How much food and transport cost in Bali: real prices

Bali is one of those destinations where you can spend very little or a lot depending on the area and the places you choose. This is what eating and getting around cost me.

Eating: from a warung to a pretty restaurant

• Warung (local restaurant): from about €3 and up to €10 if it's a more touristy spot. I ate at loads of them and they were fantastic.
• Regular or pretty "aesthetic" restaurant: it depends hugely on the area. At a mid-range restaurant you can spend €20-30, depending on what you order. More local restaurants are quite a bit cheaper.

Prices change a lot by area

• Canggu: it's packed with expats and tourists, and there's a huge business in pretty, aesthetic restaurants, which is part of its charm. But this is where prices start to climb.
• Uluwatu: close to Canggu's prices.
• Ubud: prices drop a bit.
• Gili: also cheaper, similar to Ubud.

What I spent per day on food

Next to nothing, honestly, because I ate at lots of local warungs. On average, in total, between €20 and €30 a day. The exception was the days we went to beach clubs like La Brisa, where there's a minimum spend to get a table, and the cost shot up.

How I got around and what it cost

• Grab, always. A 15-20 minute ride cost under €2.
• Private driver: for a particular activity and the odd day.
• Between islands, ferry: roughly €15 per trip, though I don't remember exactly. For reference, in our fast-boat guide the per-person prices are around IDR 150,000-350,000 from Bali to Nusa Penida, IDR 400,000-700,000 from Nusa Penida to Gili Trawangan and from about IDR 425,000 from Gili to Bali. Compare on 12Go before booking, because prices change by operator and date.

What felt expensive or like a trap

• Some temples are very touristy, a bit too much.
• Beach clubs: very expensive if you want a table, because of the minimum spend.

The cheapest and best of Bali are the warungs and getting around by Grab. For the full trip budget, see how much a trip to Bali costs: real budget, and for the boats between islands, fast boats from Bali to Nusa Penida and Gili. The whole trip, day by day, in the 14-day Bali itinerary.