We initially flew to Indonesia from Singapore to spend a few days with Megan’s mom in Bali. On the recommendation of a friend, we chose to stay in Amed, a relatively quiet beach town on the northern coast of the island. These days are not included in this budget, as most of our costs were covered (thanks, Mom!). After Amed, we headed to Ubud for a few days (psst … we preferred Amed) before flying to the island of Flores to tour Komodo National Park and then flying to Yogyakarta on the island of Java. We had also planned to do some hiking on the volcanoes in Java, but a big rainstorm was coming in so we decided to say goodbye to Indonesia and head to Malaysia for our next adventure.
Indonesia is an archipelago that contains literally thousands of islands, though not all are inhabited and/or named. Some of the most-touristed islands you may have heard of include Bali, Java, Sumatra and the Gili Islands (among others). Of course, depending on how many islands you want to visit and how you get there (usually plane or ferry), your budget can vary greatly. Here’s a breakdown of every cent we spent in Indonesia (excluding Amed):
Indonesia: $1,614.86
Transportation: $459.80
As mentioned above, your spending will vary widely in Indonesia depending on how many islands you choose to visit, and how you to choose to get there (ferry vs. plane). We flew between Bali, Flores and Java, so you can easily cut costs here by visiting fewer islands and/or choosing slower forms of transportation. We considered doing a multi-day ferry to Flores and visiting Komodo National Park along the way, but due to a history of seasickness, we weren’t sure we could handle multiple nights on a boat. Instead, we flew to Flores and did a one-night liveaboard boat in Komodo National Park (cost included in entertainment below). This transportation total includes our plane tickets ($60-$130 per person, per flight) and taxis around the islands when needed. We typically only took taxis to move from one city to another or to visit the temples outside Yogyakarta; otherwise, we were able to walk everywhere we wanted within the towns we visited. Average: $45.39/day.
Lodging: $396.17
We stayed at a nice bed and breakfast with a pool (and a bathtub!) in Ubud for $44/night, then the Komodo Lodge hotel in Labuan Bajo as a base to explore Komodo National Park ($39/night), and finally a pretty schmanzy hotel (for our RTW standards) in Yogyagarta ($34/night) to finish off the trip. It’s difficult to parse the specific lodging cost from our liveaboard boat tour, so this average is only calculated over 10 nights instead of 11. Average: $39.62/night.
Eating out: $197
In Ubud, we took advantage of the very touristy restaurant scene to enjoy some favorite cuisines from home, including tacos and burgers, which pushed up our average food costs quite a bit. Otherwise, we mostly stuck to local food (it’s delicious and inexpensive!), and we especially enjoyed the street food offerings in Yogyakarta. (We watched its Street Food Asia episode on Netflix to prepare.) As you can see here, even with visiting touristy restaurants, food was very affordable in Indonesia. Average: $17.91/day.
Treats: $42.97
We like treats, so this category includes any coffee, dessert or alcohol that was not purchased as part of a meal (or a grocery run). Average: $3.91/day.
Groceries & personal items: $70.79
We bought some snacks and drinks to enjoy in our room, replaced some necessities like sunscreen, and had all our laundry done at our hotel in Yogyakarta. (And when I say all – we literally only had the clothes we were wearing, and then we got caught in a huge rainstorm and our only available clothes were soaked until we got our laundry back. Ha!) Average: $6.44/day.
Entertainment (tours, etc.): $371.60
We did more paid experiences in Indonesia than is typical for our travel style. In addition to our liveaboard boat tour in Komodo National Park ($219.57 total with park fees), we visited the Borobudur and Prambanan temple complexes outside Yoygakarta, which cost about $100 total (worth every penny). We also booked a Balinese cooking class and market tour in Ubud (~$25/person) through Airbnb Experiences, which was fun and delicious. Average: $33.78/day.
Gifts & souvenirs: $11.19
In addition to our typical postcards and stamps, Jonathan bought a sarong and hair clip (both of which proved highly useful during our next few months traveling Southeast Asia). Average: $1.02/day.
Travel insurance: $65.34
We had travel insurance through World Nomads for $5.94/day. Travel insurance costs will vary depending on chosen plan, length of travel, location, etc.
Total: $146.81/day = $73/person* per day
Note: Honestly, I’m shocked to see this daily total! Southeast Asia is a notoriously inexpensive place to travel, yet this ended up being on the more expensive end of our countries so far. I think this is due to two main factors: 1) As mentioned above, the plane tickets and expensive paid attractions were out of the norm for us, so that pushed up the total. But also 2) In more expensive countries, I felt like we were much more conscious of our budget and acted accordingly. But in less expensive countries, it’s easier to choose taxis over a bus, restaurants over street food, hotel laundry over a laundromat, etc., because we knew we would still be under budget overall (as we were in Indonesia). I wonder if this trend will continue with the rest of our Southeast Asia budgets as I catch up on these posts … to be determined!
Feature image: Sunrise views at the Camphour Ridge Walk in Ubud (December 2019)
*Did you know we have a page on the blog completely dedicated to Money & Budgeting? We also list our country-specific costs on this page, but those numbers might differ a bit from the numbers shown here. The numbers in our detailed budgeting posts (like this one) are a true reflection of what we personally spent on our trip. The numbers on the Money & Budgeting page are meant to reflect what a typical tourist traveling at our comfort level can expect to spend.
Of course, you can always spend far less (or far more) than the numbers listed here or on our Money & Budgeting page. These figures are provided as a loose guide to help you plan travels within your budget range.
I think this is among the most significant info for me.