Why Bali?

I heard it was nice.

Bali is a beautiful island (not without it’s faults) but I managed to get cheap plane tickets to and from the island so I decided to see what it was like to live there and I’m very glad I did.

What Did I Do?

I went to Bali to focus on me.

I found an amazing villa, surrounded by rice fields and just let all my cares and worries dissolve while I thought about life.

I wanted to eat better (Bali has amazing fruit) and exercise more.

My favorite thing to do in Bali was to just go; jump on my motorbike and just go. Zooming along the unimaginable landscapes surrounded by temples and cut stone cleared my mind and made me feel like I was really alive and in the moment.

Friend’s I met throughout my travels came to visit me and I met plenty more when I was there. The amazing people that I’ll never forget is probably the main reason Bali will always have a place in my heart.

How Much Did I Spend?

Every cent from my two months in Bali came to a total of – $983.75 / 59 days



Food & Drink – $323.63

Transportation – $84.24 (I rented a motorbike @$1.20/day)

Accommodations – $465.00

Vices – $23.58

Extras (Sim Card/Toiletries/Kitchen stuff)– $87.30

My daily total averaged $16.67/day.

How much per month? $491.88

How Did I Live So Cheaply?

First off, while my rent wasn’t the cheapest I could find, the villa was much, much nicer then anywhere else I’d seen (It will probably be one of my favorite places I’ll ever stay) and the price included both Wifi and a daily housekeeper (It makes cooking that much better when you don’t need to do dishes). I had a great housemate, cat and dog all of which I enjoyed spending two months with.

Really, the only big way I saved money was by shopping at the local market bright and early as the sun was coming up. I spoke enough Indonesian, and I often had a local friend to shop with that I paid very close to local prices (I paid $0.45/kg for mangoes in season and when the market turns into a tourist market at ~11am I heard people paying $2 for 1 mango). Besides local produce there were a few large chain grocery stores where I bought anything I couldn’t get at the market.

Bali Buddha is also a great stop in Ubud. They have affordable breads, coconut oil and anything you’d expect at a health food store.

I ate out at restaurants when I felt like it and got drinks with friends and couchsurfers but everything is pretty affordable in Bali.