Renting a car in Bali costs, according to Localrent, from $17 a day in the low season and $21 to $30 in the high season, with fuel, tolls and parking on top. As of 6 October 2026: you need your own licence plus an international permit, you drive on the left, and the advance at booking is only 15 to 20%. Trap number one is the standard insurance, which does not cover wheels, undercarriage, windscreen or interior. And in the congested south, a driver costs at most about €16 a day more than your own car in the high season. Here is what to check before you pay.
The essentials before you book (as of 6 October 2026)
Bali is small but slow: journeys are counted in hours, not kilometres. A car pays off mainly for the north, the east and stays of several days. The numbers to know:
- From $17 a day in the low season, $21 to $30 in the high season (Localrent), roughly €15 and €19 to €27.
- Two licences: your own and an international permit. The German foreign ministry calls the latter “required”.
- Left-hand traffic, right-hand-drive cars; 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 outside, up to 100 on fast roads.
- 15 to 20% advance, the rest at key handover; free cancellation up to 7 days before.
- Deposit: none on some cars, up to $300 on many; renting without a credit card is possible.
- Paved roads only, Bali only. Wheels, undercarriage, windscreen and interior are not in the standard insurance.
These figures come from pages read on 6 October 2026; converted at the ECB reference rate of 5 October (€1 = 20,069.89 Rp; €1 = $1.1204). Prices move: read them as a dated snapshot, not an offer.
A car in Bali: worth it, with a driver, or a scooter instead?
It depends on where you sleep and what you want to see. In the congested south (Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu) and in Ubud, your own car is often a burden; in the north and east it sets you free.
| Option | Price per day | What is included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-drive car (Localrent) | from $17 (≈ €15), high season $21 to $30 (≈ €19 to €27) | Fuel, tolls and parking are on you | Several days, north and east, families |
| Car with driver | 700,000 to 800,000 Rp (≈ €35 to €40) for 10 to 12 h (cabobali.com, gedebalitransport.com) | Car, driver, fuel, parking; entry fees and tolls extra | Big excursions, the south, evenings without driving |
| Scooter | 60,000 to 150,000 Rp (≈ €3 to €7.50; PickYourTrail, 31 July 2026) | International permit covering mopeds and motorcycles, per the Spanish ministry | Short hops; the German foreign ministry notes frequent two-wheeler accidents |
A day of 150 kilometres: with an assumed 7 litres per 100 km, that is 10.5 litres, so 105,000 Rp (about €5) on Pertalite or 167,475 Rp (about €8) on Pertamax. Your own car then costs about €24 to €35 in the high season, a driver with a Toyota Avanza €35 to €40: the gap runs from zero to about €16 a day. Our guide Getting around Bali reaches the same conclusion.
Self-drive pays off for several days in the north, east or highlands, as in the two-week Bali and Lombok itinerary. A driver suits two or three big excursions, evenings without driving, or if left-hand traffic worries you.
Full guide: Things to Do in Bali: Tours, Prices and Scams
What a car costs in Bali: rental, fuel, tolls
For Bali, Localrent gives only two ranges: the page has no monthly table, no fleet occupancy and no definition of the high season. Two worked examples:
- One week in the low season: 7 × $17 = $119, about €106.
- One week in the high season, top of the range: 7 × $30 = $210, about €187. At booking 15 to 20% is due, so about €28 to €37.50; the rest, €150 to €159, is paid at key handover.
For comparison, CHECK24 showed entry prices from €18.51 a day on 6 October 2026, without dates, and gives a minimum age of 21 or more depending on the rental firm; at Localrent most cars are available from 22.
Fuel and tolls come on top. Since 1 October 2026 Pertalite costs 10,000 Rp a litre (about €0.50) and Pertamax 15,950 Rp (about €0.79). An attendant usually fills the tank and you pay afterwards; ask which grade the car takes at handover. The Bali Mandara toll road costs 13,000 Rp for a car, about €0.65. How transport fits into the overall budget is worked out in the two-week Bali budget. To see what is free on your dates, open the search for cars in Bali on your dates, sorted by price with delivery costs included.
Licence and police: what to carry
The authorities say the same thing: national licence and international permit.
- German foreign ministry (page of 6 October 2026): the international permit is “erforderlich” (required) and valid only together with the German national licence.
- UK Foreign Office: “You cannot drive using your UK driving licence. You can drive using an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued by the UK.” The Austrian ministry also requires the international permit.
- Localrent: the national licence must show details in Latin script; the rental terms expressly recommend the international permit if the national licence is valid only in the country of issue.
The Indonesian “SIM Internasional” is not for tourists, according to bali.com (July 2026). Get the international permit at home: UK drivers pay £5.50 at certain PayPoint shops (GOV.UK); in Germany it costs 15 to 20 € at the Führerscheinstelle (ADAC, 9 February 2026). Which format Indonesia requires, no official source says. Carry both licences in the original.
