Carmen
Travel editor at Reisedrop · 2026-09-23
A private pool villa for CHF 40, Nasi Goreng for 2, rice terraces straight out of a picture book: Bali is a perennial favourite among TikTok travel destinations – and «2 weeks in Bali for under CHF 1500» is the promise shared more than any other. Episode 3 of our series «Seen on TikTok. Travel drop checked.»: we crunch the numbers to see whether it really adds up, flights included. Spoiler: yes – but only if you get two things right.
What TikTok promises
The clips show infinity pools above the jungles of Ubud, smoothie bowls for CHF 4, scooter trips to empty beaches and villas that cost less than a room in Zurich. Broadly speaking, the picture is accurate – on the ground, Bali is spectacularly cheap by Swiss standards. What the clips neatly leave out: flights eat up more than half the budget, and Canggu is no hidden gem any more, but rush hour on scooters.
Getting there: this is where it’s decided
Zurich–Denpasar is only available with a stopover – via Doha (Qatar Airways), Singapore (Singapore Airlines) or Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), with a journey time of 17 to 20 hours each way. The price range is huge: in the low season, booked 3 to 5 months ahead, CHF 700 to 850 return is realistic; in July/August and around Christmas, that quickly turns into 1100 to 1400. The whole CHF 1500 calculation stands or falls on that one ticket.
On the ground: cheaper than any hype
A homestay with breakfast in Ubud or Sanur costs CHF 20 to 35 per night, while the TikTok-famous pool villa starts at CHF 50 to 70 – split between two, it is almost absurdly cheap. Food at a warung: CHF 3 to 6, at an Instagram café CHF 8 to 12. Scooter hire: CHF 5 to 7 a day, a day trip with driver around CHF 45. With CHF 35 to 45 a day, you’ll live very well; with 60, luxuriously.
The honest 2-week total
Per person, low season (May, June, September, October): flight via Doha CHF 780, 13 nights in a homestay/guesthouse 330 (shared double room), food and drink 190, scooter, driver and excursions 130, visa on arrival approx. 35, SIM and odds and ends 30. Total: around CHF 1495. It works – by a whisker. In the summer school holidays, on the other hand: flights alone 1200+, total more like 1900 to 2100.
Conclusion: realistic – on two conditions
The verdict of the series: «Bali for under CHF 1500» is no TikTok fairy tale, but it is a timing game. Condition one: travel in the low season and lock in flights at under CHF 850, 3 to 5 months in advance. Condition two: homestays instead of resorts – they are the better side of Bali anyway. And plan at least 2 weeks: with 20 hours of travel each way, anything less simply is not worth it.