Thread: Cost of Living - current

Hi...recently registered though have been reading and searching this forum for a while. Thank you everyone for the TONS of useful information. I am planning to move/retire to Bali in 22 or 34 months and have chosen the Singaraja Area. I posted this in "cost of living" sub-forum but was thinking it may be "lost" in there, so sorry for the "double post..."

The posts on cost of living are really interesting, but I would like to know if some would post an "updated" or current cost of living breakdown? I fully realise that there are many varied personal situations and opinions, but the variety would be all the more interesting! I know I'm basically asking for personal information, so in light of that, if people want to post what they believe "averages" are, that would be great, as well. For example, cost of housing (renting or owning and related costs), daily living costs (obvious and any "hidden"...) and healthcare. I know healthcare may vary the greatest for what you get and deductables and so on, but a listed amount would be a starting point to further research for me.

Though covered extensively, I have question/request for clarification on a social visa point. My understanding is:
I could first come in on a 2 month tourist visa and WHILE in Bali change it over (with all the paperwork) to a social visa? If so, is the social visa then good for 6 months (including the renewals) or does that INCLUDE the initial 2 months on the tourist visa? Kind if a technical point, I know... Also, after that, is a social visa renewable indefinitely with the appropriate visa runs? Is there ever a reason/chance for non-renewal?

If someone could post their yearly costs, including visa runs, for social visas, that would also be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance for any/all replies/opinions....

Welcome Sydjapan

Lucky you going to live in Bali soon. I am sure some of the ex pat members can help you with the information. There have also been some recent people join who are in the process or moving and may provide some information also.

Tina

Welcome to the forum Syd, and with luck you should be able to find the information you need here and in the extensive archives. There are several expats who know a lot more about the cost of living in the Singaraja area than I do, in that I live in Ubud.

You state your understanding of the visa requirements as follows:

“I could first come in on a 2 month tourist visa and WHILE in Bali change it over (with all the paperwork) to a social visa? If so, is the social visa then good for 6 months (including the renewals) or does that INCLUDE the initial 2 months on the tourist visa? Kind if a technical point, I know... Also, after that, is a social visa renewable indefinitely with the appropriate visa runs? Is there ever a reason/chance for non-renewal?"

No, you cannot “roll over” your 60 day tourist visa to a sosbud (social/cultural) visa while in Bali. This will require a visa run...i.e., a trip outside of Indonesia. The sosbud visa is good for a total of 180 days...the first 60 days as allowed by the visa, plus four renewals of 30 days. After that, another visa run is needed. Also, a sosbud visa is a single entry visa, which means if you need to leave Indonesia during the period of time covered by your visa plus extensions, you will need to re-apply for a new sosbud visa.

The number of times one can run to Singapore, KL, or Bangkok to renew sosbud visas is not “set in stone” and is at the discretion of immigration in Bali before they “suggest” a change in visa to a kitas...residence visa. I know expats that have been here for 15 or more years on a sosbud visa, but the intent of that visa is not residency. IMHO, there is normally little chance for your sosbud visa to be not renewed here in Bali, especially if you use a well known and regarded visa agent, like PT Bali Ide. Immigration will let you (through your agent) know if it’s time to change to a kitas, and without you being deported...assuming of course that your file is “clean.”

Costs for visa runs may just have gone down substantially as Lion Air just began operations between Singapore and Denpasar. Otherwise, a round trip ticket to Singapore from Bali via Garuda is about $230.00 if you book enough ahead of time and ASK for the promotion rate. If you don’t ask, you won’t get it.

I hope this help a bit to answer your questions. Cheers, and once again, welcome to the forum.

Thank you so much for the clear reply to the social visa questions. The archives are great but it is sometimes hard to piece together everything when scanning through so many posts and the "where did I see that" or the "didn't I read something else?" thing starts to creep in...

At least for the first extensions, thought it might be a chance to travel the area a bit. Thailand one time, Singapore, KL...haven't been to those places for a long time. I did read that people go to different places for the "re-newals". I have ties to Japan and will likely be back at least once a year, so perhaps can time the trips back as a chance to re-do....?

I hope to get some more information on the Singaraja area. I'm quite familiar as a "tourist" and have Balinese friends who will/can be very helpful, but teh expat take is also good, I think.

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by Roy

No, you cannot “roll over” your 60 day tourist visa to a sosbud (social/cultural) visa while in Bali. This will require a visa run...i.e., a trip outside of Indonesia. The sosbud visa is good for a total of 180 days...the first 60 days as allowed by the visa, plus four renewals of 30 days. After that, another visa run is needed. Also, a sosbud visa is a single entry visa, which means if you need to leave Indonesia during the period of time covered by your visa plus extensions, you will need to re-apply for a new sosbud visa.

