We spent an incredible month exploring Indonesia. Our journey began in Bali, where we ventured off the beaten path to discover hidden gems in Munduk, Penebel, and Karangasem. Java was up next, and this island stole our hearts with its unforgettable experiences at Mount Bromo and Ijen. Especially witnessing the mesmerizing blue fire at Ijen is a moment we’ll never forget! We then ended our trip on the relaxed islands of Lombok and Gili Air, where we absolutely fell in love with the laid-back charm. In this post, we share our detailed budget breakdown for 1 month in Indonesia, along with some practical tips on how to make the most of your trip without breaking the bank.
Table of contents
- Flights
- Accommodation
- Transportation
- Food
- Drinks
- Sightseeing
- Other
- Total of our 1 month in Indonesia
- Tips and tricks for saving money in Indonesia
How much did our trip to Indonesia in June 2024 cost? Here’s our budget breakdown for 1 month in Indonesia:
Flights
We booked our flight tickets with AirAsia about 2 months in advance. Our direct flight from Singapore to Bali took just under 3 hours and cost us € 217,92 for both of us, including checked baggage, seat selection, and even a meal. It was one of the most affordable flights we’ve taken so far! To find the cheapest flight tickets, we highly recommend Skyscanner.
Total for 2 people: € 217,92
Accommodation
We spent 28 nights in Indonesia: 10 in Bali, 8 in Java, 6 in Lombok, and 4 in Gili Air. Since one night in Java was part of a tour, we only paid for 27 nights of accommodation. The total cost of accommodation was € 640,87, averaging € 23,74 per night for both of us. This was quite affordable to say the least! We didn’t stay in hostels (not even for one night) and always had our own room and bathroom. Our favorite places were Camani Glamping in Karangasem, Buruan Sari Villas in Penebel, and Nucifera Kuta Lombok. The most budget-friendly spot was Ila Homestay in Senaru on Lombok, at just € 10 per night for both of us!
Total for 2 people for 27 nights: € 640,87
Transportation
During our month in Indonesia, we found that our transportation costs were much, much higher than anticipated. We spent a total of € 700,17 on transportation, which averages out to € 24,40 per day for both of us. The main expenses were two domestic flights: one from Bali to Java for € 108 and another from Java to Lombok for € 116. We also took some ferries, including € 16 from Lombok to Gili Air and € 82 from Gili Air back to Bali. All prices are for two people.
Renting scooters six times (and refueling) added another € 55 to our costs. However, the most surprising expense was on taxis. We spent € 275 on taxis alone! We relied heavily on Grab in Bali because of its lack of public transportation options. When Grab wasn’t available, like when we visited the less visited north of Bali, we had to arrange rides through our accommodations. Three of our taxi rides alone cost € 30 each, which we found quite expensive. We also took a train from Yogyakarta to Malang for € 47. Overall, we can say that our transportation expenses ended up being much higher than we expected!
Total for 2 people: € 700,17
Food
During our month in Indonesia, we mostly ate at local warungs, which helped keep our food costs manageable. However, we did treat ourselves a bit along the way, too. In Malang on Java for instance, we found an amazing restaurant called OURA where we ate three times, spending € 64 in total. On Gili Air, we enjoyed a lovely lunch at Kopi Susu for € 28 and another at Barefoot Blondie for € 30. Altogether, we spent € 621,11 on food, averaging € 21,42 per day for both of us. Again, more than we expected!
Total for 2 people: € 621,11
Drinks
During our month in Indonesia, we only had drinks on two (well, three) occasions. The first was when we met a lovely Belgian couple in Java, who are also traveling long-term. We ended up meeting twice and spent € 79,41 on cocktails, beer, and wine over those two nights. The other time was during a beautiful sunset on Gili Air, where we each ordered a cocktail during happy hour, costing us €8,50. In total, we spent € 87,91 on drinks during our time in Indonesia.
Total for 2 people: € 87,91
Sightseeing
Our biggest sightseeing expense in Indonesia was the Bromo Sunrise & Ijen Blue Fire tour, which included an overnight stay and cost us € 250,52. Thanks to a collaboration with GetYourGuide, we saved € 300, making this experience much more affordable than usual. We have to say, though, it was the highlight of our trip! We can’t recommend going on this tour enough, we’d do it again in a heartbeat (even if we have to pay “full price” this time).
Are you also excited to go on a Mount Bromo & Ijen tour? See if there’s availability for your dates.
Another significant cost was the € 60 we spent on tickets to Borobudur. We also had smaller expenses for entrance fees to waterfalls and temples and renting snorkeling gear on Gili Air. We spent € 368,51 on sightseeing, which we think is pretty reasonable considering all the amazing things we did during our month in Indonesia!
