This question is often the first question coming from many travelers before planning their trip to the Island of Gods but even if in Bali many things are cheaper than in western countries, now it’s time to debunk some myths.
In fact, if you just glance at basic products, many items of everyday life are cheap: A liter of gas is around 0.5 USD, a dish in traditional restaurants more commonly referred to as Warung is around 1.5 USD and 4 USD and a pack of cigarettes fluctuates between 1 USD and 2.5 USD. So yes it’s cheap for many daily items. For your journey trip, a motorbike rental will cost you around 5 USD/Day or 50 USD for a month. Using a car will cost around 20 USD/Day or 250-300 USD for a month. The real estate price is not as cheap as the previous example due to the high and increasing demand for short term rental that fill the villa with a high occupancy rate. For long term rental, if you want to pay cheaper and avoid the price fluctuation following the touristic trend, you must pay annually. A three-bedroom villa suits for a family is around 15.000 USD per year, located only 3min from the beach and surfing spot. Some examples on the link below :
http://bali-home-immo.com/realestate-property/for-rent/villa-house/
It is not very expensive in comparison with the tourist's area in many western countries
If you want to live in Bali, prepare yourself to do without some foods or items, unless you are ready to pay the price. In fact, if you are a meat-lover or a cheese lover, prepare to pay the high price: a French traditional cheese can reach 70 USD in some supermarkets. Likewise, if you love to party, some alcohol prices can be prohibitive, and a bottle of Absolut Vodka can easily reach 90 USD. however, you can always console yourself with some cheap Bintang (the local beer) for only 1.5 USD rupiahs. Finally, if you have children, international school fees are fairly expensive, you should pay the tuition fee which is around 6300 USD a year.
So, even if Bali remains a cheap place for tourists, it can be really different for those who decide to live here permanently. All the same, do not forget the fact that in Bali, there are fewer taxes; therefore, in spite of some high price, Bali remains very beneficial for ex-pats and still looks like an “El-Dorado”.
