The Real Cost of Traveling to Bali as a Couple

Updated April 2026 | 5 min read

In This Post

The Bottom Line: $3,420 Total for Two People, 10 Days
Full Budget Breakdown
Category Deep Dive
What Was Worth Spending On
What We Would Do Differently
Is Bali Still Cheap in 2027?

Bali has a reputation as a cheap destination. That reputation is half true. A warung meal costs $3. A villa with a private pool costs $80/night. Scooter rental is $5/day. But the moment you step into the tourist corridor of Seminyak or book a “luxury experience” marketed on Instagram, prices jump to European levels fast.

Here is what we actually spent on 10 days in Bali in 2024, traveling as a couple at a comfortable mid-range level. We stayed in proper hotels, hired private drivers for day trips, ate at both warungs and western-style cafes, and did not skip experiences to save a few dollars.

The Bottom Line: $3,420 Total for Two People, 10 Days

That is $171 per person per day, flights included. Remove flights and it drops to $107 per person per day on the ground in Bali. That daily rate bought us air-conditioned hotel rooms, three meals a day, a private driver for two full-day trips, and every temple and waterfall we wanted to see.

Full Budget Breakdown

Category	Total (2 people)	Per Person/Day	Notes
Flights (LAX-DPS round trip)	$1,280	—	Singapore Airlines via SIN, booked 4 months out
Accommodation (9 nights)	$810	$45/night avg	Mix of Ubud villa and Canggu hotel
Food & Drinks	$480	$24/day	Warungs, cafes, two nice dinners
Private Drivers (2 full days)	$120	—	$60/day for 10-hour private car + driver
Scooter Rental (5 days)	$30	$3/day	Rented in Ubud and Canggu
Grab/Taxi	$65	—	Airport transfers + short rides
Activities & Temples	$280	$14/day	Temple entries, waterfall fees, cooking class, rafting
Spa & Massage	$95	—	Four massage sessions at $12-15 each
Visa on Arrival + Tourist Levy	$80	—	$30 VOA + $10 levy per person
eSIM	$16	—	Airalo Indonesia, 5GB
Travel Insurance	$110	—	World Nomads, 10-day policy
Misc (laundry, tips, sunscreen)	$54	—	Laundry service: $2/kg

Category Deep Dive

Flights: $1,280

There are no direct flights from the US to Bali. Every routing connects through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, or Doha. We flew Singapore Airlines via Changi ($640/person) and it was comfortable with a 3-hour layover. Check Skyscanner for the cheapest connections — AirAsia and Scoot sometimes run sub-$500 fares if you are flexible on dates and willing to do longer layovers.

Accommodation: $810 for 9 Nights

This was the biggest surprise. Our villa in Ubud had a private pool, daily breakfast, and a rice paddy view for $100/night. Our hotel in Canggu was $70/night with a rooftop pool and solid WiFi. Both were booked through Booking.com.

Bali accommodation ranges wildly. You can get a clean guesthouse for $25/night or a cliffside resort for $500/night. The sweet spot for couples is $60-120/night, which consistently gets you a private pool villa in Ubud or a boutique hotel in Canggu or Seminyak. Reddit travelers in 2025 report these prices holding steady, with slight increases in peak season (July-August, December-January).

Food: $480

We ate at warungs (local restaurants) for at least one meal a day. A nasi goreng or mie goreng at a warung costs 25,000-40,000 IDR ($1.50-2.50). The portions are huge and the food is consistently good. Western-style cafes in Canggu — the avocado toast and smoothie bowl places — run $8-12 per meal. We hit those for breakfast a few times because the coffee is excellent, but they are not necessary.

Our two “nice” dinners were at restaurants in Ubud: one was a set menu tasting at a Balinese restaurant ($35/person) and the other was a seafood dinner in Jimbaran ($25/person). Both were memorable and still cheap by any international standard.

Bintang beers at a warung: $1.50. Same beer at a Seminyak beach club: $6. Location matters.

