Which place is cheaper, Bali or Varanasi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Varanasi or Bali?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Varanasi and Bali can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Varanasi or Bali?
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in India, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVaranasi $30Bali $73
The average daily cost (per person) in Varanasi is $30, while the average daily cost in Bali is $73. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Varanasi and Bali in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVaranasi $16Bali $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVaranasi $32Bali $84
Compare Hotels in Varanasi and Bali
Looking for a hotel in Varanasi or Bali? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Varanasi Hotel Prices and Bali Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Varanasi $4.94Bali $9.03
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
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Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.96
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Rickshaw Ride$0.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer: Varanasi Station to Hotel: $12
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $12
- Private Transfer Varanasi Airport (VNS) To Varanasi Hotels Drop: $12
- Varanasi Airport Transfer: $14
- Varanasi Airport to hotel private transfer: $18
- Varanasi Airport: Transfer to/from Varanasi Hotels & Airport: $18
- Private Varanasi Heritage Walk with Hotel Transfer: $28
- Varanasi Airport Transfer: $30
- Delhi Private Arrival Transfer From New Delhi Airport To Hotel In Delhi: $34
- Private Departure Transfer to Airport from Hotel in Delhi By Car: $34
- From Varanasi Airport Transfer: $36
- Private transfer from Varanasi to Allahabad: $67
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bali
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Bali:
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Motorbike Rental$3.10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bali
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bali:
- West Beach Nusa Penida Tour with Speedboat Transfer from Sanur: $99
- Unforgettable Batur Volcano Hiking With Private Transfer: $85
- Ubud: Sky Bike and Jungle Swing Experience with Transfer: $63
- Traditional Balinese Massage with Hotel Transfer: $50
- Sanur Bali to/from Lembongan: Speedboat Transfer: $15
- Private transfer: Nusa Dua to Bali Airport (DPS): $15
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Airport Jimbaran and Uluwatu: $16
- Private Arrival Transfer: Denpasar International Airport to Nusa Dua Area: $15
- Private Arrival Transfer: Bali Airport to Jimbaran and Uluwatu Hotel: $16
- Parasailing Adventure In Bali Including Return Transfer: $46
- Nusa Dua Departure transfer to Bali Airport International (DPS): $13
- Ngurah Rai Bali Airport Private Transfer: $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Varanasi or Bali?
Prices for flights to both Bali and Varanasi 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayVaranasi $7.14Bali $21
Typical Food Prices in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner In Town$4.13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Tests of Best Varanasi Local Food Tour With Tourist Guide: $18
- Taste of Varanasi (2 Hour Guided Street Food Tour): $22
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $40
- From Street food tour with Evening Ganga Aarti: $42
- Private Evening Rooftop Dinner: $44
- 3-hour Shopping and Street Food Tour on a tuk-tuk ride: $46
- Evening Dinner with Private Transfer: $50
- Afternoon tour of Varanasi with Boat ride over Ganges & Dinner on a tuk-tuk : $59
- Night Boat Ride, Aarati Ceremony and Dinner: $62
- Private Evening Street Food Tour: $63
- India: Evening Ganga Aarti With Dinner and Private Transfer: $65
- Private Evening Handicraft Market Tour with Dinner: $71
Typical Food Prices in Bali
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:
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Coffee$1.24
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Lunch for Two$14
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Bali Cafe for Two$27
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Lunch for Two$8.07
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Lunch for 2$8.93
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Dinner for 2$9.80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bali
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bali.
- The Balinesia Lu'au - 'A Kampung Bali Experience & Dinner Show': $28
- Best Romantic Seafood Dinner at Jimbaran Beach Sunset : $29
- Romantic Seafood Dinner under sunset in the Beach: $30
- Uluwatu Temple Kecak And Dinner Half Day Private Guided Tour: $30
- Private Tour Uluwatu Sunset Kecak Dance and Dinner at Jimbaran: $31
- Bali Sunset and Dinner: Uluwatu, Tanah Lot and Jimbaran: $32
- Pirate Dinner Cruise with Shows, Games, and Music: $33
- From Ubud: Authentic Cooking Class in a Local Village: $35
- From Ubud: Balinese Cooking Class at an Organic Farm: $35
- Romantic Seafood Dinner at Jimbaran: $38
- Spice Garden, Jamu & Cooking Class in Bali Village: $45
- Seminyak: Balinese Cooking Class & Market Tour: $45
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Varanasi $10Bali $11
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Boat Ride$0.84
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Varanasi Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.56
- Sarnath Audio Tour on HopOn India App – Land of Buddha's First Sermon, Varanasi: $7.66
- Spiritual and Heritage Walking Tour in Varanasi: $8.61
- Varanasi:- Morning Varanasi Short Tour with Boat Ride: $11
- Varanasi's Spiritual & heritage walking tour: $11
- Spiritual Tour in Varanasi with a local- Experience true essence of spirituality: $12
- Temple Walk Tour Varanasi: $12
- Varanasi Walking Tour : $12
- Cycle of Life, Death & Rebirth (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Vibrant Markets of Varanasi (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Heritage Kashi Photography Tour (2 Hours guided walk): $13
- Varanasi Heritage Trails (2 Hour Guided Walking Tour): $13
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$54
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Snorkelling Trip$12
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Cooking School$28
Tours and Activities in Bali
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:
- ATV Rafting Jungle Swing Private Guided Tour : $63
- Bali Telaga Waja White Water Rafting Adventure : $47
- Lembongan Snorkeling and Island Tour: $80
- Nusa Penida Snorkeling Adventure (Private & All-Inclusive): $129
- Private Tour Bali Bird Park And Ubud Tour: $110
- Private Tours Tegenungan Waterfall Ubud Palace & Market: $80
- Sightseeing to Ulundanu temple, banyumala waterfall & Tanah lot: $57
- White Water Rafting Adventure at Telaga Waja River : $43
- (BCR Rafting) Rafting Adventure in Telaga Waja River 18km: $55
- 2 Day Tours Ubud Art Village, Dance And Other Tourist Attractions: $186
- 2 Days Private Tours : Watersport And Uluwatu Temple: $124
- 2-Hour Private Luxury Spa Experience Bali Aromatherapy Massage: $50
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVaranasi $7.85Bali $3.20
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Varanasi and Bali, we can see that Bali is more expensive. And not only is Varanasi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Varanasi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Varanasi 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 Varanasi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Varanasi Expensive? and Is Bali Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Varanasi or Bali?
Varanasi has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Bali. When comparing the sizes of Varanasi and Bali, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.