Annette, 55: in Bali, the visa, the rent and the insurance all come first

How it came about

Annette went back to full-time work at 43, after years out of the paid workforce, with very little super. By her mid 50s she ran her own business, and she says she was working to pay rent and tax, with nothing building up for later. She could not see a retirement in Australia that would work, so the plan became Bali, while she was still young enough to enjoy it. She wrote about her first year there for Mamamia in September 2025.

What it costs them

Her article gives no monthly total, but it does show where the money goes:

• Rent. In Bali, she writes, you pay a year’s rent up front. For her that meant thousands of dollars in one go, before she had even moved in.
• Eating out. Western-style cafes cost about what they do at home (she mentions an $18 salad and a $24 cocktail). Local food is cheap.
• Health cover. Her expat health insurance costs more than she paid in Australia. In return, she says, she knows she can see English-speaking doctors in decent facilities.

Our Bali page has our own estimate of what a month costs there.

What went well

Life got slower. She swapped a commute for scooter rides and weekends at temples and beaches, and learning some Bahasa Indonesia and a few Balinese words opened doors with locals. She still works. Even so, she writes that “life feels easier now, even when it’s chaotic.”

What was hard

The visa came first. She started on a tourist visa, which meant a visa run every 60 days, usually to Malaysia or Singapore. Paperwork stops during ceremonies and public holidays, so something promised in days can take weeks. Villas do not always look like their photos (her advice is to inspect before you rent). She also lists smoke from burning rubbish, street dogs, busy traffic and a loose sense of time, where tomorrow can mean next week.

What has changed since

• Entry rules. Smartraveller (page updated 16 October 2026) says Australians arriving by plane or boat need to complete the All Indonesia Arrival Card online and apply for an e-Visa on Arrival (e-VOA), or get a Visa on Arrival at some airports and ports. Either costs IDR 500,000 (about A$42), gives 30 days and can be extended once, for up to 30 more days, at an immigration office. Bali also charges a tourist levy of IDR 150,000 (about A$13).
• Longer stays. A visit on the e-VOA tops out at 60 days. Living in Bali for years means a different kind of visa, with its own age, money and other conditions, and these can change. Indonesia’s embassy or immigration office, or a licensed visa agent there, can say what applies now. Our guide to retirement visa age requirements lists the questions to ask.
• Land. Annette notes that foreigners cannot own land in Bali outright, only lease it. Smartraveller says legal disputes happen over buying land and villas, including in Bali, and advises getting legal advice and making sure any investment is legally enforceable in Indonesia before signing anything.

What to take from it

• A cheaper country can still need a lot of cash at the start. In Bali, Annette paid a year’s rent up front.
• Moving in your 50s, before the Age Pension, means your own income or savings carry you for years. Annette kept her business going. Our guide to retiring overseas before 67 covers those gap years.
• Expat health insurance can cost more than the cover you had at home. Annette found it did.
• In Annette’s story, the visa came before everything else, including the lease. Repeated visa runs suit a visit better than years of living somewhere.
• A first year somewhere can work as a trial. Our guide to trying a place before you move sets out the options.