What is it like moving to Bali with children?

Almost every article about living in Bali is written by and for single people in their twenties. If you have children, most of that advice does not apply to you.

The budget is a different bracket entirely

A comfortable single expat lives on roughly USD 1,800 to 2,500 a month. A family with children in international school should plan for USD 4,000 to 6,500.

The gap is almost entirely school fees. Budget USD 8,000 to 28,000 per child per year all-in once registration, transport, uniform and lunch are added to tuition.

That single line changes every other decision you make here.

The order that works

1. Pick the school.

Not the area. The school. Curriculum, waiting list, and whether it leads where you want your child to go afterwards.

2. Rent near it.

Bali traffic makes a 12km school run an hour each way, twice daily. Families who choose the beach first and the school second spend their lives in the car.

3. Live there a year.

Through a rainy season. Watch how the family actually handles it, not how the holiday version felt.

4. Only then consider buying.

Doing this in reverse ties a large amount of capital to the wrong side of the island, and moving is much harder once you own something.

What families need that others do not

Hospital proximity. Serious care is in Denpasar. Being ninety minutes away is a different proposition at 3am with a child than it is on a spreadsheet. Healthcare and insurance detail here.

Insurance with evacuation cover, per person. Check the child limits specifically, they are sometimes lower.

Space and safety at home. Pools without fencing are standard here and are the obvious hazard with small children.

A car, not just scooters. Which means checking road access to any property properly.

Community. This is the one that decides whether families stay. School communities are where it comes from, which is another reason the school choice leads everything.

Where families actually settle

Sanur is the most family-oriented area on the island. Calmer water, older demographic, close to Denpasar's hospitals, and permits move faster there if you build.

Ubud suits families drawn to the creative and outdoor schools, with a slower rhythm and a cooler climate.

The Canggu and Pererenan corridor has the schools serving the entrepreneurial community, and the most other recently-arrived families.

Uluwatu is beautiful and hard with young children. Spread out, car-dependent, fewer school options.

The honest part

Bali is a genuinely good place to raise children. Outdoor life, small class sizes, an international peer group, and a childhood that looks nothing like the one you had.

It is also administratively heavier than home, medically thinner, and considerably more expensive than the number you have in your head.

Families who plan for the real number stay. Families who plan for the blog-post number leave in year two.

The budget, realistically

School fees account for almost all of the difference. Established international schools run USD 15,000 to 28,000 per child per year, and the all-in figure including registration, transport and lunch reaches USD 8,000 to 28,000 per child.

The sequence that works

1. School place first. Apply early; the established schools have waiting lists

2. Housing near it, with the school run driven at the actual hour

3. Insurance, with evacuation cover and child limits checked explicitly

4. Rent for a year before buying anything at all

Families who reverse this end up living an hour from the school they eventually get into.

Healthcare with children

Routine paediatric care is good and inexpensive. The gap is complex and critical care.

Check your policy for evacuation cover of at least USD 100,000 to 250,000, named explicitly, and confirm the limits that apply to children specifically, which are sometimes lower than the adult figures. Direct billing with local hospitals matters too, so you are not funding a paediatric emergency on a credit card.

BIMC and Siloam handle everyday cases well. Bali International Hospital opened in Sanur in 2024 for the complex cases that previously required flying abroad.

Where families settle

Sanur is the most family-oriented: hospitals close, calm shallow water, light traffic, and a longer-term resident community.

The Canggu and Pererenan corridor has the schools serving recently arrived families and the most active social scene, with the worst traffic.

Ubud suits families drawn to the creative and sustainability-focused schools, with everything a longer drive away.

The advantages are real

Outdoor life year round, small class sizes, an international peer group, and children who grow up comfortable across cultures. Domestic help is affordable in a way it is not at home, which changes what family life feels like day to day.

The costs are real too

Transience. Your children's friends leave, repeatedly, and so do their teachers. Medical thinness for anything serious. Administrative overhead in a system that changes. And your family's presence rests on renewable permits rather than a permanent right to be here.

Common questions

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

Plan for USD 4,000 to 6,500 a month with children in international school, against USD 1,800 to 2,500 for a comfortable single expat. School fees account for most of the difference.

Is Bali good for families with children?

For many families, yes. Outdoor life, small class sizes and an international peer group are genuine advantages. It is administratively heavier and medically thinner than home.

Where do families live in Bali?

Sanur is the most family-oriented area, close to Denpasar hospitals and calmer water. Ubud suits families drawn to the creative schools. The Canggu and Pererenan corridor has the schools serving recently arrived families.

What should families arrange before moving to Bali?

School place first, then housing near it, then insurance with evacuation cover checked for child limits. Rent for a year before buying anything.