See if there’s availability to visit Borobudur on your dates.
Total for 2 people: € 368,51
Other
In this category, we cover various expenses like visas, laundry, groceries, tips, and haircuts. The most expensive was our visas, costing € 60 for both of us for a Visa on Arrival. Kelvin also got sick in Indonesia, so we spent € 57 at a pharmacy on Gili Air. We bought an e-sim for around € 15 and had to reload it after 2 weeks for another € 15, which makes € 30 for our “connectivity needs”. Laundry cost us € 24 for four loads, which was really necessary especially after the Ijen tour. Our clothes and shoes needed (a lot of) extra cleaning due to the sulfur smell. Kelvin’s haircut was € 6, and we spent € 17 on tips. Lastly, we spent around € 90 on groceries.
Total for 2 people: € 287,23
Total of our 1 month in Indonesia
Here is our budget breakdown for 1 month in Indonesia in June 2024:
Total per category for the two of us
✈️ Flights: € 217,92
🛏️ Accommodation: € 640,87 (€ 23,74 per night)
🛵 Transportation: € 700,17 (€ 24,14 per day)
🍛 Food: € 621,11 (€ 21,41 per day)
🍸 Drinks: € 87,91 (€ 3,03 per day)
🛕 Sightseeing: € 386,51 (€ 13,33 per day)
🛒 Other: € 287,23 (€ 9,90 per day)
💰 Total excluding flights: € 2723,80 | € 93,92 per day for 2 | € 46,96 per day per person
💰 Total including flights: € 2941,72
Excluding our flight costs, we spent an average of € 93,92 per day for both of us, or € 46,96 each. While Indonesia is definitely an affordable destination, we ended up spending more than we expected. The main culprit was transportation, we feel like we could have saved a lot there!
For budget travelers, a daily budget of € 20 to € 30 per person is reasonable, especially if you stay in homestays and only eat at warungs. Doing Mount Bromo and Ijen on your own rather than with a (private) tour can also save you a lot of money! Also, try to avoid domestic flights, as they can get pricey. In the next section, we’ve listed some useful alternatives to help you keep costs down!
Despite the higher-than-expected costs, we had an amazing time exploring Indonesia and absolutely fell in love with this beautiful country. It’s so diverse – one moment we were hiking an active volcano, and the next we were soaking in the island vibes. Witnessing the Blue Fire was unforgettable and will be a core memory for the rest of our lives!
Tips and tricks for saving money in Indonesia
We ended up spending € 47 per person per day in Indonesia, which is a bit more than we planned. However, along the way, we discovered some practical tips for enjoying Indonesia on a budget.
1. Accommodation
The thing that surprised us the most was how affordable accommodation was in Indonesia! You can easily find a private room in a homestay for between € 10 and € 20 for two people, on top of that it often includes breakfast. What a deal! While you shouldn’t expect anything fancy, our rooms were always basic but clean. Staying in homestays also gives you a great chance to interact with local hosts!
2. Food
To save money on food in Indonesia, eating at warungs is your best bet! These small family-owned restaurants serve up delicious local dishes at very reasonable prices. You can often enjoy a meal for just € 5 for two people. Some of our favorite warungs were Chili Restaurant on Gili Air, Warung Genitri in Munduk, and Warung Mexicana, also on Gili Air. If you’re new to Indonesian cuisine, try nasi campur – a mix of small dishes that offers a great introduction to local flavors. Don’t miss out on nasi goreng (fried rice), mie goreng (fried noodles), and chicken satay (chicken skewers). For vegetarians, dishes with tempeh are a must-try! We never had tempeh before but now we can’t stop dreaming about it.
3. Transportation
Our biggest surprise was how much we spent on transportation – over € 700 for the two of us. It got us thinking about what we could do differently next time. First up: domestic flights. Sure, around € 200 for two flights doesn’t seem bad, but when you compare it to a € 14 bus ride from Denpasar to Surabaya or a ferry from Bali to Java for less than € 2, it’s clear we could’ve saved a lot.
Then there were the taxis. Since we explored less touristy areas in northern and eastern Bali where Grab wasn’t available, we often had to rely on local taxis. We discovered (way too late) that you can haggle prices down by messaging multiple drivers and letting them compete for your fare. We always got the price down to at least half of the initial price, if not more. This is by far the greatest tip we can give you when Grab or taxis aren’t readily available: get to know the market!
More helpful budget breakdowns
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- 1 week in Singapore: Budget Breakdown
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