Without the papers, Baliholidaysecrets (30 June 2026) cites fines of 250,000 to 1,000,000 Rp (about €12 to €50) and an insurer that may refuse to pay after an accident. According to PickYourTrail, fines are paid through the bank system, not in cash to an officer. On drink-driving, the Spanish foreign ministry (27 May 2026) speaks of zero tolerance.
Left-hand traffic, rush hours and journey times
You drive on the left, in a right-hand-drive car, mostly an automatic; according to Localrent, Toyota, Daihatsu, Hyundai, Honda and Nissan dominate. Scooters overtake on both sides, and the UK Foreign Office calls traffic discipline “very poor”. Congestion peaks, according to PickYourTrail, from 7 to 9 am and 4 to 7 pm, worst in July, August, December and January.
| Route | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Airport – Ubud (about 38 to 40 km) | 1.5 to 2.5 h | gedebalitransport.com, baliholidaysecrets.com |
| Airport – Canggu | 45 min; at rush hour 1 to 1.5 h, sometimes over 2 h | gedebalitransport.com, baliholidaysecrets.com |
| Ubud – north (Lovina) or east (Amed) | about 2.5 h each | gedebalitransport.com |
Where the car sleeps depends on your accommodation: ask about a parking space before booking and read where to stay in Bali. At tourist sites a parking attendant in an orange vest is common; do not park along black-and-white striped kerbs or under a “dilarang parkir” sign (Localrent). For mountain roads Localrent advises an engine of at least 1.4 litres.
Booking and pick-up: process, airport, return time
According to Localrent’s guide, you enter place and dates; the list is sorted by price, delivery costs included, and the question-mark icon next to the price shows the deposit. The advance is paid by bank card only, then the voucher arrives by email. The rental firm’s opening hours show in green, other times in orange.
Pick-up point. Localrent names the airport, Benoa port, the rental office or delivery to an address (free in the city on many cars). At the airport, give your flight number so the firm sees a delay. Bring: passport, licence, voucher, and a credit card with embossed numbers if a deposit is required.
The 24-hour rule. The minimum chargeable rental period is 24 hours. If the return time is later than the pick-up time, a day is added: pick up on Monday at 3 pm and return seven days later at 7 pm, and you pay for eight days.
Can you trust the platform? Localrent says it is an aggregator of small local rental firms, operating since 2011, with more than 30,000 customers a year. On Trustpilot it stands at 4.6 out of 5 from about 5,300 reviews on 6 October 2026, 86% with five stars, 5% with one. Recent reviews praise the no-deposit, no-credit-card option and WhatsApp communication; they criticise an insurance dispute after a claim, faulty wipers and fluid leaks. The next section goes through these points.
Why book ahead? The page gives no occupancy for Bali, so we cannot prove when cars run short. What is established: you compare deposit, insurance and delivery costs side by side, and cancellation is free up to 7 days before. Airport pick-up is in the search with pick-up at Bali airport.
Full guide: Bali airport transfer: taxi, Grab or pre-booked?
The traps and how to avoid them
- Insurance gaps. Standard insurance does not cover damage to wheels, undercarriage, windscreen and interior; it is void for deliberate damage or neglect. Read the insurance line on the vehicle page. The Spanish ministry advises against renting without a contract or insurance covering third parties.
- Roads and island. Paved public roads only; leaving the island is prohibited. For Lombok or the Gilis the car is no use: Nusa Penida or Gili.
- Fuel level. Return the car with the same level. Photograph the gauge and the odometer.
- Cashless toll. The Bali Mandara toll road works, according to Otomotifnet (9 March 2026), only with electronic cards (e-Money, Brizzi, TapCash, Flazz, Blink). Ask at handover whether one is in the car.
- Accident. Wait for the police and report the accident at a station (UK Foreign Office); tell the rental firm immediately and get a police report, otherwise you carry the full cost (Localrent). The German foreign ministry warns about “peace letters”: sign nothing you do not understand. Emergency: police 110, ambulance 118.
- Nyepi. At the Balinese new year (early March 2027; sources give 8 or 9 March) the island stops for 24 hours: the airport closes and tourists cannot use any vehicle (bali.com). Check the date before fixing rental and flights.
- Photos at handover. All sides, wheels, windows and interior, and every damage noted in the report. Questions about the car’s condition go to the rental firm, whose contact you receive after booking.
Before you pay: the checklist
Every point is on the vehicle page or in the voucher:
- Both licences in the original, valid until the end of the rental?
- Insurance line: wheels, undercarriage, windscreen, interior included or excluded?
- Deposit amount, and is a credit card needed?
- Pick-up and return times without an extra day?
- Fuel rule (same level) and fuel grade clear?
- Toll card in the car, plans limited to Bali?
- Cancellation: 7 days (30 for luxury cars and convertibles) or 24 hours with “Free cancellation”. 6% of the amount paid is kept: €1.70 on a €28 advance.
If these lines check out, you can open the offer for your dates. The balance is paid only at key handover.
