Bali on a budget is still doable for digital nomads and expat retirees

Once an inexpensive haven for expat retirees and those fascinated with exotic activities in even more exotic destinations, Balinese beach towns such as Canggu are now becoming hubs for the upscale end of the tourist market.

Bali itself has been on the expat map for several decades, with Canggu once just a beachside village with endless rice fields and a small local community of farmers and their families. Coastal setback laws, zoning laws and building codes protected the area, even as the country’s beach districts of Seminyak and Kuta became popular with Western tourists. Bali is still a favourite destination for wealthy expat retirees, entrepreneurs and foreigners keen to open hospitality-related businesses, but soaring property prices are restricting old-style expats from fulfilling their Balinese dreams.

Canggu itself is still popular for its Hindu temples, emerald green rice paddies and beautiful beaches, but its village lifestyle has been taken over by upscale restaurants, boutique hotels and the pricey homes of around 3,000 resident expatriates. Property prices continue to soar, even although Bali now has some of the planet’s most expensive real estate, with locals saying prices have increased by 40 per cent in the last 10 years. As unchecked development of luxury hotels, restaurants and bars continues, long-stay expat residents are becoming ever more angry over what they see as the desecration of a once beautiful corner of the island.

Canggu has no noise regulations or legally enforced closing hours for its bars and clubs, with soundproofing of homes in residential areas now a necessity rather than an option. Many resident expats are becoming increasingly miserable, citing noise from nightclubs, motor bikes and the beachside bars, and local farmers are becoming more and more angry as land reserved for agriculture is leased to developers who’ve not bothered to get planning permission. In many ways, Canggu is the imperfect example of greed and unchecked development run riot, just as is happening in many former expat destinations across Southeast Asia.

For travelling expats such as digital nomads who’re determined to make Bali yet another experience, there’s still a good, affordable life away from hotspots such as Canngu, with the small town of Uluwatu now becoming popular. Anther option is Ubud with its healthy food options, yoga studios, natural vibes and adequate co-working spaces. Rentals are far cheaper than in Canggu, making Bali on a budget still, just about, doable.