali. My boyfriend and I discovered the cheapest flights were to fly to Malaysia from Vietnam. We used Air Asia and all prices below will be in USD. We didn’t fly direct from Hanoi because all prices were too expensive.
- Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur $106.40
- Kuala Lumpur to Bali $93.59
- Bali to Seoul $322.01
Total Cost: $522.00
Luckily, we had a stopover in Malaysia so we got out of the airport to see plenty of cool things in Kuala Lumpur. I’m excited to now have 13 countries under my belt!
2. Airbnb
Airbnb is the cheapest option I’ve seen. If you want to try the luxury hotel experience without the price tag, check out How to Spend a Day like the Rich and Famous for Under $100. Be careful with Airbnb because our supposed “quaint and lovely” house was infested by mosquitos, had a bumpy road and the power went out one night, and a lot of the metal in the house was completely rusted including the cutlery. Don’t make the same mistake we did and go for an option that’s a bit more pricey. In Bali, you will definitely get what you pay for.
Total Cost: $90.00
3. Eat Local Food & Buy From Grocery Stores
It goes to say you should stay away from foreign food. After all, why would you want to eat it when there’s so much delicious seafood around? Try the cafes at Jimbaron for reasonable and tasty seafood options or Nasi Goreng. You can never go wrong with either of these! The delectable delights are making me drool just writing about them!
Total Cost: $63.50
4. Use Uber and Rent a Scooter
This is the best option I’ve seen for vacationing in Bali scooters are so cheap and they cost hardly anything to rent and fill up with gas. I would definitely avoid taxis at all costs because you might get ripped off. If you do use one, negotiate, negotiate, negotiate!
If you’re like me and you love sarongs and you like temples, you have to factor that in. Everything in Bali is cheap but you can get it down to the right price if you barter. Bali can be an incredible experience if you know what to do, where to look and what kind of food to eat! Also, I highly recommend traveling with someone as that helps lower the cost. The cost of staying in Bali can be doubled if you’re alone.
Total cost for the week: $654.50
29 Comments on How to be a Budget Baller in Bali
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This is awesome! I haven’t had much luck with AirBnB in Bali. With the exception of one place, the others have been pretty rough around the edges, despite it’s pretty pictures. I agree with you – you get what you pay for. Totally eat local – it is the cheapest way to eat in Bali, plus it’s the most local and authentic way. I love the warungs that serve Nasi Campur, where you get rice and then you can pick the side dishes.
I definitely feel like this is a common thing in Bali! You get what you pay for in Bali so going for a more expensive option is definitely a must. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to try much Balinese cooking, but when I went to Ubud, I went to a fantastic Warung that had an amazing special that day.
Some great tips here! I’m the same as you, I haven’t got all the money in the world but I’d still want to stay somewhere nice, and wouldn’t mind paying extra for that. For the money you paid, you looked as though you had a great time! The flights would be so much more from the UK though, so I’d have to fly from somewhere in Asia too if I wanted to take advantage of those costs.
How much would it be from the UK to Asia? I know a lot of people that fly through Shanghai because it’s cheap.
It can be reasonable to fly into Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia airlines, and then Air Asia from there.
it is crazy how cheap bali and indonesia in general is. i fell in love with that place last year when i went there. i really want to got back…
Where was your favorite place in Indonesia or Bali?
These are some really great tips! I’ve always known Bali to be quite expensive, so had discounted it as a possibility for me! But, maybe I can make it work after reading this!
Bali is expensive, and one of the top tips I can recommend to you is learn how to negotiate. If you can play the game and know when to walk away from a bad deal, that helps too. So many people get ripped off, so I read a ton of blogs beforehand with great information on what to do and what not to do.
Agree Bali is so affordable that I always treat myself a little to things that would be out of my reach in Australia. I usually pay about $100 a night for my accomodation which sees me living in Luxury. Warungs are perfect for grabbing great value local cuisine. I love Bali and go every year. There is so much to see!
I’ve always wanted to travel in Australia! But a little bit of money definitely goes a long way in Bali. I would love to try spending $100 a night for a bit more luxury. I love warungs too! Is there a specific one you would recommend?
