7 Best Areas to Live in Bali

1. Sanur (Denpasar)

Ideal for: Families, older expats, and anyone seeking comfort, convenience, and beachside living with fewer crowds.

Part of Denpasar, Sanur is a coastal town with swimmable beaches, traditional boats, and views of Mount Agung and Nusa Penida. It’s relaxed, walkable (they even have a path along the beach!), and well-connected — ideal if you want beachside living with modern conveniences.

Pros to Living in Sanur

• Beach Access: Sanur is located on a beautiful long stretch of beach on the east of the island, offering spectacular sunrises to welcome the day.
• Convenience: Sanur is in a super convenient location with easy access to South and East Bali, lots of shopping and other conveniences nearby, international schools, Sanur Harbour (for access to Nusa Penida and Lembongan islands), and the Ngurah Rai International Airport.
• Ridesharing: Sanur is one of the few areas where you can comfortably rely on rideshare apps like Grab or GoJek instead of driving yourself.

Cons to Living in Sanur

• Fast-growing: Sanur is developing super fast, especially with the recent additions of Icon Bali Mall and Bali International Hospital, which means it will likely get more crowded and expensive quickly.
• Traffic: Traffic is picking up around Sanur’s main road, especially since the new mall opened.

Accommodation in Sanur

Come see for yourself what makes living in Sanur a great option. Consider staying a few nights at:

• Budget Option: Kubu doble: This homestay offers a simple yet welcoming staff, allowing you to get to know the area without spending too much.
• Mid-Tier Option: Cening Ayu Sanur: This small hotel is closer to the beach and offers a community swimming pool to make for a peaceful retreat.
• Luxury Option: The Pavilions Bali: If you prefer a luxury resort, here you can book a private villa with your own pool and all the upscale amenities you could desire.

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2. Tampaksiring (Gianyar)

Ideal for: Those who want to feel immersed in Balinese culture, nature and daily life, still nearby to the conveniences of Ubud.

Just north of Ubud, Tampaksiring offers a peaceful, culturally rich alternative to living in town. Surrounded by rice fields and jungle, the area is home to sacred sites like Tirta Empul and Gunung Kawi. Life here feels more traditional and connected to local rhythms, yet you’re still close to Ubud’s events, shops and services.

Pros to Living in Tampaksiring

• Cooler Weather: While average temperatures in South Bali range from 30-35C, being further North and in the jungle of Tampaksiring means you can enjoy slightly cooler temperatures.
• Nature and Culture: Enjoy ready access to beautiful nature in Tampaksiring's jungle environment, with lots of local nature and daily life, such as local markets, farms, waterfalls, temples, and ceremonies.

Cons to Living in Tampaksiring

• No Beach: Since Tampaksiring is inland, you won't have direct beach access — but you can reach the coast in under an hour by car.
• Traffic: Getting into Ubud means dealing with its notorious traffic — especially at peak hours.

Accommodation in Tampaksiring

For more peaceful surroundings, you might prefer this laid-back area, full of incredible views of the lush rice terraces. To get a feel for the area, take a look at:

• Budget Option: Mirah Guest House: This guest house covers everything you could ask for at an affordable price. Here you'll get shared access to a kitchen, swimming pool, and their restaurant.
• Mid-Tier Option: Arindama Villa: Immerse yourself in the rice fields by staying right in the center of them. Choose one of the villas with a private pool and enjoy the serenity around.
• Luxury Option: Harsa Sanctuary: This is a 4-star adults-only resort that offers privacy, a luxurious spa, and great views throughout your villa.

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3. Bingin (Uluwatu, Badung)

Ideal for: Surfers, wellness-focused travelers, and digital nomads looking for an active lifestyle and a like-minded expat community.

Bingin is a laid-back coastal spot in Uluwatu, known for its dramatic oceanside cliffs, surf breaks, and slow-paced charm. It attracts young adults and remote workers drawn to live by the ocean, yoga studios, wellness centres, and hip cafes.

Pros to Living in Bingin

• Beaches & Surf: You'll love Bingin Beach and Uluwatu's other beaches, appropriate for surfing or relaxing. Note that most beaches here are accessed by a set of cliffside stairs, so you'll need to be willing to work a bit. But the beaches and their local warungs (restaurants) are worth it!
• Community & Lifestyle: Bingin is known for its stunning beaches, consistent surf breaks, and wellness scene. If you’re into surfing, fitness, or connecting with a like-minded expat community, you may find a strong community here.

