Best Place to Exchange Money in Bali

Where to change money in Bali

Bank Indonesia says a legal changer displays the bank's authorised logo, a licence certificate and a notice naming it as an authorised money changer, appears on its published list, and may not add a fee to the rate. Police found 145 unlicensed changers in Bali in 2022, Kompas reported, so in Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur, Canggu and Ubud use a bank or a counter that passes those checks.

• Bank branches in Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur, Canggu and Ubud - The Bali Sun advises changing at banks where possible. We found no bank page confirming counter exchange for non-customers, so ask inside and take your passport.
• Licensed changers on the main resort streets - Check the logo and licence, and compare the board with two nearby counters. No single changer is named here: none had two independent sources.

Changing money at the airport

Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) is about 13 km south of central Denpasar. Its official site lists no exchange desks or cash machines, so if you need rupiah on landing, draw only a first-day float from a bank-run machine.

Grab quotes a fixed IDR 90,000 to 150,000 (25 to 40 minutes) to central Denpasar, picking up at its GrabCar Lounge in international arrivals; pay the driver in cash or through the app. For an ordinary taxi, the tourism board says use the meter or fix the price first. Public buses rarely serve the resorts.

ATMs and cards in Bali

Hotels, tourist cafes, restaurants and big attractions take cards, the Bali Sun reported in December 2024, but street-food stalls, beach shacks, waterfalls and village temples want cash, as does parking (about IDR 5,000 a car, IDR 2,000 a moped). Machines can run dry or go offline in high season.

Use cash machines on bank premises rather than private ones or those in minimarts and malls, the paper advises, and leave any with a wobbly or bulky card slot. Some charge foreign cards; we found no Indonesian bank's fee for a UK card, so read the screen and check your own bank's charges. If a terminal suggests billing you in pounds, choose rupiah. Cross-border QRIS payments are not yet open to European apps (Bali Sun, April 2026).

Paying for transport in Bali

Most visitors use ride-hailing apps or taxis. Bali's transport agency said in 2023 that online taxis may operate anywhere, but app drivers must cooperate with local taxi bases and some communities and hotels keep app cars out, so you may have to walk to a pick-up point. The tourism board suggests Gojek and GrabBike motorbike taxis for short trips, and Grab shows a fixed fare before you book.

With a street taxi, use the meter or agree the fare first, and carry small notes for drivers.

Good to know

• Bali levy: IDR 150,000 (about 8 pounds, says the FCDO) per foreign visitor, once per trip, and cashless only: pay on Love Bali by card, bank transfer, virtual account or QRIS, or at the airport and port counters. A QR voucher comes by email.
• Visa on arrival: IDR 500,000 by cash or card for one 30-day entry, extendable once for 30 days; overstaying costs IDR 1 million a day (FCDO). You can apply online instead, at least a week ahead.
• Arrival form: the All Indonesia customs and health declaration is free and is filled in online in the 72 hours before you land; ignore any site that asks for payment (FCDO).
• Restaurant bills: food and drink carry a 10 per cent local tax (Denpasar's 2023 tax rules) plus any service charge the venue adds, up to 21 per cent in all, says the Bali Sun. Prices marked ++ exclude both, and small notes are handy for tips.