What do international schools in Bali cost?

From around USD 3,000 to over USD 30,000 a year. And the headline tuition is not the number you actually pay.

By Kai, Bali property adviser Updated 2026-08-16 5 min read

For most families, school fees are the single largest line in a Bali budget. Larger than rent, frequently by a wide margin.

The range

Annual tuition runs from around USD 3,000 at early-years bilingual centres to over USD 30,000 at premium campuses.

The established international schools sit at roughly USD 15,000 to 28,000 per student per year, depending on grade level.

Green School Bali, in Ubud, runs approximately USD 18,000 to 27,000+ a year depending on grade.

Canggu Community School runs from roughly IDR 110 million for Early Years to IDR 257 million for the IB Diploma years.

The number nobody quotes you

Headline tuition is not what you pay. Once everything is added:

	Annual
Registration	USD 500 to 2,500
Uniforms	USD 150 to 400
Transport	USD 1,200 to 3,600
Lunch	USD 600 to 1,200

All-in, budget USD 8,000 to 28,000 per child per year, depending on school and grade.

For two children at an established school, that is a serious annual commitment before you have paid rent, and it is why family budgets here land in a completely different bracket to single or couple budgets.

Where the schools are

The Canggu and Pererenan corridor serves the entrepreneurial and remote-working community. Practical, international, geared to families who arrived recently.

Ubud is home to the schools known internationally for creativity and sustainability, Green School most famously.

That geography matters more than people realise. Pick the school first, then find housing near it. Bali traffic turns a 12km school run into an hour each way, twice a day, and that decision shapes your entire life here far more than which beach you liked on holiday.

What to check beyond the fee

Curriculum and where it leads. IB, Cambridge and Australian systems are all present, and transferring between them mid-stream is disruptive.
Waiting lists. Popular year groups fill. Places are not guaranteed because you can pay.
Fee escalation. Ask what fees did over the last three years, not just what they are now.
What happens if you leave mid-year. Refund policies vary considerably.
Whether the school sponsors your visa. Some do, and it changes your immigration options.

Before you buy anything

If you are relocating with children, the school decision comes before the property decision. Every time.

Rent near the school for a year first. If it works, buy nearby. If it does not, you have not tied a large amount of capital to the wrong side of the island.

The fee landscape

Tier	Annual tuition, USD
Bilingual and early years centres	3,000 to 8,000
Mid-range international	8,000 to 15,000
Established international schools	15,000 to 28,000
Premium campuses	28,000 and above

Green School Bali, the best known internationally, runs approximately USD 18,000 to 27,000 a year depending on grade level.

What tuition does not include

Item	Annual, USD
Registration and enrolment	500 to 2,500, often one-off
Transport	1,200 to 3,600
Lunch	600 to 1,200
Uniform	150 to 400
Trips, activities, exams	Variable, and it adds up

Budget USD 8,000 to 28,000 per child per year all-in. For a family with two children in an established school, education alone can exceed the entire cost of living for a couple.

Where the schools are

Two clusters. The Canggu and Pererenan corridor serves the entrepreneurial and remote-working community and has seen the most new capacity. Ubud is home to the schools known for creativity, sustainability and progressive curricula.

Sanur and Denpasar have options too, including more established and more conventional academic programmes.

Choose the school before the area

This is the most consequential piece of practical advice for any family moving here.

Bali traffic turns a twelve-kilometre school run into an hour each way, twice a day. That is four hours of a parent's day, every weekday, permanently. It decides where you should live far more than any preference about beaches or surf.

Get the school place first. Then rent within a short, tested drive of it. Then, much later, consider buying.

Curricula and continuity

Schools here run IB, Cambridge, Australian and other curricula, and the mix matters if you may move again. A child midway through one system does not transfer cleanly into another.

Ask about accreditation, teacher turnover and how many students complete the full programme rather than leaving after two years. High churn is common in Bali and it affects both teaching continuity and your child's friendships.

Waiting lists

The established schools have them, particularly at entry year groups. Apply well before you plan to arrive, because a family that has moved and cannot get a school place is in a genuinely difficult position.

Common questions

How much are international school fees in Bali?

Annual tuition runs from around USD 3,000 at early-years bilingual centres to over USD 30,000 at premium campuses. Established international schools sit at roughly USD 15,000 to 28,000 per student per year.

What does Green School Bali cost?

Approximately USD 18,000 to 27,000 a year depending on grade level, before registration, transport, uniform and lunch.

What is the total cost of schooling in Bali?

Budget USD 8,000 to 28,000 per child per year all-in. Registration adds USD 500 to 2,500, uniforms USD 150 to 400, transport USD 1,200 to 3,600 and lunch USD 600 to 1,200.

Where are the international schools in Bali?

Mainly the Canggu and Pererenan corridor, which serves the entrepreneurial and remote-working community, and Ubud, home to the schools known for creativity and sustainability.

Should you choose the school or the area first?

The school, always. Bali traffic turns a 12km school run into an hour each way twice a day, so the school decides where you should live far more than the beach does.