As an American, the cost of living in Bali as an American is hard to understand. There are so many things that we take for granted, and here, they’re luxuries. It’s not just the basics like food and housing that can be expensive; it’s also utilities and transportation.

However, there are a lot of trade-offs too! This article will share what it costs to live in Bali as an American and what things you can expect.

Bali is quite an expensive place to live as a whole, but it’s also one of the most beautiful places on earth! If you are considering living in Bali or just visiting for a while, there are some pros and cons to this decision.

It depends on your perspective; if you’re coming from America, then the cost of living probably doesn’t make sense because everything will be more expensive than where you came from.

What Is It Like Living In Bali?

The cost of living in Bali is about $800.00 a month, and the average income is around 500,000 to 800,000 rupiahs per day (roughly 45-65 USD). This means if you are coming from America, everything will be more expensive for you.

The Cost of Living in Bali as an American here depends on where your spending money goes. A Buddhist monk only spends about 50 cents a day while others spend thousands each week on things like private school tuition or personal trainers at their resort every morning. The overall feeling that most people get when they visit Bali is that it’s very “Westernized” but also incredibly cheap compared to prices back home.

Bali Indonesia Living Costs – Things To Be Aware Of

Food and drinks such as coffee, pieces of bread, snacks cost between 30-50 cents.A meal at a nice restaurant can range from $14-$20, with most being around $12 or less for the general Balinese dishes like Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Mie Goreng (noodles), and Gado_Gado (salad). Most of these places will also serve beer which is about 40 cents per bottle.

Local taxis are very cheap and only cost about 15 to 20 US dollars depending on how far you go. You’ll find that Uber isn’t available here, so if it is, then you’re looking at higher prices than average! This means walking everywhere is probably not an option unless you’re visiting for a day or two. This makes a living in Bali so exciting.

Flights here are very cheap compared to the USA and other countries in Europe; you can fly round trip from America to Bali for about $400-$500 depending on where you live. This might seem expensive, but it’s not bad at all! If you were going any further than Indonesia, it probably wouldn’t be worth it unless your destination is Thailand or Australia, which would cost more due to distance, of course.

Housing

Housing isn’t too expensive either if renting an apartment with one bedroom costs around $300 per month, give or take some money depending on how nice the place you want to stay is. Houses tend to run between $700-1500 US, so there are options everywhere.

What Is The Transportation Costs While Living In Bali

If you are living in Bali as an American, then Transportation costs can be prohibitive here. For example, most resorts have their shuttles, so they don’t have to pay taxi drivers, but it will cost more than what an average person would like if you want your car or scooter.

You could easily spend up to the millions every year on personal vehicles and driving all over town (which some people do) if you plan on living here for a whole year though it might be worth the investment.

You’ll need your transportation because public transport is expensive and unreliable most of the time. There are cheap busses that cost about $0.25 per ride, but they won’t take you very far, so if you want to go anywhere except to spend some money or make some money depending on how nice the place is that you want to stay at. Houses tend to run between $700-1500 US, so there are options everywhere.

What Is The Food Costs while Living In Bali

The food costs are pretty similar like most places in South East Asia (which is why I love this part of the world). If all you eat every day is rice then it can be very cheap, but if you start getting into meats and fruits then it gets expensive. The rule of thumb is to eat street food when possible because its super cheap

Pro’s & Con’s Of Living In Bali Indonesia For Americans

The biggest pro about spending some time in Bali would have to be how beautiful everything is. The beaches are excellent; the people are all lovely and friendly. It’s just a very relaxing place to be in general. The biggest con that I have about Bali is the constant pushing of tours and things to do. It’s a very touristy place so you will always be approached by someone trying to sell something or get you to take a tour with them.

The biggest con would have to be how expensive it is compared to other parts of Asia. I think you can get more for your money elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean Bali isn’t worth visiting on vacation. It is beautiful, has fantastic weather and the food is excellent.

They were living in Bali as an American means adapting to a different culture than what we are used to, back home in America or even Europe for that matter. You will find yourself constantly using google translate because so many people don’t speak English at all! It’s just simple curiosity! They always want you to know you buy something from them when they see you looking around, which gets annoying quickly.

Bali Indonesia Cost Of Living – Rent Costs

Rent costs vary depending on where you live within Bali (if anywhere outside of Denpasar). Your best bet if you’re trying to save some cash while living here is finding some homestay or hotel room/apartment with wifi because the internet will cost way less than rent itself.

Conclusion

To conclude our topic, we would like to say that many people are here for their reasons which are entirely okay! Find something that works well for YOU! As long as you are happy with where you live and what you’re doing in life, then it doesn’t matter if it’s $100 a month or $1000,000.