Cons to Living in Bingin

• Traffic & Driving: Uluwatu is spread out, with narrow, winding roads and traffic jams (often due to construction trucks or tour buses on winding roads). Bingin’s location in the south can also make access to other parts of the island more difficult.
• Fast-growing: This area is fast-growing in popularity among digital nomads, so I suspect the cost of living and traffic will only increase in coming years.
• Construction: Uluwatu’s rocky terrain makes construction tricky. Most homes rely on trucked-in water sources, which raises traffic, costs and sustainability concerns — something to consider if you’re planning a long-term stay or building project.

Accommodation in Bingin

If you'd prefer living in close access to one of the beaches, to be able to enjoy a more vibrant social scene than some of the quieter towns offer, consider Bingin Beach.

• Budget Option: Ringsun Homestay: The rustic and simple rooms here should cover the bases, but give you a swimming pool, to add a little dose of something special to your affordable lifestyle.
• Mid-Tier Option: Segredo Uluwatu: This designer boutique hotel has a variety of rooms to choose from, a great design, and is just a 13-minute walk to Impossible Beach.
• Luxury Option: Mia Sari Beachfront Studio: If you want to just be steps from the sand, this beachfront 1-bedroom villa is the place for you.

4. Amed (Karangasem)

Ideal for: Nature lovers, divers, and independent travelers who prefer a peaceful, more remote coastal lifestyle.

Tucked along Bali’s quieter northeast coast, Amed is a fishing village with coral reefs, famous dive sites, a laid-back atmosphere, and stunning coastal views. Life here moves slowly, offering space to unplug, dive, and appreciate nature.

Pros to Living in Amed

• Reasonable Development: Amed is developing at a more sustainable pace than the south, yet still offers basic conveniences like good restaurants, shops and a gym.
• Cost: The cost of renting a villa in Amed will be much more reasonable than in the south of Bali.
• Diving Community: There is a small community of foreigners living and working here, and they are divers who spend all of their free time in the water, which means nature lovers will find allies here.

Cons to Living in Amed

• Isolated: Amed isn't near any major cities, so you'll have more limitations on modern amenities. If you're looking for supermarkets and shop names you'll recognize, you're unlikely to find them here. But you can still find everything you need from smaller, local shops.
• Diving-Focused: If you aren't a diver, you may struggle to integrate in the international community here, which is very much diving-focused.

Accommodation in Amed

If you're looking to keep your monthly costs lower, you'll love Amed in comparison to other areas of Bali. Take a look around by booking your initial stay at:

• Budget Option: Rivera Beach: This hotel is right on the coast and offers a basic room but with unbeatable ocean views.
• Mid-Tier Option: Beehive Cottages: Although located inland, you're actually a short walk from the beach but by staying in this area, you'll enjoy a really relaxed vibe.
• Luxury Option: Kubu Kangin Resort: Located in a similar area as the Beehive Cottages, the amenities are a bit nicer and the grounds here are bigger and manicured to look like a garden.

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5. Nusa Lembongan Island (Klungkung)

Ideal for: Solo workers, couples, and anyone seeking a slower pace, ocean views, and a small, relaxed community.

Just a 30-minute boat ride from Sanur, the island of Nusa Lembongan offers laid-back vibes — close enough to stay connected, but far enough to feel like a true escape. With stunning beaches, it’s a great base for slowing down without going totally off-grid — perfect if you want to live in Bali, but away from the mainland crowds.

Nusa Lembongan is one of the neighboring islands to Bali, just off the southeast shore.

Pros to Living in Nusa Lembongan

• Quiet Retreat: Lembongan is a calm middle ground, great for working on personal projects or just slowing down. The island offers spectacular natural beauty, including stellar sunsets, turtle spotting, and mangroves.
• Local Convenience: Despite being small, you'll find plenty of restaurants, markets, and pharmacies to cover your basics.

Cons to Living in Nusa Lembongan

• Secluded: You won't have convenient access to all creature comforts here, and you'll need a ferry ticket to get you to the main island. It's very doable and not too far, but requires extra time and planning that should be factored into your decision.
• Small: If you're easily bored by going to the same places, you may want to live somewhere with more variety. I didn't have trouble with this during my week in Lembongan, but I imagine you could over a longer-term stay.
• Gentrification: Nusa Lembongan has an increasing number of foreigners and many have bought businesses on the beach, so you'll find less and less locally-owned businesses and authentic foods along the beaches.

