Housing

The best starting points are the Facebook groups 'Bali Housing and Property' and 'Canggu Community', which have hundreds of daily listings. Flokq.com and Airbnb monthly stays are good for the first month while you explore in person. Once in Canggu, simply walking the gang (lanes) and asking locals or at warungs frequently surfaces unlisted properties. Expect to pay Rp 8M–20M/month ($500–$1,300) for a decent furnished 1-BR villa with a pool in Canggu.

Reliability varies enormously. Always inspect in person, meet the actual landlord (not a middleman if possible), and sign a written Indonesian-language lease agreement. For significant multi-year leases, pay a local notaris (PPAT) Rp 2M–5M ($125–$315) to draft a notarised agreement - this is the only real legal protection. Verify the land certificate (SHM) exists and matches the owner's ID. Scams exist, particularly targeting newly-arrived expats online.

In Canggu, Seminyak, and Ubud - yes, generally. IndiHome fiber delivers 50–200 Mbps to most established villas. Major coworking spaces like Dojo and Outpost have reliable 100–500 Mbps connections. The weak points are villas in quieter gang lanes without fiber access (WiFi-only from a router), and outages during heavy rain in wet season. Always test speeds (Speedtest.net) before committing to a rental. Starlink is an excellent backup option at Rp 750,000/month ($47).

Significantly cheaper - typically 20–35% less per month when paying annually upfront. A villa that lists for Rp 15M/month may negotiate down to Rp 10M–12M/month equivalent on a 12-month lease paid in advance. Landlords strongly prefer yearly contracts as it eliminates their vacancy risk. If you are certain about your area, committing to a year upfront is the best financial move. Negotiate in IDR and agree explicitly on which party pays electricity.

Not freehold (Hak Milik - full ownership) - that is restricted to Indonesian citizens. However, KITAS, KITAP, and Second Home Visa holders can hold Hak Pakai (Right to Use) on non-agricultural land in their own name for 30-year terms, renewable. The most practical approach for most Bali expats is a long-term leasehold: paying a lump sum upfront for a 10–25 year lease. A 10-year Canggu villa lease typically costs $50,000–$120,000 - equivalent to $5,000–$12,000/year, far cheaper than monthly rates.