First of all – LOVE the concept of a budget baller haha. That’s definitely more or less what I’d categorize my travel style under! Thanks for the solid tips. Definitely saving them for when I go to Bali! A good heads up about AirBNB too. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with them so it’s good to know that in some places like Bali I should be more careful.
Thanks so much! I definitely feel like a budget baller because I don’t allow myself to be too cheap. Interestingly, I had loads of good experiences with Airbnb until Bali and in some parts of Korea. I learned the hard way to be a bit more careful. I would love to see your budget guide when you do go to Bali!
I agree with you, eating local is the best way to save money and also try out the local cuisine. I always try to look for the local restaurants when I travel. It’s always funny when you end up being the only foreigner in a place full with locals. Everyone all of a sudden seems to smile at you and help you order. 🙂
Right? I have also found people are really nice to me in Korea when I’m the only foreigner in the restaurant. When I start to speak the local language, they are even more friendly! It’s an incredible feat!
These are some great tips, I definitely want to work on budgeting more when we travel to SE Asia, I think we get ripped off a lot! I need negotiating lessons blah! I agree with eating local it’s the cheapest and often more delectable than imitation Western food. How was flying with Air Asia?
Air Asia was okay. It was just a normal experience. I wasn’t impressed but it wasn’t bad either. I learned how to negotiate in Mexico because bartering is definitely a part of the marketplace culture there. I’ll teach you how to do it! 😉
This is exactly how I would categorise our travel style! It is always good to spend a bit more on the accommodation, though. What is your favorite local food? I can’t eat anything spicy so I would probably be hungry there 😁
The food in Bali wasn’t too spicy, then again, I eat very spicy food so I guess I would be the worst person to ask. I think the Nasi Goreng was definitely not spicy and very delicious on the taste buds. Any rice and chicken is also good too.
I haven’t been to Bali but I’ve always thought that it’s a pretty cheap place to go to. The total price mentioned is great but I never realized that you had to really think it through to have this cost in Bali. I thought it’s the norm. :p
I had a similar AirBNB experience last time I used it, thankfully power didn’t go out but it was rusty and it smelled like sick when we first walked in. Lol.
That’s the worst! We should definitely warn others about the accommodation in Bali! I think Bali is more expensive compared to Indonesia because of all the tourism and the locals figured out that they can rip people off. I had to really think about budget and make sure I was only spending on necessities and not random stuff. I think I did pretty good!
Great tips! We always use Uber if it’s available when we travel. We used it in Thailand recently, and couldn’t believe how cheap it was vs. taxis!
Uber is definitely a must when it comes to Southeast Asia! Taxis definitely cost too much and I like how the Uber people don’t rip you off especially if you negotiate the price beforehand.
Nice! I always try to eat local foods – I especially like the Warungs. I’ve never tried AirBNB there but I did enjoy the Homestays, which are really cheap. Can’t wait to go back to this beautiful island!
I like warungs too! I didn’t know about home stays! Those sound really cool and I think I’ll check those out next time and see what more of the culture I can learn!
Bali is exotic, a paradise on earth. Getting paradise on a budget. Who would not love it. Bali does have this myth of being a place of expensive resorts and offering holidays that sit heavy on the pocket. Your post explodes the myth. So it is possible to see beautiful Bali on a budget. Your series of posts on doing places on a budget are really useful.
Yikes! – This was my initial reaction when I read about when you got an accommodation infested with mosquitoes. I do not want to risk it. I would rather pay more to have a comfortable sleep in a clean and safe house.
I like eating local foods and buying from grocery stores like bottled water when I travel. They are more affordable than when you buy in a restaurant.
A really great breakdown of your Bali budget and some fab tips! I haven’t used Air bnb in Bali, I was a little hesitant, so that’s a great tip to pay a little more and get a better place. I love eating local Balinese food and it usually is a wallet saver as well. Thanks for the tips!
Kristie – you.theworld.wandering
Wonderful tips for doing Bali on a budget. However, I am always sceptical about the airbnbs for the same reasons like you mentioned. I prefer budget hotels than airbnbs.