We Moved Our Family of 5 to Bali — The Brutal Honest Truth After 18 Months

In August 2024, my husband James and I packed up our house in Austin, Texas, pulled our three kids out of school, and moved to Bali. Our children were 4, 7, and 10. People called us brave. Some called us crazy. Our parents called us frequently, with worry.

Eighteen months later, I can tell you both sides were right. Moving a family of five to Bali has been the most rewarding and the most difficult thing we've ever done. Not in the Instagram-filtered, "living our best life" way. In the real way — where your 7-year-old gets a stomach bug that lasts two weeks, the visa paperwork costs more than your first month's rent, and you cry in the bathroom because you miss Target.

But also in the way where your kids speak a few words of Bahasa, swim in the ocean before school, and have friends from twelve different countries. Where your stress levels drop so dramatically that your doctor notices at your next check-up. Where you spend $4,500 a month instead of $8,000 and live better.

Here's the full, unfiltered truth.

Why we left Austin

The short version: money, burnout, and a feeling that the treadmill we were on wasn't leading anywhere we actually wanted to go.

James works remotely as a software engineer. I'm a freelance UX writer. Together we earned around $180,000 — comfortable by most standards, but in Austin in 2024, it didn't feel comfortable. Our mortgage was $2,800/month. Two kids in private school (the public school in our zone was rated 3/10): $24,000/year. Health insurance for a family of five: $1,400/month. Car payments, childcare for our youngest, groceries that somehow hit $1,200/month for a family that mostly eats at home.

We were saving almost nothing. We were exhausted. And we kept asking: is this it?

Why Bali (and not Portugal or Thailand)

We considered all three seriously.

Portugal was our first choice — European healthcare, walkable cities, great food. But Lisbon rents had climbed to €1,500+ for a family-sized apartment, international school (compare with options in Thailand and Portugal)s were €12,000–€18,000/year per child, and the D7 visa required showing €40,000+/year income with substantial savings. For a family of five, the math didn't work as well as we'd hoped.

Thailand (Chiang Mai specifically) was our budget pick. Amazing value, great food, established expat infrastructure. But the education options for younger kids were limited, the air quality during burning season (February–April) worried us with three children, and the visa situation required border runs every 60–90 days.

Bali won because of the combination: established international schools at every price point, a massive family expat community (especially in Canggu), year-round warm weather, and a KITAS visa that — while bureaucratic — provides a full year of legal residency.

The KITAS visa: expensive and bureaucratic

Let's get the hard part out of the way. Indonesia's visa system is not designed for convenience.

We use the B211A visa initially (social/cultural visa, 60 days, extendable to 180 days) while setting up our KITAS (temporary stay permit) through a visa agent. The KITAS process took about 3 months and cost approximately $1,800 per adult and $1,200 per child through our agent — roughly $7,200 for the family. It's valid for one year and must be renewed annually.

Honest assessment: The visa process is the worst part of living in Bali. It's expensive, opaque, and requires a local sponsor or agent. Budget $7,000–$10,000/year for a family of five, including renewals and the mandatory exit-reentry permits.

You cannot legally work "in" Indonesia on a KITAS social visa. The understanding is that remote workers earning from foreign clients are tolerated but technically operating in a gray area. Indonesia has been discussing a digital nomad visa for years, but as of March 2026, it hasn't materialized in a practical form.

International schools: the real costs

This is the biggest line item for expat families in Bali, and the range is enormous.

What we looked at:

• Green School (the famous bamboo campus in Ubud): $14,000–$18,000/year per child. Beautiful philosophy, but too far from Canggu for a daily commute and over our budget for three kids.
• Canggu Community School: $8,000–$12,000/year per child. Our choice. Cambridge curriculum, small classes (15–20 kids), diverse student body. Our kids thrived here.
• Bali Island School: $10,000–$15,000/year. IB curriculum, excellent reputation, located in Sanur.
• Local "national plus" schools: $2,000–$5,000/year. Bilingual Indonesian-English instruction. Some expat families use these, especially for younger children.

We're paying approximately $30,000/year for three kids at Canggu Community School. That's significant — but compare it to $48,000+ we were paying in Austin for two kids in private school plus childcare for the youngest.

Finding a house in Canggu

We rented a 3-bedroom villa with a private pool in the Berawa area of Canggu for IDR 85 million/year (approximately $5,300/year or $440/month). Yes, you read that right. A villa with a pool for less than what we paid monthly in Austin.

The catch: we signed a yearly lease, paid 12 months upfront (standard in Bali), and the villa came unfurnished. Furnishing cost another $2,000. The location is a 10-minute scooter ride from the kids' school and 5 minutes from Berawa Beach.

Housing tips for families:

• Yearly leases are 40–60% cheaper than monthly rentals
• Upfront payment of 6–12 months is standard (negotiate for 6)
• Check water pressure, WiFi speed, and generator backup before signing
• Proximity to your kids' school matters more than proximity to the beach — Canggu traffic is real

The healthcare scare

In month four, our 7-year-old, Lily, developed a high fever that lasted five days. The local clinic prescribed antibiotics, but the fever didn't break. On day five, we took her to BIMC Hospital in Kuta — the best private hospital in southern Bali.