Getting Around: $215

We split transport between scooters, private drivers, and Grab. Scooter rental was $5-6/day and is the fastest way to get around, but Bali traffic is dangerous. If you are not an experienced rider, skip it. We rode in Ubud (quieter roads) but used Grab in Canggu and Seminyak where traffic is heavier.

Private drivers are Bali’s secret weapon. For $50-60/day, you get a car and driver for 10 hours. They know the roads, handle parking, and wait while you explore. We hired a driver for the full east Bali temple circuit (Tirta Empul, Tegallalang, Kintamani) and again for a south coast day (Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Jimbaran). Both days would have been miserable on a scooter.

Activities: $280

Temple entry fees are minimal — 30,000-50,000 IDR ($2-3) each. Tegallalang Rice Terrace is 15,000 IDR. The costs add up when you do multiple temples per day, but no single entry is expensive. We also did white water rafting in Ubud ($35/person via Viator) and a Balinese cooking class ($30/person via Viator). Both were excellent value and among the highlights of the trip.

What we skipped: the Instagram swing ($35/person for a photo op), ATV tours ($50+/person), and dolphin tours. None seemed worth the price compared to what else $35 buys in Bali.

What Was Worth Spending On

1. Private pool villa in Ubud. The $30/night premium over a standard hotel room bought us a completely different experience. Waking up, walking three steps to a private pool overlooking rice paddies — that is the Bali postcard moment and it cost less than a mid-range hotel room in any US city.

2. Private driver for day trips. At $60/day including fuel, this is the single best value in Bali. Do not try to Grab your way through a full day of temple hopping.

3. Cooking class. $30/person, 4 hours, and we came home knowing how to make proper nasi goreng and sambal from scratch.

4. Massages. $12-15 for a full hour. We went four times in 10 days and regretted nothing.

What We Would Do Differently

1. Spend less time in Canggu, more in Ubud. Canggu is Instagram Bali — overpriced cafes, loud bars, and traffic. Ubud is the actual Bali — rice terraces, temples, jungle, and calm. We would flip our ratio from 4/5 nights to 3/6 nights in Ubud’s favor.

2. Buy the eSIM before arriving. Airalo Indonesia plan is $8 for 5GB. We did this correctly and had data immediately at the airport. The physical SIM sellers at DPS charge $15-20 for less data.

3. Bring reef-safe sunscreen from home. Sunscreen in Bali is marked up 2-3x versus US prices. Pack a reef-safe sunscreen and save $20.

4. Use Wise for IDR. ATM fees in Bali are brutal — 50,000-75,000 IDR ($3-5) per withdrawal with a low withdrawal limit. Wise card lets you pay directly or withdraw at better rates.

5. Negotiate before getting in. Taxis without meters (not Grab) will overcharge. Always agree on a price before the ride or just use the Grab app.

Is Bali Still Cheap in 2027?

For Americans, yes. The IDR remains weak and Bali is still one of the most affordable tropical destinations on the planet for the quality you get. A couple can travel comfortably for $100-120/day on the ground, and that buys a lifestyle that would cost four times as much in Hawaii or the Caribbean. The new tourist levy ($10/person) is minor. Just avoid the Seminyak beach club circuit and your money goes far.

We cover more Bali logistics in our Bali overview post and more lessons learned in our What I’d Do Differently master post. For packing, a dry bag is essential for rafting, waterfall visits, and unexpected downpours during rainy season.

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. SafetyWing, Skyscanner, Airalo, Booking.com, Viator.

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Written by Jenna Fattah

I have visited 25+ countries across 6 continents, attended 7 Formula 1 races, and spent 4 years writing about what actually works and what I would do differently. Every recommendation on this site comes from trips I planned and paid for myself. Read more about me

The Real Cost of Traveling to Bali as a Couple

The Bottom Line: $3,420 Total for Two People, 10 Days

Full Budget Breakdown