Short answer
- A warung plate, nasi campur or mie goreng
- IDR 15,000 to IDR 40,000
- A restaurant main
- IDR 45,000 to IDR 120,000
- Three warung plates a day, our estimate
- IDR 45,000 to IDR 120,000
- A bottled water or soft drink at a local stall
- IDR 3,000 to IDR 15,000
In detail
Start where your plans sit:
- First week, nervous stomach: read is it safe, then street food and how to order.
- On a budget or staying long: read what a meal costs, then warung or restaurant.
- Just want to know what it is: read what a warung is, then how to order.
What is a warung in Bali?
A warung is a small, traditionally family-owned business, and the one a visitor meets most is the warung nasi, a humble small restaurant that sells rice with other Indonesian dishes.[1]
The word covers more than meals. A warung makan is an eating stall, a warung babi guling sells roast pig, a warung kopi is a coffee stall, and a warung kelontong is a general store and a warung bensin a petrol warung.[2]
Warung or tourist restaurant: which suits me?
A warung plate costs IDR 15,000 to IDR 40,000 and a restaurant main IDR 45,000 to IDR 120,000, so a restaurant meal costs about IDR 30,000 to IDR 80,000 more, our estimate. A café main sits higher again, at IDR 70,000 to IDR 180,000.[3]
| Where | What you get | Price per meal |
|---|---|---|
| Warung | A full meal with a drink | As little as IDR 15,000 to IDR 30,000 |
| Warung | A plate of nasi campur or mie goreng | IDR 15,000 to IDR 40,000 |
| Restaurant | A main course | IDR 45,000 to IDR 120,000 |
| Café | A main dish | IDR 70,000 to IDR 180,000 |
A restaurant bill can also carry a food-and-drink tax of at most 10 percent, a ceiling that regional rules set.[5]
Our rule
Eat at a warung for everyday meals and keep restaurants for when you want a sit-down evening.
The gap is on every row of the table.
How much does a meal at a warung cost?
A full meal at a warung, rice, meat, vegetables and a drink, can cost as little as IDR 15,000 to IDR 30,000.[2]
A plate of nasi campur or mie goreng costs IDR 15,000 to IDR 40,000, and a bottled water or soft drink at a local stall adds IDR 3,000 to IDR 15,000.[3]
| Dish | Price per meal |
|---|---|
| Nasi campur or mie goreng, a simple plate | IDR 15,000 to IDR 40,000 |
| Nasi goreng (fried rice), a full meal, one undated guide's average | IDR 30,000 |
| Street food, a full portion as locals eat it | IDR 10,000 to IDR 15,000 |
| Bottled water or soft drink at a local stall | IDR 3,000 to IDR 15,000 |
Three warung plates a day come to IDR 45,000 to IDR 120,000, and a month of them to IDR 1.35 million to IDR 3.6 million, our estimate, before drinks.[3]
The guides' ranges differ at the edges, so read them as a band and not a menu.[4]
Our rule
Budget from the top of the range, IDR 40,000 a plate, and count anything cheaper as a saving.
The published ranges are guides' figures, not a price board.
How do I order and pay at a warung?
One Bali guide describes a warung with no printed menus and no receipts, prices usually written on a small sign, and payment after the meal, in loose change and small notes.[2]
Our rule
Check the total before you pay.
You usually eat first and pay afterwards, so the total is the moment to catch a mistake.
Is it safe to eat at a warung in Bali?
Contaminated food or drink may cause traveller's diarrhoea, and the travel-health advice is to drink from unopened, factory-sealed bottles or cans, to skip ice where clean water is limited, and to eat food that is served hot.[6] That advice is general, not about Bali alone; the tap water page covers the island's water, and the Bali belly page what to do if it goes wrong.
Our rule
Order food that arrives hot, drink from a sealed bottle, and skip ice unless you know the water behind it.
These are the three checks that matter at the table.
Can you eat street food in Bali?
General travel-health advice is to avoid eating food from street vendors, in any country, not only in Bali.[6]
Locals do eat it: one guide puts a full portion of street food at IDR 10,000 to IDR 15,000.[4]
Our rule
Follow the general advice and skip food from street vendors.
That advice is not about Bali alone, and a nervous stomach in the first week is the time to prefer a seated warung.
Next steps
FAQ
What not to eat in Bali?
The general travel-health advice, not specific to Bali, is to skip food that is not served hot, to skip ice where clean water is limited, and to avoid food from street vendors.[6]
Sources
Our summaries of Indonesian rules are unofficial; the Indonesian text governs.
Wikipedia, Warung
Bali Holiday Secrets (travel guide), Warungs in Bali
Bali Villa Hub (villa agency blog), Is eating out in Bali affordable for travelers and expats?
Finns Beach Club (venue guide), Best cheap eats in Bali
Directorate General of Taxes, Indonesia, Makan di restoran tidak kena PPN
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Travelers' Health, Food and drink considerations when traveling
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