How Much Does It Cost to Live in Canggu as a Family?
A family of four living comfortably in Canggu, Bali can expect to spend around $7,800 USD (7,100 EUR / 114,500,000 IDR) per month. That’s the real number from our own February stay, covering a 4-bedroom villa with pool, international childcare every day, mostly western restaurants, two scooters, gym passes, and co-working memberships. It’s on the higher end because we leaned into the Canggu lifestyle hard. A more budget-conscious family could get by on $3,500, 4,500/month with some trade-offs on accommodation and dining.
Before moving places, Digital Nomad Families need to know the cost of living at the new location. How high are the expenses for childcare, housing, and working? With our breakdown, I would like to show you what we spent monthly in Canggu, Bali.
Monthly Costs in Canggu
🏠 Housing: 50.000.000 IDR (3.100 EUR/3.410 USD) – 4bdr Villa with Pool in Umalas
🛒 Groceries: 3.305.000 IDR (204 EUR/225 USD) – Pepito and local markets
🥗 Restaurants: 26.082.000 IDR (1.616 EUR/1.779 USD) – mostly western food
🛵 Transportation: 5.105.000 IDR (316 EUR/348 USD) – we rented 1 Scoopy and 1 PCX from Bikago
👶 Childcare: 19.040.000 IDR (1.179 EUR/1.298 USD) – every day at international schools + nannies
🏋️ Sport: 3.219.000 IDR (199 EUR/219 USD) – day passes at multiple gyms
💻 Co-Working: 1.935.000 IDR (120 EUR/131 USD) – memberships at Tropical Nomad and other Co-Working spaces
💆♀️ Personal Care: 2.450.000 IDR (151 EUR/167 USD) – massages, nails, hairdresser/barber
🥳 Fun & Activities: 3.365.000 IDR (208 EUR/229 USD) – e.g. parties, watersports
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💸 Total: 114.501.000 IDR = 7.100 EUR = 7.809 USD
Can You Live in Canggu for Less?
Our $7,809/month was the luxury version. A 4-bedroom villa with a pool, international school every day, and restaurants that felt like they were flown in from Berlin. If you trimmed it down, here’s roughly where you’d land.
A solo digital nomad in Canggu typically spends around $1,500, 2,000/month. That covers a private room or small studio, a scooter rental, eating a mix of warungs and western cafés, and a co-working membership. The nomads.com benchmark puts it at roughly $1,921/month for a single person in Canggu.
For a family of four on a tighter budget, $3,500, 4,500/month is realistic if you: rent a 2, 3 bedroom villa outside the Canggu core (Berawa or Cemagi), cook at home more often, use a local daycare instead of an international school, and keep activities modest. Living on $1,000/month in Canggu as a family? Honestly, not comfortable. As a solo traveller staying in a shared space and eating warungs, it’s possible, but tight.
Canggu vs Ubud: Which Is Cheaper for Families?
We noticed it ourselves: Ubud is cheaper, and not just a little. International-style restaurants are fewer, so you naturally drift toward local food. Childcare options were easier to find and more affordable. And the villa prices tend to be lower once you’re even 10 minutes out of the tourist centre.
For families who want a ‘real Bali’ experience and a tighter budget, Ubud wins. For families who want surf access, a buzzing nomad community, and don’t mind paying the Canggu premium, it’s worth it. We’d pick Canggu again, but knowing what we know now, we’d cook at home more.
Key Takeaways
- Family of four total: $7,809 USD per month in Canggu.
- Biggest cost: housing at $3,410 USD for a 4-bed villa.
- Childcare: $1,298 USD/month for international school and nannies.
- Solo nomad budget: roughly $1,500 to $2,000 per month.
- February is low season. High season prices can be higher.
- Ubud is cheaper for families than Canggu.
- Budget families can aim for $3,500 to $4,500/month with trade-offs.
Bali was hands down the most expensive spot for us in Southeast Asia. But to be fair, we did go all out on the luxury side. I mean, when you’re stuck in traffic for what feels like forever, you start thinking you deserve the fancy restaurants and a big house. It was like our little escape.
In Ubud, though, things felt different. It was way easier to pick local restaurants and find childcare compared to Canggu, which felt like a mini version of the West. Ubud had that more “real Bali” vibe, and we felt like we blended in a bit better there.
Please note: You won’t find our costs for health insurance, software subscriptions, retirement plans, etc. here, as I want to show you the cost of living at a specific location.
Are these cost breakdowns helpful for you? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for reading and for making me part of your day! Yours, Lulu
FAQ
How much does it cost to live in Canggu per month?
For a family of four, expect around $7,800 USD per month for a comfortable lifestyle with a villa, international childcare, and mostly western dining. Solo digital nomads typically spend $1,500-2,000 per month. Budget-conscious families can get closer to $3,500-4,500/month with local schooling, home cooking, and a smaller villa.
Can you live on $1,000 a month in Canggu?
$1,000/month in Canggu is possible for a solo traveller staying in a shared space or very basic studio and eating mainly at local warungs. It is not realistic for a family or for anyone expecting a private villa, co-working space, and regular restaurant meals. Most nomads budget at least $1,500-2,000/month as a solo adult for a comfortable experience.
Is $2,000 enough for 2 weeks in Bali?
$2,000 for two weeks in Bali is generous for a solo traveller and workable for a couple. That’s roughly $140/day, which covers a nice villa or hotel room, restaurant meals, scooter rental, activities, and day trips. For a family of four over two weeks, $2,000 is tight , plan for closer to $3,500-4,000 to be comfortable.
What is the biggest cost of living in Canggu for families?
Housing is by far the biggest cost , our 4-bedroom villa with pool in Umalas ran 50,000,000 IDR ($3,410 USD) per month. Childcare comes second at 19,040,000 IDR ($1,298 USD) for daily international school and nannies. Dining out in western-style Canggu restaurants was our third-largest expense at over $1,779 USD for one month.
Is Canggu more expensive than Ubud?
Yes, Canggu is generally more expensive than Ubud. Canggu’s restaurant scene skews heavily western, villa prices are higher due to surf-beach proximity and nomad demand, and international childcare is pricier. In Ubud, local food is easier to access, childcare is more affordable, and villas cost less once you move a few minutes outside the centre.
What costs are NOT included in this Canggu breakdown?
This breakdown covers location-specific living costs only. It does not include health insurance, software subscriptions, retirement contributions, flights, or any one-off visa fees. These are personal finance decisions that don’t change based on where you live, so they’re intentionally left out to keep the comparison clean.
