Three months in, I've got my budget dialed. Here's the real breakdown of what it costs to live well in Bali:
Housing: My share of our beautiful 3-bedroom villa with a pool in Canggu — $500/month. This is genuinely stunning. If I were renting solo, a great villa would run $600-800.
Food: $200/month eating like royalty. Local warungs are $1-3 per meal. A night out at a nice restaurant with drinks is $15-25 total. I eat out for almost every meal.
Transport: $50/month. Uber is everywhere and dirt cheap. A motorbike rental is $80/month if you prefer that (I don't, I value my life).
Co-working (Dojo): $100/month. Fast internet, great community, air conditioning, pool.
Entertainment, massages, activities: $200/month — and that's being generous. Massages are $7/hour. Beers are $2. Entry to most things is free or nearly free.
Miscellaneous: $200/month for flights, surprises, gifts, tourist activities.
Total: $1,250-1,500/month for a genuinely spectacular life. That's less than I paid monthly for parking in DTLA.