[A collaboration post with Day Translations – all thoughts are my own.]

The biggest reason Bali might feel like home is the warm welcome you will receive from the Balinese people. The Balinese are warm and friendly, even in the tourist areas. Many feel it is their duty to make everyone who visits Bali feel at home. As Balinese Hindus, we believe “I am you” and act accordingly.
If you’re an ex-pat, you will know the pros and cons of living in Bali for years. However, for some of you who read this and have a dream to live in Bali one day, here are things you should know before living in Bali.
There are two main seasons in Bali
Bali only has two seasons: the wet season (November โ March) and the dry season (April โ October). Theย best time to travel to Bali is during the dry season, which runs fromย April โ October.
Getting round Bali isn’t hard
Getting around Bali isn’t that hard because there are many taxis and transport drivers. If you’re going to drive a scooter or car here, ensure you have a current international license. Make sure you’re familiar with the roads and follow the road rules. Expect heavy traffic most days in the tourist areas, such as Kuta, Legian, Seminyak.
If you are living in Bali, you have the advantage of bartering for a better price when renting a scooter. For example, renting scooters in Canggu or Ubud is a bit more expensive than in Kuta. If you are renting from Kuta, youโll have to barter a bit for a good price, but generally, the price is no more than $45 per month for one scooter. The helmets are included as well, so make sure to get a good one! You can ask them to exchange it if you donโt like the one given to you originally, they donโt mind.
Current currency
The current currency exchanged is $1 = IDR 14,300 at the time of writing. Only use a money changer who has a PT registered number on their sign. A foreigner is not able to open an Indonesian bank account unless they hold a KITAS.
Cost of living in Bali
The cost of living in Bali depends on your lifestyle. Bali is cheap in general, you can even buy local food like Nasi Goreng or Nasi Ayam (fried rice or rice & chicken) for under $1. I like to explore and find a coffee shop around the Denpasar area and you can get a cappuccino and french fries or spaghetti for $5-$10.
But if you want to eat steaks or drink wine, obviously your budget will need to be higher. And for sure, different prices for different areas. I live in Denpasar where most locals live so anything is cheaper if you compare it to tourist areas like Kuta, Ubud, Seminyak, and Legian.
If you rent villas, they’re mostly always required to be paid upfront and in cash. If you’re able to pay upfront for a year or more, you’re able to negotiate a better price and save your money in the long run. You cannot own a property in Bali, some ex-pats do with the help of local people, but it’s not a fast process and requires a lot of research and time.
Additionally, when you’re living in Bali, little animals can become your new family. Little geckos, big geckos, ants, and mosquitos can be found in some areas. You need to learn to live alongside them. Geckos don’t do any harm, they help keep the mossies and ants at bay. The Balinese believe if you have a gecko inside your house means good luck, because it’s considered to ward off evil spirits!
Culture and tradition in Bali
Culture and tradition are very much a part of Balinese daily life. If you come across a ceremony, don’t stand too close unless you are dressed appropriately. Find out here what things you shouldn’t do in Bali.
From what I know, there are a lot of places where ex-pats live in Bali. The majority of ex-pats in Bali are welcoming and willing to help you settle into your new life. Include local friends in the mix too, the Balinese love to share their lives and you will find yourself invited to weddings and family gatherings in no time.
Try the local food
Try the local food. There is a small and local shop called warung. Sometimes you will also see ‘rumah makan’ which means eating home. In both, you’ll be served traditional Indonesian or Balinese foods in simple surroundings. The food is cheap, delicious, and worth trying. If you’re new, street food is also a good and comfortable place.
Learn the local language
Learn the local language. Of course, you will be fine in English in the tourist areas but even there you will find Balinese who cannot speak English well. Take time to learn Indonesian, even just knowing the basic words will help you to be understood and understand Balinese when they speak to you. Even if they laugh at your pronunciation, you have to know that they love the fact that you’re trying.