The diagnosis was dengue fever. She spent three nights in the hospital. The staff was professional and attentive. The total bill was $2,800, which our international health insurance (Cigna Global, $450/month for the family) covered entirely.

It was terrifying. It was also handled competently. But it forced us to confront the reality that Bali's healthcare infrastructure, while adequate for most things, is not the same as a major US hospital. For anything truly serious — complex surgery, rare conditions — you'd need to medevac to Singapore (2.5 hours by air).

Our rule now: We keep $5,000 in an emergency fund specifically for medical evacuation to Singapore. We carry our insurance cards everywhere. And we're religious about mosquito repellent at dusk.

What we miss

I'm going to be honest about this because every Bali expat blog pretends you don't miss anything.

• Target. I miss wandering Target aimlessly. The convenience of one-stop shopping doesn't exist in Bali. You'll visit five stores for what Target covers in one trip.
• Reliable mail and deliveries. Amazon doesn't deliver to Bali. International shipping takes 2–6 weeks. Receiving packages requires a local forwarding service.
• Autumn. Bali has two seasons: hot and humid, or hot and rainy. I miss sweater weather, falling leaves, and pumpkin everything.
• Easy bureaucracy. Renewing a driver's license in Texas takes 10 minutes online. Everything in Bali requires an agent, a photocopy, a different photocopy of the same thing, and patience.
• Sidewalks. Canggu has almost none. Walking anywhere with three kids requires constant vigilance around scooter traffic.

What surprised us (in the best way)

• The community. Canggu's family expat community is extraordinary. Within a month, we had dinner invitations, playdate networks, and a WhatsApp group for school carpools. Our kids made friends faster here than they ever did in Austin.
• The kids are thriving. Our 10-year-old surfs before school. Our 7-year-old learned to swim in the ocean. Our 4-year-old speaks basic Bahasa Indonesia and English interchangeably. They're more confident, more adaptable, and less anxious than they were in the US.
• Lower stress, genuinely. James and I both noticed it within weeks. No commute, no keeping-up-with-the-Joneses pressure, no $200 grocery trips. The reduced financial pressure alone transformed our relationship.

Monthly budget: family of 5

Here's our actual monthly spending, averaged over the last 12 months:

• Villa rent: $440
• International school (3 kids): $2,500
• Groceries + household: $600
• Eating out (2-3x/week): $250
• Scooter rental (2 scooters): $130
• Health insurance: $450
• Utilities (electricity, water, WiFi): $120
• Kids' activities (surf, swim, art): $150
• Visa costs (amortized monthly): $600
• Entertainment + social: $150
• Miscellaneous: $110
• Total: approximately $4,500/month ($54,000/year)

In Austin, our equivalent spending was $8,000+/month. We're saving $3,500/month while living, by most measures, a richer life.

Explore Bali neighborhoods → | Canggu guide → | Ubud guide →

How much does it cost to live in Bali with a family?

For a family of 4–5, expect to spend $3,000–$5,500/month for a comfortable lifestyle in Bali. The breakdown: villa rental with pool ($1,200–$2,500/month in Canggu or Ubud), international school tuition ($500–$1,500/child/month — the biggest expense), groceries and dining ($800–$1,200/month), health insurance ($200–$400/month for family coverage), transport ($150–$300/month with a driver), and activities ($200–$400/month). Budget-conscious families can bring costs under $3,000 by choosing local schools, living in Ubud rather than Canggu, and cooking at home. Compare this with family costs in Thailand or Portugal — both offer excellent family infrastructure at similar or lower price points. Take our expat quiz to see which family-friendly destinations match your budget and priorities.

Are international schools in Bali worth the cost?

It depends on your priorities and timeline. Bali's top international schools — Green School ($15,000–$20,000/year), Canggu Community School ($8,000–$12,000/year), and Bali Island School ($10,000–$15,000/year) — offer unique curricula emphasizing sustainability, creativity, and outdoor learning that you won't find in most countries. Green School in particular has a global reputation. However, academic rigor varies, and if your children need to transition back into a competitive Western education system, some Bali schools may leave gaps in math and science. The mid-range option: homeschooling cooperatives, which have exploded in Bali's expat community, costing $200–$500/month with flexible scheduling. For families prioritizing traditional academics, Portugal's international schools and Indonesia's Jakarta options may be stronger choices.

Key Takeaways

1. Monthly budget for a family of 5: $4,500 — versus $8,000+ in a US city
2. International school costs: $8,000–$18,000/year per child — the biggest expense
3. KITAS visa costs ~$7,000–$10,000/year for a family — bureaucratic but manageable
4. Healthcare is adequate for most needs — keep a Singapore medevac fund for emergencies
5. The kids adapt faster than the parents — ours thrived within months
6. You will miss convenience — but you'll gain time, community, and lower stress

Last updated: March 19, 2026