10 Fascinating tips for frugal living in Bali

10 fascinating tips for frugal living in Bali -only $1000 for 3 months

Bali, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Indonesia, is also known for its high living costs

If you are looking to live in Bali on a budget, here are 10 fascinating tips for frugal living in Bali to help reduce your cost of living

I assume that you will stay in Bali for 3 months and bring $1000 with you

as information with the current rupiah exchange rate which ranges from $ 1 = IDR 14-15 thousand

That means that with $ 1000 you have 15 million rupiah

The value of this money is very much for the people of Indonesia, including for the people on the island of Bali

So how long can you guys live comfortably on $1000?

So here are 10 life-saving tips to live in Bali Indonesia for 3 months with $1000 in your pocket

Tip no 1 – Stay in the hostel

Staying in a hostel is the cheapest option available for accommodation when you arrive for the first time in Bali.

You can expect to pay anywhere between $5-$20 per night for a dorm bed and this does not include breakfast.

Maybe You can stay for 1 week then you have to move to another place.

The place that I mean is kind of you rent a room in Bali, which Indonesian people used to call ” Kost- kost an “.

Kost is a kind of room that is owned by some people who have many rooms that they  rent to every person who wants to stay for a long period in a certain city

2. Move to a boarding house or  “kost- kost an” ( rent room )

As I mentioned before you have to move to a boarding house so that the costs you incur for housing matters will be cheaper

because you will stay for 3 months in Bali

How much is the boarding fee that must be paid for a decent place to live?

In Bali, the cost for a boarding house that is quite complete with air conditioning, spring beds, TV, and refrigerator facilities is around 1.5 million or $ 100

So you can calculate how much money you can save if you live in a boarding house

If you are planning to stay for 3 months it means that with $300, the housing problem is solved

3. Rent a motorbike

During your time in Bali, of course, you will visit many places, right?

So in order for you to save on transportation costs, you have to rent a motorbike

Motorbike rental fees vary greatly depending on the type of motorbike

For automatic Honda motorbikes the monthly rental fee is between IDR 500-650 thousand (only motorbikes)

So if you add gasoline, let’s say your expenses for transportation are around IDR 1 million

So in 3 months means around IDR 3 million or $200

4. Daily meal costs

For daily meals actually, it’s a little bit tricky because it depends on your taste and what kind of meal you want to buy

By the way in the boarding house that you rent for 1.5 million, there is usually a mini kitchen where you can cook yourself so it’s cheaper

But considering that you only stay for 3 months in Bali, of course, it will be very troublesome later because you have to buy much equipment that you need

So my advice is for you for your daily meal, buy it at the shop

In Bali, there are lots of food stalls

The ones that are cheap are usually Javanese stalls or restaurants whose owners are Javanese

Or you can buy Nasi Jenggo a traditional Balinese food that is also cheap and affordable

The cost of one meal in Bali if you know where to look for it, the cost for one meal  is around IDR 15-20 thousand or $ 1- $ 1.5

So for daily meal cost for 1 day, you need to spend about $3 ( 2x meals )

If you live for 3 months in Bali it is estimated that your meals will cost around $250-$300 depending on what kind of food you buy

5. Don’t go to the cafe every night

The total expenses you have to prepare for housing, motorbike rental, and daily meals are around $800 for 3 months.

That means you only have about $200 left

so the 4th tip is

Don’t go to the cafe every night

In Bali, there are hundreds or maybe thousands of cafes scattered in every place in Bali

Of course, as tourists, you will be tempted to hang out every night

but the costs that you have to spend will cost you an arm and a leg or expensive

So it’s better for you to set a schedule to hang out at the cafe in one month

6. Look for tourist attractions that are not paid or free

In Bali, there are several tourist attractions that charge foreign tourists up to 10x the price

Of course, it’s very disappointing especially when you want to save money

But don’t worry, in Bali, there are also many beautiful tourist attractions but they are not paid

Even if they are paid are not expensive and do not differentiate between foreign and local tourist prices

Then how do you find out where the free places are??

“Hanging out with the locals”

7. Hang out with local people

Since you will be staying for 3 months in Bali I suggest you hang out with local people

Why do you have to mix with local people?

There are many advantages that you can get if you are friends with local people, one of which is that you will know are cheap places

Besides that, you will also be safer if you hang out with local people

By the way, almost all Indonesians are friendly with foreign tourists, so don’t be afraid or worried

Although there are some who cheat and intend to cheat the number is few, and more are good

Besides that, isn’t your goal of staying in Bali for 3 months to get new experiences, both in terms of culture and daily life, right?

So open your heart to local Balinese people, they won’t bother you as long as you are also kind and polite

8. Learn the Indonesian language

Learning the Indonesian language will also really help you while you are in Bali,

Yes, of course, it is impossible for you to master the Indonesian language in just three months

But at least you can learn a little bit and memorize vocabulary

The Indonesian language is very easy because there is no grammar and tenses and the reading is according to the letters

and even though your Indonesian language is not fluent, Indonesians can understand what you mean and they really appreciate foreigners who speak Indonesian

9. Learn to ride a motorcycle, and drive in the left lane

Many foreign tourists, especially women, don’t know how to ride a motorbike but they rent a motorbike and drive on the right side so accidents often occur

Before renting a vehicle, make sure you can ride a motorbike well and choose the left lane, and don’t get angry if someone blows the horn because that’s normal in Indonesia

The horn is only used as a sign if the person behind you wants to pass before you while you are blocking the road

So if you understand how to drive well it will make your daily life in Bali safe That means you don’t need to spend more money on accidents or something else

10. Shopping at traditional markets

If you want to buy fruits or other goods, shop at traditional markets because the price will be lower, but of course, you have to bid at a fair price

Those are 10 life-saving tips for 3 months in Bali for only $ 1000

I hope this is useful for you, travelers who want to stay long enough in Bali