Cost of Living in Nusa Lembongan

Nusa Lembongan is a largely car-free island where scooters reign supreme. Renting a motorbike is the default mode of transport, costing 75,000-100,000 IDR ($5-6) per day with a full tank of fuel included; for a monthly rental, expect to negotiate a rate around 1,000,000-1,500,000 IDR ($63-94), with longer commitments earning steeper discounts. The island is compact enough that a full loop takes about 30 minutes by scooter, and the famous Yellow Bridge — a narrow suspension bridge connecting Lembongan to tiny Nusa Ceningan — is free to cross on foot or by motorbike but too narrow for cars. Exercise caution on the bridge as two-way scooter traffic squeezes through a tight lane. Golf buggies are an alternative at around 900,000 IDR ($56) per day, though they cannot cross to Ceningan. Walking works if you base yourself near Jungutbatu, but distances to the south coast and Mushroom Bay make a scooter almost essential. There is no Grab, Gojek, or any ride-hailing service on the island — for airport-style transfers, most boat operators include a free pickup truck shuttle to your accommodation on arrival.

Internet on Nusa Lembongan is the one area where the island's charm comes with a genuine trade-off. Unlike mainland Bali where fiber connections routinely deliver 50-150 Mbps, Lembongan relies primarily on microwave transmitters beaming signal across the strait from Sanur, which means speeds fluctuate with weather, wind conditions, and network congestion. Shared WiFi in guesthouses and budget accommodations typically caps at 1-5 Mbps, while upscale hotels and select cafes like Pisang Pisang, Kayu Lembongan, and Eco Bali Deli offer more reliable connections suitable for video calls — though "reliable" here means functional rather than fast. Morning hours between 8am and 1pm tend to deliver the best speeds before tourist usage peaks. Home internet through wireless ISPs like Austin Networks or ABI exists but is not widely available to short-term renters, and fiber-to-the-home service has not reached the island. If your accommodation includes WiFi, expect anywhere from 3-10 Mbps on a good day, with occasional dropouts during storms or power outages.

Healthcare on Nusa Lembongan is basic but functional for minor issues. The island has two main clinics: Nusa Medica Clinic in Jungutbatu, which operates 24/7 with general consultations, wound care, IV drips, and a stocked pharmacy, and East Medical Care Center (EMCC) near Mushroom Beach, which has an emergency room, pharmacy, and laboratory. A basic doctor consultation runs IDR 300,000-500,000 ($19-31), though costs escalate quickly once medications, lab work, or IV drips are added -- a rehydration drip alone starts around IDR 650,000 ($41), and treating Bali belly with a full IV protocol can reach IDR 1,400,000-2,950,000 ($88-184). Island pharmacies stock essentials like painkillers, antibiotics, rehydration salts, and basic first-aid supplies, but specialized or prescription medications are often unavailable, so bring anything you rely on from Bali. There is no X-ray machine on the island, and no hospital-grade facilities exist on any of the Nusa islands.

Most visitors enter Indonesia on the Visa on Arrival (VOA), which costs IDR 500,000 ($31) for 30 days and can be extended once for another 30 days at an immigration office. Since June 2025, all visa extensions require an in-person biometric appointment -- the nearest immigration office to Nusa Lembongan is back in Denpasar, Bali, so plan a half-day trip for the extension. For longer stays, the B211A tourist visa gives 60 days extendable to 120, or the E33G Digital Nomad Visa offers a full year if you earn over $60,000 annually. Banking is the island's biggest logistical headache: there are only two ATMs accepting foreign cards, and they regularly run out of cash or go offline during the frequent power cuts. ATM skimming has also been reported. Bring plenty of rupiah from Bali before crossing, and carry at least a week's worth of cash. Money changers on the island charge 6-7% commission, and credit cards are accepted only at larger restaurants and resorts. Scooter rental is the primary transport at about IDR 75,000/day ($4.70), but roads are riddled with potholes and have loose gravel shoulders -- speeds stay low, though accidents remain common among tourists.