Should you visit Bali or Koh Tao?
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 Koh Tao 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.
Koh Tao
With a name that literally means, "Turtle Island," Koh Tao, Thailand is the type of vacation spot divers dream of. There is the faintest current and a buffet of dive sites and shops.
This tiny island hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, but take not that there are no garbage disposal facilities. Everything that can't be burnt needs to be taken from the island. Avoid plastic bags, and don't dump your trash in the open landscape (then again, why would you?) because there are no departments for road clean up. Water and electricity on the island are scarce, so use them wisely.
Keep in mind that monsoon season from November to January so you may be faced with constant rain for days at a time in those months.
Which city is cheaper, Koh Tao or Bali?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Bali is $65, while the average daily cost in Koh Tao is $32. 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 Koh Tao 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.
The prices for places to stay in Koh Tao can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is $12, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around $24.
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 Koh Tao travelers spend around $8.13 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
Koh Tao $8.13
Typical Food prices in Bali
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:
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Coffee
$1.41
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Lunch for Two
$15
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Bali Cafe for Two
$31
-
Lunch for Two
$9.16
-
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
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Withlocals your Way: 100% Personalised Bali Private Food Tour:
$39
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Bali Cooking Class:
$39
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Ubud: Romantic Barbecue Dinner by the Pool:
$57
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Private Full or Half-Day Authentic Food Tour:
$58
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Romantic Dinner by Oceana Restaurant & Bar:
$74
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Ubud: Romantic Dinner among the Rice Fields:
$110
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Ubud: Romantic Dinner on a Forest Tree Deck:
$216
Typical Food prices in Koh Tao
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Koh Tao:
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Sit Down Lunch (for One)
$5.98
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Breakfast
$4.49
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Casual Breakfast (for Two)
$3.59
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Fancy Dinner (for Two)
$15
-
Pancake
$2.09
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American Breakfast (for Two)
$8.38
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Dinner at Bam Bam (for Two)
$8.08
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Bali is $8.21 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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Koh Tao than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $7.61 on transportation in Koh Tao on average per day.
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:
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Private Transfer from Bali to Sitia (JSH) Airport:
$394
-
Crete Private Transfer from Bali city to Heraklion (HER) Airport:
$108
-
Bali Departure Private Transfers from Bali Central to Bali Airport DPS:
$83
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Bali Airport: Luxury Private Transfer by Alphard Vellfire:
$65
-
Ubud: Jungle Trampoline, Swing & Luwak Coffee with Transfer:
$57
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Airport transfer and tour service:
$56
-
Departure Private Transfer Nusa Dua or Seminyak to Bali Airport DPS by Minivan:
$52
-
Airport Transfer Service from Area Ubud / Tanah Lot / Pecatu (13 Seater):
$52
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Airport Transfer Service from Area Ubud / Tanah Lot / Pecatu (8 seater):
$41
-
Return Private Transfer for Night Safari:
$41
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Airport Transfer Service from Area Ubud / Tanah Lot / Pecatu:
$23
-
Private One-Way Transfer Between Legian & DPS Airport:
$17
Typical Local Transportation prices in Koh Tao
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Koh Tao:
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Motorbike Rental
$5.69
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Chumpon to Koh Tao Ferry
$19
Is it cheaper to fly into Bali or Koh Tao?
Prices for flights to both Koh Tao 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 $9.84 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.
Sightseeing expenses in Koh Tao, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $23 per day, per person.
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
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Cooking School
$32
Tours and Activities in Bali
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:
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2 Days Rinjani Trekking Tour:
$250
-
Amazing Nusa Penida Snorkeling Experience:
$63
-
Ancient Tour to Yeh Pulu and Goa Gajah:
$45
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Ayung River: All Inclusive Rafting Adventure:
$26
-
Bali - Kintamani Tour:
$65
-
Bali - Ubud Tour:
$60
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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
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Bali Countryside Bike Tour Package:
$101
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Bali Full-Day Private Customized Tour:
$50
Typical Entertainment prices in Koh Tao
For Koh Tao, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Kayak Rental (One Hour)
$7.48
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Snorkel Rental
$2.99
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Kayak and Snorkel (2)
$2.99
Alcohol
The average person spends about $2.90 on alcoholic beverages in Bali per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Koh Tao, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $6.27.
Typical Alcohol prices in Koh Tao
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Koh Tao from other travelers:
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Beer
$1.94
-
Bottle of Wine
$11
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bali and Koh Tao, we can see that Bali is more expensive. And not only is Koh Tao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Koh Tao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao.
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