Accommodation in Nusa Lembongan

For those that like the idea of a slower pace of life and are happy to build a routine rather than have a plethora of new sights to check-out, plan a trip to scope out Nusa Lembongan Island.

• Budget Option: Pandan Wangi: Located on the northern side of the island, this simple hotel is in a good area for those that enjoy watersports.
• Mid-Tier Option: Bali Belva: Located on the southern side of this island, this hotel is made up of small, private villas for you to choose from.
• Luxury Option: Morin Resort: Built on a hill at the coast, this resort offers villas at different levels, all connected by footpath to the shore. Of course, the higher up, the more you walk but the better your view.

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6. Seseh or Cemagi (Mengwi, Badung)

Ideal for: Expats looking for a quieter alternative to Canggu, with access to Western comforts and a familiar lifestyle.

Just north of Canggu, Seseh and Cemagi offer similar perks to the overcrowded digital nomad hub — trendy cafes, gyms, and beach access — but with a bit more space and calm. However, development here is accelerating fast, with villas and beach clubs replacing farmland at an unsustainable rate. I suspect these areas will be drastically different in the not-so-distant future.

Pros to Living in Seseh or Cemagi

• Less Chaos (for now): If you want access to western foods, good gyms and cafes you can work from, then you'll find quality in and around Seseh or Cemagi, with less chaos than Canggu.
• Remote Worker Community: You'll find an expat community of online workers living in and around these areas.

Cons to Living in Seseh or Cemagi

• Cost of Living: As very popular hot spots among foreigners, the whole area from Canggu to Pererenan is getting expensive fast. I imagine the cost of living will be jumping up significantly in the coming years.
• Traffic: While traffic is still pretty ok in these neighbourhoods, driving south from here (e.g. to Canggu, Denpasar or Uluwatu) can be very challenging.

Accommodation in Seseh/Cemagi

Based on personal preferences, you might be looking for the next Canggu. And if you are, my guess would be this area. While I don't think this area will long be considered a sustainable area to call home, for now it still is.

• Budget Option: Wander Havens: This stretch of tiny homes won't give you much in terms but space but do offer a good mix of private and shared amenities.
• Mid-Tier Option: Dune Seseh: As the name suggests, this hotel offers a completely different experience than most where you'll feel as though you're in the Middle East rather than Bali.
• Luxury Option: Oshom Bali at Nuanu Creative City: Located on one of the island's black sand beaches, this is more a commune than a hotel. While it is nice to have everything you'll need at your fingertips, you'll have to push yourself to get out and experience the neighborhood outside of the Creative City.

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7. Beyond Bali: Other Provinces

Ideal for: Adventurous expats open to exploring life beyond Bali.

Hot take: If you’re dreaming of island life and want to live in Bali, but don’t need all the Western comforts of South Bali, why not look beyond?

West Nusa Tenggara province (think Lombok or the Gilis) offers beautiful scenery and smaller expat scenes. Or try Yogyakarta in Java — an affordable, creative city with a laid-back feel and strong cultural roots.

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Visas for Bali & Indonesia

Bali has been generously welcoming digital nomads for several years, and continues to be very hospitable. The government is reasonably strict on visas, so you need to make sure to have the appropriate stay permit before you go.

Indonesia's new Remote Worker Visa is perfect for those wanting to work online and stay for up to a year. Consider applying for your visa through a trusted agent to ensure everything is in order before you arrive in Bali. Feel free to contact me for recommendations!

Besides remote work, foreigners cannot work in Bali or Indonesia without an investor or work KITAS.

You can find the official Indonesian immigration portal here for all visa applications online.

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How to Live in Bali More Mindfully

Bali is a special place — and it deserves thoughtful visitors. To help protect the island’s culture, communities, and environment, you may want to:

• Live outside crowded areas
• Rent from local villa owners and support locally owned restaurants and shops
• Respect Balinese culture and traditions
• Avoid new builds that replace farmland or natural landscapes
• Explore beyond the tourist trail
• Learn some Indonesian or Balinese

Small choices like these make your time more meaningful — and your impact more positive. There are so many great things to do in Bali, it’s just a matter of finding how you can best enjoy the island in a way that helps the local community. 

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Where Will You Move in Bali?

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to living in Bali — it all depends on your pace, priorities, and the kind of lifestyle you’re after. Whether you’re here short- or long-term (check out the !), there’s a way to live in Bali that aligns with your lifestyle — and respects the island you’re calling home for now.