What belongs in your monthly Bali budget?
Your Bali budget needs to cover housing, healthcare and everyday spending before you compare it with your pension and super. For a couple considering Sanur in 2026, this means separating regular bills from upfront costs and checking what Australian income will continue overseas.
Use A$1 = IDR12,500 as the planning exchange rate. Your actual Australian dollar spending will change with the exchange rate and transfer charges.
The worksheet below identifies the quotes you need. Verified 2026 rent, household and visa prices were not available for this article, so those amounts remain open rather than becoming unsupported estimates.
| Monthly expense | What to price |
|---|---|
| Long-term rent | Written quotes for comparable Sanur homes |
| Groceries | Separate local and imported shopping baskets |
| Household help | Agreed hours, tasks and frequency |
| Health insurance | Individual quotes for both partners |
| Electricity and internet | Recent bills and connection charges |
| Transport | Your expected weekly journeys |
| Visa costs | Applicable fees spread across their validity |
Our Bali versus Australia cost comparison can help you organise the same categories at home.
How do modest and comfortable budgets differ?
A modest budget might mean a smaller rental, mostly local groceries, occasional household help and limited paid transport. A comfortable budget could allow for more space, regular cleaning, imported groceries and more meals out.
Neither description supplies a reliable monthly total by itself. In Sanur, the exact home, air-conditioning use and shopping habits can change the result.
Build a monthly AUD range for each lifestyle:
- Price a normal week's groceries, including imported favourites.
- Add household help, utilities and transport using local quotes or recent bills.
- Add health cover and confirmed visa costs.
- Keep upfront expenses and an emergency reserve separate.
If you are considering Sanur Breeze Villas V, request its current lease and ongoing cost details separately. A long-term property lease is not the same expense as monthly rent.
For everyday context, read what a week in Sanur feels like.
How much should you allow for healthcare?
International health cover is one category where a supported planning range is available: approximately A$300 to A$900 per person per month. For two people, that becomes roughly A$600 to A$1,800 monthly, with premiums climbing steeply with age.
That is a planning allowance, not a quote or a ceiling. Your ages, medical history, excess and cover choices will affect the actual premium.
Before setting either lifestyle budget, ask insurers about:
- Pre-existing conditions and exclusions.
- Outpatient appointments and prescriptions.
- Emergency evacuation and treatment outside Indonesia.
- Renewal conditions and age-related premium increases.
Medicare does not cover treatment in Bali, and Indonesia has no Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia. Allow separately for expenses your policy excludes rather than assuming every appointment will be reimbursed.
Our Medicare guide for Australians retiring overseas explains how moving overseas affects your Australian cover. Obtain individual insurance quotes before committing to a home.
How does the Australian Age Pension fit?
Do not assume your current Centrelink deposit will continue unchanged. Ask Services Australia for an assessment of your circumstances before treating the Age Pension as dependable overseas income.
Under its overseas payment rules, after 26 weeks outside Australia, your rate generally depends on your Australian working life residence. This means residence between age 16 and Age Pension age, not years of employment.
Generally, 35 years of Australian working life residence supports the full residence-based proportion of your assessed pension. Fewer years can mean a proportional rate, although exceptions may apply. This does not mean everyone receives the maximum pension: income and assets still affect entitlement.
For long-term overseas recipients, payments are generally made every four weeks, not once each calendar month. Once Services Australia confirms your amount, multiply the four-week payment by 13 and divide by 12 for a monthly budgeting equivalent.
Check each partner's eligibility separately, especially if one has not reached Age Pension age.
What should you do before committing?
Compare your confirmed pension and planned super withdrawals with both lifestyle ranges. Test whether you could still meet essential bills if the exchange rate weakened or insurance increased.
Figures are estimates correct at the time of writing, not guaranteed prices. Unquoted expenses need current written confirmation; this article is not financial advice, and Yaran does not provide financial, tax or immigration advice.
For help identifying suitable Sanur housing and the costs to ask about, book a call with Geri. Bring your worksheet so the conversation starts with what you can comfortably afford.