How much I spent backpacking for one month in Indonesia
Indonesia is a gorgeous country with lots to offer the many backpackers who visit. There are beautiful beaches, active volcanoes, extensive reefs and waterfalls, and much more.
During my backpacking trip to Indonesia, I kept a record of everything I purchased, from big things like attractions and accommodation, to small things like snacks and port fees. I’ve pulled all the numbers together to show you exactly how much it all cost. It was an interesting analysis and I’m excited to share it here.
My itinerary
Before we jump in, I’ll give you an overview of my trip, so you have the context for the costs I’ll later provide.
I visited Indonesia as part of my four month backpacking trip to South-East Asia. I initially travelled to Singapore; after leaving Indonesia, I headed onwards to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
I spent a month in Indonesia, travelling from Surabaya to Flores. My itinerary was:
- Nights 1 to 2: volcano tour of East Java
- Nights 3 to 5: Seminyak, Bali
- Nights 6 to 8: Ubud, Bali
- Nights 9 to 12: Amed, Bali
- Nights 13 to 14: Gili Trawangan
- Nights 15 to 17: Gili Air
- Nights 18 to 20: Senggigi, Lombok
- Nights 21 to 23: boat trip between Lombok and the Komodo Islands
- Nights 24 to 27: Labuan Bajo, Flores
My travel style
The itinerary was mostly beach destinations, as you’d expect from an island nation. There were two overnight trips – an organised tour to visit Mt Bromo and Mt Ijen in Java, and a boat trip to visit the Komodo Islands. I also did the PADI Open Water Diver qualification in Bali. These experiences definitely pushed up how much I spent!
I was backpacking the whole time I was in Indonesia, so I stayed at a mix of hostels and guesthouses, sometimes in dorms and sometimes in private rooms. I scrimped in terms of accommodation and transport, so that I could do more activities and see more things. There were no splurges, but I did everything I wanted to do.
I travelled with my sister, so all the costs I present are for two people. Where I bought things in Indonesian rupiah, I have converted it into GBP for ease. (For reference, £1 = $1.34 = €1.15 right now.)
How much I spent by category: flights
Like many backpackers, I visited Indonesia as part of a longer trip through South-East Asia, so looking at specific flight costs isn’t very fair.
However, to give you an idea, I flew from Singapore to Surabaya at the start of my time in Indonesia. When I left, I hopped on a flight from Bali to Hanoi. I also took an internal flight to get back to Bali from Labuan Bajo, gateway to the Komodo Islands. I booked them all about one month in advance, which is fairly typical for a backpacker.
My exact costs for two people:
- Singapore to Surabaya: £147
- Denpasar to Hanoi: £218
- Labuan Bajo to Denpasar: £115
- Total cost: £480 (£240 per person)
How much I spent by category: accommodation
In Indonesia, I stayed at a range of different hotels and hostels. They were budget stays, but some were pretty nice!
My most expensive stay was in Seminyak, Bali. It’s a typical resort town and I wasn’t so keen on the hostels in the area, so I stayed at a moderately priced hotel with a pool. It was a different vibe with holiday makers, but even then, at £137 for three nights, it didn’t exactly break the bank.
By contrast, our cheapest accommodation was a guesthouse in Ubud, which cost £21 for three nights. There was a difference in quality, naturally, but I liked the contrast in vibes and the feeling of staying in someone’s house which we got in Ubud.
These figures don’t include the five nights I was on overnight tours.
My exact costs for two people:
- Hostel dorms: £203 (9 nights)
- Rooms in guesthouses (11 nights): £188
- Hotel rooms (3 nights): £137
- Total cost: £529 (£265 per person)
How much I spent by category: transport
I travelled through Indonesia by various transport methods, including taxis, motortaxis, ferry and moped rental.
Transport always adds up, especially when moving around a lot, and my month in Indonesia was no exception. In some areas, there wasn’t much public transport, which pushed the price up. But that’s the nature of the beast – in order to see so many different places, you have to spend a little.
My exact costs for two people:
- Taxis: £77
- Ferries: £79
- Motortaxis: £4
- Scooter rental with fuel: £5
- Total cost: £164 (£82 per person)
How much I spent by category: activities
I did so many exciting things whilst travelling through Indonesia. I learned to dive in Amed; snorkelled above coral reefs in the Gili islands; took a cooking class in Lombok; and swam in a cave in Flores.
As part of my trip, I also did two overnight trips – a two night trip visiting volcanoes on East Java, and a boat trip to visit the Komodo Islands. The overnight trips definitely pushed up my costs, but they were worth it, and I’d expect other backpackers to consider these trips, so my costs are fairly reflective of a typical trip.
Unsurprisingly, as a result of the overnight trips and dive course, my costs for activities were massive!
My exact costs for two people:
- Overnight tour to volcanoes on East Java: £479
- Day tour from Ubud: £61
- Diving course in Amed: £461
- Sunset cruise off Gili Air: £19
- Cooking class in Lombok: £38
- Overnight boat trip from Lombok to Labuan Bajo: £269
- Diving trip in the Komodo Islands: £269
- And other entry fees, rental costs and smaller activities!
- Total cost: £1637 (£819 per person)
How much I spent by category: food
Noodles, fried rice and chicken satay were the classics whilst eating my way through Indonesia. I visited lots of warungs – family-style restaurants, normally open to the elements and relaxed in nature. Of course, I also drank my fair share of sunset beers and iced tea…
Again, the total costs for food don’t include my costs during any overnight tour.
My exact costs for two people:
- Main meals: £245
- Snacks: £34
- Drinks: £51
- Total cost: £330 (£165 per person)
How much I spent by category: souvenirs
This isn’t really a necessary category, but here it is: how much I spent on souvenirs.
As the first main stop in my tour through South-East Asia, I didn’t buy much in souvenirs at all. Lou bought a t-shirt from our dive centre in Amed, and we bought salt from Amed and a postcard, but that was it.
- Total cost: £13
How much I spent by category: others
There were also a couple of things that didn’t fit neatly into the other categories. This includes the cost for my visa; various port fees; and SIM cards. I didn’t need much in terms of things to keep me going as I had set off fairly recently.
My exact costs for two people:
- Port fees: £1
- Visa: £48
- SIM card: £15
- Terminal fees: £1.70
- Total cost: £66 (£33 per person)
How much did I spend using cash?
Something else to consider is how much I spent using a card, vs cash. I used a Starling debit card throughout my travels, which doesn’t have any international fees, but a lot of the time the only option is to pay by cash.
In total, I made twenty-three cash withdrawals, which worked out at £2722, or 84% of the cost of my trip – basically everything except for flights. Why is it so high? Because much of the time in Indonesia, when you pay by card, there’s a transaction fee, so it worked out cheaper for us to pay our big costs, like overnight tours, by cash. Cash is how we had to pay for most things, such as food and accommodation.
Total costs
In total, Lou and I spent £3219, or £1610 each, during our month in Indonesia. This includes our flights in and out of the country, accommodation, food, overnight tours, activities and transport. It’s quite a bit and was the largest portion of my trip to South-East Asia, due to the number of activities I did – but it was worth it.
How does this compare to other regions? Indonesia felt reasonably priced in terms of food and accommodation, but there was a surprising lack of public support, so transport was higher. My costs were definitely boosted by the number of activities.
What do you think to these costs? Does it seem more or less than what you were expecting? Let me know in the comments.