Live in the moment
You need to be patient and slow down when living in Bali. You will soon learn this after living in Bali for a short time. Waiting for a meal in a restaurant can take up to 30 minutes. If you need maintenance done, 10 a.m can turn into 3 p.m. Learn to relax and live in the moment.
Easy to live healthily
Fruits and vegetables are super affordable in Bali. You can learn to love tempeh (fermented soy) and can be used to replace meat in a lot of meals! Plus, Bali is super famous for its vegan restaurants. Especially in Ubud, you can find cheap eats and tons of restaurants catering to vegans and vegetarians. Itโs definitely one of the easiest countries for that lifestyle.
But even if youโre not vegan, Bali itself just encourages a healthier lifestyle. Since thereโs so much to do, youโll naturally become more active. There are tons of yoga studios, gyms, beaches to run on, etc.!
So much places are untouched in Bali
There’s so much to do in Bali! You could spend every weekend searching for waterfalls, beach hopping completely isolated areas, bartering for cheap goods at the local markets, climbing volcanoes, free diving for shipwrecks, swimming with dolphins, etc.
The wifi is weak
This doesnโt matter as much if you are just on vacation, but if you plan to live in Bali, you need to keep this in mind.
Most people who move to Bali are digital nomads or people who already have jobs online and can work anywhere. Since I work from home, I need to have nearly perfect wifi so that I don’t behind my blogging and translation projects. However, some places in Bali just donโt have the capability to get fast wifi speeds.
If you get around to working, there are some great co-working spaces around Kuta, Seminyak, or Legian. For those whose online business, work as a phone interpreter, or freelance work pays in dollars or Euros, small income streams make a big difference in Bali.
For your own internet, 3G and often 4G SIM connections are cheap with pretty good coverage. Cards with 4GB of data loaded cost less than $10. You can generally expect 1 Mbps to 15 Mbps download speed. Not terrific, but better than it was just a few years ago. Faster home connections are more common, but far from universal and take a long time to install.
So if you plan to live and work in Bali, make sure to test the wifi speeds or have the owner send you them before agreeing to anything.
Lots of stray dogs
If you love dogs as I do, this might be something difficult for you to see since it doesnโt really happen in the USA. There are no dog-catchers in Bali, only a few good people (who received donations from Balinese people, not the government) who volunteer to take these stray dogs and put them in shelters or others who feed them on the street.
Itโs also painful to think about what happens to dogs that are caught and put down when nobody wants to adopt them. However, I find it even sadder to see dogs starving on the streets, getting hit by motorbikes, losing their hair, and diseased. Itโs heartbreaking, and there are so many of them in Bali.
Living in Bali is different from holidaying in Bali. Just because you’ve visited Bali 10 times, it doesn’t mean you know the ins and outs. No matter how many people you speak to, your own experience will always differ. Living in Bali is a wonderful experience that can be even better if you’re prepared. But, sometimes not knowing what to expect to make things easier because you adapt as you live. So, if you have visited Bali, do you consider living or maybe staying here for 6 months?
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This is such an interesting post! Iโve never thought of travelling to Bali but I know my best friend is desperate so Iโll be sharing this post with her. Thank you so much for sharing Xo
elle – ellegracedeveson.com
Thank you for this! I’ve never travelled this far before, but Bali looks gorgeous. This is very helpful x
I would love to experience living in Bali for a bit — there is so much to learn from/about and experience. Thanks for sharing this!
Bali has always looked amazing to me! Hopefully one day I can visit! The stray dogs break my heart though, it was a similar situation in Thailand unfortunately ๐ I have so much respect for the people that take them in and take care of them.
I have never been to Bali before but this would help me a lot. I will keep it in mind
I need to save this for later! ๐ I want to go to Bali so much – when it’s possible I am off and this list is super helpful with tips and advice. Thank you for putting this together!
Interesting post! I’ve never been to Bali (although I’d love too) so these things are great to know.
Bali sounds like a wonderful place to live and explore.