Cost of Living in Bali

Hi Valsons37.

So would you consider that as a typical cost of living in Bali or lower than average? I've heard the Bali is quite expensive to live.

I’ve only ever visited Bali once in mid 2016, in my experience apart from hotels, property etc on average I found it quite a bit cheaper than Batam (western meals, beer, wine, some local meals etc)

Also, where we live, we don't use Balinese Dollars. We use Indonesian Rupiah.

Since we have been living here, we have seen the COL double  over the past 10-15 years.  However, the Rupiah has increased also, masking the COL rise also.   It is about as expensive to live in Bali as Singapore or Orange County, CA.

valsons37 wrote:

Since we have been living here, we have seen the COL double  over the past 10-15 years.  However, the Rupiah has increased also, masking the COL rise also.   It is about as expensive to live in Bali as Singapore or Orange County, CA.

I’ve probably seen the same in batam but probably doubled (or not far away) in the last 3 or4 years, since I’m a short time away from Singapore we shop for many items over that way
Many expat things are probably at least 25% cheaper, butter, cheese, instant coffee, tea, alcoholic Spirts (duty free cheaper by 50%+)
Local goods in batam are at least 50% more expensive here than Bengkulu, lampung, Medan etc
Bintan island next to Batam is probably the most expensive place I know about in Indonesia, resort wise your looking at 50-100% increase over singapore (hotels, restaurants etc)

I agree with your estimate of the increase in the COL here in Bali.  An Ubud resident for the past 19 years, the COL has at least doubled since those days.  The cost of construction has even more than doubled and in some areas, land leases exceed 500% and even more.

Even the cost of VISAs has more than doubled.   

That said, it is still possible to live here within reasonable means if one is willing to "go native" and give up the gin and tonics at the Canggu Club (now known as Finns Recreation Club).