Starting a Business in Bali

Bali has become a hub for digital nomads over the past decade. Every year more and more people from around the world are leaving their home countries and choosing to base themselves in Bali. And for a good reason. Bali has a relatively low cost of living compared to the western world, has a flourishing digital nomad culture, making it a great place to network and do business. The cafe and food scene is out of this world... you can find restaurants offering just about every cuisine imaginable. And of course what Bali is known for best, its pristine natural beauty. 

Bali Villa

In 2018, I spent about six months living in Bali, in which time I started an online fashion brand, Nomad Nextdoor the Bazaar. I always say to aspiring entrepreneurs, if there’s anywhere in the world to start an online business, it’s Bali, and here’s why:

1. Cost of Living is Low

This may be the most obvious reason, but the cost of living in Bali is drastically lower in comparison to regions like Europe and the USA. However, compared to other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Vietnam, it’s on the more expensive end of the spectrum, but not without reason. This is mainly due to the fact that Bali is one of the more westernized areas of Southeast Asia, so the standard of living is a bit higher. This basically means, if you were to take the monthly amount of money you spend in your home country, divide it in half, and bring it in Bali, you would still probably be “living like a king”. 

To give you an idea of what this looks like, I’m going to break down the average prices that I paid for a few different things:

-Monthly scooter rental: $42 USD

-1 liter of gasoline: $0.48 USD

-Average monthly rent for one room in a villa: $150-600 USD (depending on how fancy you want to get)

-Local Indonesian meal out (Nasi Goreng, Gado Gado, etc.): $0.60- $3.00 USD

-Delicious vegan bowl at a trendy cafe: $2.50-$6.00 USD

-Bintang Beer: $0.90-$2.00 USD (alcohol is one of the more expensive things in Bali, relative to everything else)

-Cocktail at a bar: $2-$6.00 USD

-1-hour massage: $6 USD

-1-hour taxi ride: $15-20.00 USD

Be careful though, one of the biggest things I hear people complaining about is that they get carried away with buying things because the prices are so low, and wind up spending more than they wanted to. 

2. Digital Nomad Culture

The second reason is what I think makes Bali a one-of-a-kind place for entrepreneurs. There are few places you can go in the world where it’s common that almost everyone you meet has their own business, or plans on starting one. And the people who don’t are usually working super interesting location-independent jobs, and are often willing to share their expertise. 

One of the first things I did upon moving to Bali was join a coworking space, called Dojo Bali, located in Canggu. This was one of the best decisions I made, because it immediately opened me up to meeting an array of other ambitious people who were also following their dreams. The coworking space has a great community atmosphere, with daily events happening, both educational and social. In contrast to many places where people are secretive about their business matters, I found that in Bali, most people I met were super interested in what others were doing, and wanted to help each other out in different ways. Being surrounded by this kind of community felt so unique to me, and gave me the confidence I needed to dive off the deep end and start my business. Had I not built and grown my business in this type of atmosphere, I don’t know if it would even exist today.

Bali Cafe

3. Cafe and Food Scene 

One of the things that Bali is best known for and keeps foodies coming back.. is its Cafe culture and food scene. I kid you not, I have never been somewhere with so many cafes in one area. I’m mostly referring to the towns of Canggu and Ubud. You drive down the street and every other establishment is a trendy cafe with delicious and cheap, healthy food options. You’ll have no problem finding just about anything you desire in a vegan or gluten-free form. You can find coconut milk cappuccinos, cashew cheesecakes, hundreds of different smoothie bowls, exotic veggie bowls with tasty sauces, vegan buffets, and fine dining restaurants, all at a fraction of the price you would pay in the western world. And one of the best aspects is that almost every cafe is equipped with wifi, so you can post up for a few hours with your laptop, get some work done, and enjoy the different food and drinks that each cafe has to offer. I would bet that you could spend a year in Canggu, working from a different cafe every day, and you still wouldn't experience all of them. 

4. Natural Beauty

Nusa Penida Island

Imagine waking up each morning with the option to walk to the beach and go for a swim, cruise through the rice fields on your scooter, ride out to the jungle and hike to a pristine waterfall, or take a boat trip out to some little tropical islands. When living in Bali, this is what life is about! Regardless of which part of Bali you decide to call home, you’ll have a plethora of easily accessible options when it comes to exploring nature. And most everything you do can be done at little to no cost, aside from maybe some petrol for the scooter. 

To give you an idea of everything you can see in a day, I’ll tell you about one day I remember from living there. I woke up, had coffee on the beach, then drove up into the mountains, through the rice fields, and ended up in a small misty village where I met some of the craftsmen that work for my business. In the afternoon I took a boat out to the tropical little island of Nusa Lembongan, about 30 minutes off the coast of Bali, where my friends and I went for a swim in the sea, and then had a lovely sunset happy hour on the beach, followed by a fresh seafood dinner. It still blows my mind that you can have such a variety of experiences in just one day. 

So you have an idea of how much a day like this would cost, let me break it down for you…

-Iced coconut milk cappuccino on the beach: $2 USD

-Petrol to drive about 100km: $2 USD

-Traditional Balinese lunch in village (Gado Gado): $2 USD

-Boat ride to island: $9 USD

-Daily scooter rental on island: $5 USD

-2 for 1 happy hour cocktails on the beach : $3.50 USD

-Fresh seafood dinner on the beach: $7 USD

Total Spent: $30.50 + Accommodation ($4.00-20.00 per night)

Money can be tight during the start-up phases of a business, and it can be especially hard to drive yourself forward if you are doing it all alone. But it doesn't have to feel this way... if you want to maintain a higher standard of living, and stay motivated by surrounding yourself with a community of other ambitious entrepreneurs, then Bali is the place to come!