This point is a bit hazy, I have read posts on other forums (such as Thorn Tree) where people have reported being allowed to change a 60 day tourist visa to a soc. bud. visa in country. One even entered on a VOA, converted that to a 60 day in-country, and then to a social visa.

The problem is, it is only anactodal, I'm yet to see an Indonesian embassy website that states that you can do this, and if you ask them you are likely to get various answers depending on who you talk to and in which country. Welcome to the wonderful world of visas in Indonesia SydJapan :roll:

In the case where the conversion was reported, as I understand, the initial 60 days was counted as part of the total 180 days. The person had to also comply with all the letter of invitation requirements etc.

But to be on the safe side, I think you should budget for a visa run to Singapore or KL within the first 60 days. I believe KL might even be slightly cheaper with deals on Tiger or Air Asia, and the speed of which you can get a new visa there (meaning less accommodation overhead).

I am not current on cost of living in Bali, so hopefully someone else will take the challenge on that one. You might want to outline the sort of 'living' you wish to have, whether children are involved and schooling, whether you expect to run a car, what sort of entertainment / eating out you expect to do, whether you expect to employ staff, etc.

Hi...thanks for the reply! Just what I expected and am looking for - a variety of opinions and information, after all, is there EVER a definitive answer when dealing with governmant in ANY country....?

I didn't want to make my first post seem too pushy and give a glut of detail. I have time to research as much as I can. I will also make 2 or 3 more trips to Bali before I move there.

I have no kids and am in no need of school which I know is a HUGE consideration and big expense for many. I guess I never thought much past using a scooter and public transport for getting around, though down the road, a car would likely come into play? I lived 4 years initially in Japan without a car, but second time around and these 10 years - can't imagine not having one?

Thanks again.

The problem is, it is only anactodal,

To say the least! I've never heard of that...and I doubt it would hold up with the head immigration office in Denpasar.

BTW, it's not the Indonesian Embassy where I would be asking about this...rather, it would be immigration, and NOT the office at Ngurah Rai.

As for KL being speedy with visa applications, Singapore has always been the most reliable for instant visa turn around. I've handed my agent my passport and paperwork at 9:00 AM and visa/passport returned that same afternoon by 3:30. Hard to beat that.

This is the answer I got from Bali IDE on extending the 60 days tourist visa :

Bali Ide to me
show details Jan 28 Reply


- Hide quoted text -

Dear Yan, If you are going to stay in Bali – Tourist Visa 211 (60days) is extendable by providing Indonesian sponsorship holding Bali’s ID card.

Happy landing !!!,

That is news. This web site operated by the Consulate of Indonesia in Perth clearly indicates that while a 211 type visa...social/cultural and single entry business visa “could be extended with the support of a sponsor in Indonesia for up to 6 (six) months period of stay.” There is no mention on this web site that a tourist visit visa (also designated as a 211 type visa) can be extended after the initial 60 days. Moreover, the same web site makes particular mention about the normal tourist visa, the VOA:

“Please be advised that Visa - Free Short Visit may only be extended upon approval from the Minister of Justice and Human Rights / Director General of Immigration of the Republic of Indonesia based on natural disaster, illness or accident, but can not be transferred to another type of visa.”

Syd, since you are going to be in Bali initially on a 60 tourist visa, while here, I would check this out in person with PT Bali Ide.

http://www.kri-perth.org.au/CommonCo...Link.php?Id=58

It's confusing, the 60 day tourist visa and the social visa are both a "Single-Entry Visit Visa - Index B-211". I think the lines have blurred and the visa is the same, but the purpose is stil distinguised between 'tourism' and 'social/cultural visit'. If you extend past 60 days you require sponsorship, in which a citizen takes responsibility for you, but it really does appear from various sources that a 60 day tourist visa can be extended in-country. Whether the 'purpose' of the visa is then still tourism, or whether it changes to 'social/cultural', I don't know.

I've seen another post now where a long-term Lombok expat, who always used the social visa, advised that the new process is you apply for a 60 day single entry visa and then organise the extension (with sponsorship) once in-country.

Perhaps Roy, if you are talking to any of your contacts in Bali, you could get their slant on it?

By the way, that page Roy is identical to the Indonesian Embassy page in Australia with the same information. It hasn't changed for years except for the addition of VOA.