What is an are of land in Bali?

Land in Bali is priced per are, and buyers arriving with square metres, square feet or acres in their head misjudge everything from plot size to price until they convert properly.

The units

1 are = 100 square metres. The basic unit of land pricing in Bali and across Indonesia.

1 hektar = 100 are = 10,000 square metres.

For conversion: 1 are is about 1,076 square feet, and a hectare is about 2.47 acres.

So a "5 are plot" is 500 square metres — roughly 54 square feet short of 5,400 — which is a comfortable villa plot and considerably smaller than most Australians or Americans picture when they hear "half a hectare".

What each size actually supports

This is where the number becomes useful, because KDB — the building coverage ratio — caps the proportion of the plot you may build on. In a residential zone that is commonly forty to sixty percent, and lower in green zones.

2 are (200 m²). A small one or two bedroom with a plunge pool, tightly planned. Common in central Canggu where land is expensive.

3 are (300 m²). A comfortable two bedroom with a proper pool, or a tight three bedroom.

5 are (500 m²). The sweet spot for a three bedroom with a good pool and garden. Enough room to design properly rather than squeeze.

8 to 10 are (800–1,000 m²). Four bedrooms with generous outdoor space, or three bedrooms with real privacy and landscaping.

Above 10 are. Estate scale, multiple structures, or a development.

Remember that setbacks — road, boundary, river, coastal — come off before KDB is applied to what remains. On a narrow or irregular plot that can remove a surprising amount.

Why prices are quoted per are

It makes comparison across parcels of different sizes immediate, and it is what everyone in the market uses. Any price quoted to you in another unit is being translated for your benefit, which is fine, but do the per-are conversion yourself so you are comparing like with like.

Bear in mind that price per are is not constant with size. Small parcels in prime areas often carry a premium per are because they are scarce and accessible to more buyers. Very large parcels sometimes trade at a discount per are because the buyer pool is smaller.

Leasehold changes the comparison entirely

A leasehold price per are and a freehold price per are are not comparable numbers.

On a lease you are buying a defined number of years. A parcel at a given price per are on a thirty year lease and the same price per are on a twelve year lease are wildly different propositions, and the second is far more expensive in real terms.

Convert to price per are per year of term when comparing leaseholds. It is the only way to see what you are actually paying, and it exposes short-term parcels priced as though they were long ones.

Verify the area

The advertised area and the certificate area differ more often than buyers expect, particularly on parcels informally divided within a family over generations.

Have it surveyed, and compare the survey to the certificate and to what is physically fenced. This is one of the most common findings in Bali due diligence and it is a legitimate reason to pay less, or to walk.

Also subtract anything unbuildable before you value it: land inside a coastal or river setback, land that will become an access strip if you split the parcel, and any part in a different zone.

Price per buildable square metre is the honest number. Price per are of title is the marketing one.