Should you visit Bali or Bandung?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Bali and Bandung can help you decide which place is right for you.
Bali
Known as the "Island of the Gods," it's not difficult to see why the Gods would want to set up shop in Bali. With a beautifully diverse landscape of hills, mountains, coastlines, beaches, vibrant rice fields and volcanic hillsides, you'll easily go into sensory overload.
Bali is home to 4 million people who all hold true to a deeply spiritual and unique culture. With champion surfing, world class resorts and challenging hiking trails, this Indonesian island accommodates travelers from every walk of life. It's often called, "paradise on earth, " and no one disagrees.
Bandung
Bandung is the capital city of West Java, and the third largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta and Surabaya. Nicknamed Parijs van Java (Paris of Java) by the Dutch for its resemblance to Paris and European atmosphere back in colonial times, Bandung also earned another nickname as Kota Kembang, literally meaning the Flower City since Bandung used to have a lot of flowers. Nowadays, Bandung has become a very popular weekend escape for Jakartans, who crowd the city on weekends and national holidays. It's known for colonial and art deco architecture, a lively, university-town feel and relatively cool tropical weather. Bandung is also a shopping destination, with fashion outlets clustered along Jalan Setiabudi and Jalan Riau in the Dago district. The city also make a good base for day trips to the surrounding countryside - high volcanic peaks, hot springs, and tea plantations are all within reach.
Which city is cheaper, Bandung or Bali?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Bali is $64, while the average daily cost in Bandung is $36. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Bali and Bandung in more detail.
Accommodation
Bali's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $74. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $37.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $38 in Bandung For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Bali food costs typically run travelers around $18 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
In Bandung travelers spend around $13 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Bali $18
Bandung $13
Typical Food prices in Bali
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:
-
Coffee
$1.40
-
Lunch for Two
$15
-
Bali Cafe for Two
$30
-
Lunch for Two
$9.08
-
Lunch for 2
$10
-
Dinner for 2
$11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bali
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bali.
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Eat while chef is cooking in front of you:
$24
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Sidemen: Firewood Cooking Class & Organic Farm Tour:
$28
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From Ubud: Balinese Cooking Class at an Organic Farm:
$30
-
Withlocals your Way: 100% Personalised Bali Private Food Tour:
$39
-
Bali Cooking Class:
$39
-
Ubud: Romantic Barbecue Dinner by the Pool:
$57
-
Private Full or Half-Day Authentic Food Tour:
$58
-
Romantic Dinner by Oceana Restaurant & Bar:
$74
-
Ubud: Romantic Dinner among the Rice Fields:
$110
-
Ubud: Romantic Dinner on a Forest Tree Deck:
$216
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Bali is $8.13 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
To get around in Bandung, the average visitor spends $5.19 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Bali
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Bali:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bali
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bali:
-
Ubud: Jungle Trampoline, Swing & Luwak Coffee with Transfer:
$57
-
Private Transfer from Bali to Sitia (JSH) Airport:
$394
-
Nusa Dua: Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) Transfer:
$12
-
Ngurah Rai Bali Airport Private Transfer:
$15
-
Departure Private Transfer Nusa Dua or Seminyak to Bali Airport DPS by Minivan:
$52
-
Denpasar : Private Transfer to/from Ngurah Rai Intl. Airport:
$14
-
Crete Private Transfer from Bali city to Heraklion (HER) Airport:
$108
-
Return Private Transfer for Night Safari:
$41
-
Private Transfer between Airport (DPS) and Seminyak:
$12
-
Private One-Way Transfer Between Legian & DPS Airport:
$17
-
Bali Departure Private Transfers from Bali Central to Bali Airport DPS:
$83
-
Bali Airport: Luxury Private Transfer by Alphard Vellfire:
$65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bandung
Also for Bandung, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Bandung Airport to Hotel-Arrival Private Transfer (Daytime):
$20
-
Bandung Hotel to Airport- Departure Private Transfer (Daytime):
$20
-
Private Husein Sastranegara International Airport Transfers (BDO) for Bandung:
$20
-
Bandung Husein Sastranegara International Airport to Hotel (Arrival Transfer):
$22
-
Hotel to Bandung Husein Sastranegara International Airport (Departure Transfer):
$22
-
Private Transfer from Bandung City to Bandung Airport (BDO):
$40
-
Private Transfer from Ciburial to Bandung Airport (BDO):
$40
-
Private Transfer from Mekarsaluyu to Bandung Airport (BDO):
$40
-
Private Transfer from Dusun Mulya Bhakti to Bandung Airport (BDO):
$40
-
Private Transfer from Citeureup City to Bandung Airport (BDO):
$40
-
Transfer Airport Bandung ( Husen Satastranegara ):
$47
-
Private Transfer from Sukaresmi Bandung to Jakarta Airport (CGK):
$124
Is it cheaper to fly into Bali or Bandung?
Prices for flights to both Bandung and Bali change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Bali's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $9.75 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
In Bandung, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $5.11 per person, per day.
Typical Entertainment prices in Bali
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Bali are as follows:
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Spa for Two
$61
-
Snorkelling Trip
$14
-
Cooking School
$31
Tours and Activities in Bali
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:
-
2 Days Rinjani Trekking Tour:
$250
-
Amazing Nusa Penida Snorkeling Experience:
$63
-
Ancient Tour to Yeh Pulu and Goa Gajah:
$45
-
Ayung River: All Inclusive Rafting Adventure:
$26
-
Bali - Kintamani Tour:
$65
-
Bali - Ubud Tour:
$60
-
Bali 5 Days Tour & Activities - All Included:
$306
-
Bali ATV or Quad Bike Tandem Tour Package:
$101
-
Bali Alternative Temples Private Group Tour:
$74
-
Bali Bird Park 1-Day Admission Ticket:
$25
-
Bali Countryside Bike Tour Package:
$101
-
Bali Full-Day Private Customized Tour:
$50
Tours and Activities in Bandung
For Bandung, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Private Rafting Adventure in Pangalengan with Lunch:
$18
-
Bandung Full-Day Private Car Tour:
$39
-
Kawah Putih Private Tour:
$48
-
Private Guided Sightseeing Day Tour of Bandung:
$49
-
Private West Bandung Day Tour: Farmhouse, The Lodge Maribaya, Floating Market:
$52
-
Private Tour to Patuhan Volcanic Crater and Angklung Show:
$53
-
Private Tour dan Open Trip Bandung:
$54
-
Bandung City Tour:
$74
-
Private Kawah Putih Tour from Bandung:
$75
-
Private Bandung Heritage City Tour with VW Safari:
$75
-
Bandung Private Customized Full-Day Tour with English Speaking Driver:
$75
-
Bandung Kawah Putih, Patenggang Lake & Cibaduyut Shopping Tour:
$76
Alcohol
The average person spends about $2.88 on alcoholic beverages in Bali per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Bandung spend on average $3.11 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bali and Bandung, we can see that Bali is more expensive. And not only is Bandung much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bandung would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bandung and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Bali would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bali than you might in Bandung.
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