Cost of Living in Uluwatu, Bali — Digital Nomad Guide
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A note on timing: we stayed in Uluwatu in early 2026, so while our experience and costs are genuine, prices and conditions may have shifted since. We always recommend checking a few different places to compare prices.
We came to Uluwatu for the surf, the sunsets, and a change of pace after two and a half months in Hội An. What we didn't quite anticipate was how much we'd spend. At USD $3,363/month for two people, Uluwatu came in nearly $1,400 more than our Vietnamese base in the months before, and much more than we spent when we stayed in Lovina in northern Bali. But with world-class beaches, an incredible wellness scene, and a private pool villa, it's not hard to see where the money went.
This is a breakdown of our monthly costs for two people based in Ungasan, on the southern tip of Bali's Bukit Peninsula. You can see the rest of our Cost of Living series here.
Dining Out — $978/month
Food and drink were our biggest expenses in Uluwatu, and the honest answer is that cocktails had a lot to do with it. We had breakfast and coffee at home most mornings, although we did indulge in a few brunches out. Lunch was either at home our at one of the local warungs.
Uluwatu has an extraordinary dining scene with beachfront restaurants, cuisines from around the world and fantastic coffee. We leaned into all of it more than we sometimes do. A couple of cocktails with dinner add up quickly when you're eating out as much as we do, and Uluwatu prices are a different proposition from those in Vietnam.
Many margaritas were had
So much good warung food in Bali
Rent — $904/month
Rent was our second biggest expense, and for what we got, we considered it good value. We stayed in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom villa with a private pool in Ungasan, a quieter residential area before Uluwatu proper, that turned out to be a brilliant base for us. It was a great size, considering we were staying with a friend and were cooped up inside for Nyepi.
Ungasan sits in a sweet spot on the Bukit Peninsula. The south coast at Melasti, the east coast at Nusa Dua, and the west coast beaches at Balangan and Dreamlands were all easily accessible. The trade-off was getting to Uluwatu itself. Traffic heading into the main strip could be a nightmare, particularly around sunset when everyone heads to the beach clubs. It wasn't such a problem getting to my early morning yoga classes.
If you're considering a longer stay on the Bukit, it's worth weighing up how much time you want to spend in Uluwatu versus how much you want to spend in traffic getting there. For us, the price difference and the accessibility to the wider coastline made Ungasan the right call.
A pool in the heat of Bali can be a Godsend
Spending — $696/month
Spending was high in Uluwatu, and we have absolutely no regrets. The wellness scene here is genuinely world-class, and we made the most of it. Kie joined a gym that had a recovery centre and sometimes visited twice a day; I got an unlimited pass at Alchemy Uluwatu and often did the same. If you're someone who prioritises fitness and movement, Uluwatu will either be very good or very expensive for you. Probably both.
Beyond wellness, we spent a lot of time at the beach, hiring sun loungers for lazy afternoons at Nusa Dua, Balangan and Dreamlands. Not an extravagance by any measure, but a lovely way to spend a day. The highlight of the month was a sailing lesson for Kie's birthday. It was genuinely one of the best things we did on the entire trip.
Alchemy became my second home
Who knew you could go sailing in Bali?
Groceries — $407/month
Groceries were higher here than in some of our other bases, and a few things explain that. We were in a residential area with little on the doorstep, so keeping the house stocked with breakfast supplies, coffee, lunch, and snacks was more of a necessity than a choice. Protein powder was also a regular purchase, an inevitable side effect of training twice a day.
Transport — $171/month
Transport was one of our higher costs compared to other destinations, and the terrain has a lot to do with it. The Bukit Peninsula is hilly, and the traffic around Uluwatu can be relentless, so we hired an NMAX, which gave us a bigger, more comfortable bike that made navigating the steep roads and long waits in traffic considerably more bearable.
Grab bike taxis filled the gaps. If we were heading out for dinner and drinks, it meant we didn’t have to worry about navigating the traffic on the way home. Bike taxis were my default for getting to and from yoga in Uluwatu, which added up.
We definitely had fun in Uluwatu
Medical — $114/month
Medical came in higher than usual this month due to a one-off procedure. We find that something always comes up when you're living abroad for extended periods, and it's worth factoring that into your budget rather than being caught off guard. We'd suggest either building a small buffer into your monthly figures or setting aside a separate fund for unexpected health costs. They're rarely dramatic, but they're rarely zero either.
If you're not already covered, SafetyWing is the most popular travel and health insurance option in the nomad community and worth looking into before you go.
Visa — $58/month
Indonesia offers a few visa options depending on how long you plan to stay. We used the B211A social visa, which gives you 60 days and can be extended in-country twice for another 60 days each time, for a total of up to 180 days without leaving. It's a great option if you're planning a longer stay and want to avoid visa runs.
The e-VOA is another option, giving you 30 days with the option to extend once. Currently, this does involve a trip to immigration for biometrics, which in Denpasar can take all day. At $58/month, our visa cost was higher than Vietnam on a monthly basis, simply because 60 days doesn't stretch as far as a 90-day visa.
Balangan Beach
Fins has the best views
Subscriptions & Insurance — $30/month
Between Apple storage, Apple TV, and our life insurance, this category is essentially fixed regardless of where we are in the world. It's a good reminder that some costs follow you from home. Worth accounting for these in any budget you put together for living abroad.
Cellphone — $3/month
Our cellphone cost was unusually low this month as I was trialling some eSIMs as part of our ongoing reviews. Your cost will vary depending on your provider and data needs. We've put together a full guide to the best eSIMs for Indonesia to help you compare. Or if you just want to dive in, grab on from Saily here. It’s our go-to.
Ogoh-Ogoh being prepared for the parade before Nyepi
Final Note
Uluwatu is not the cheapest place to base yourself in Southeast Asia and at USD $3,363/month for two people, the numbers reflect that. But it offers something that's genuinely hard to find elsewhere: world-class surf, a wellness scene that rivals anywhere on earth, and some of the most dramatic coastline we've ever seen. If you're someone who prioritises movement, good food, and being outdoors, you will find it very easy to spend money here and very hard to regret it.
We already have Uluwatu on the list to come back to. The Bukit gets under your skin.
I hope you found this breakdown helpful in your planning. Let us know in the comments if this aligns with what you're expecting to spend — and if you've already spent time in Uluwatu, we'd love to know how your costs compared.
