This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Christin Baumgarten, 39, about living in Bali with her husband and two kids. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I’d visited before for two weeks and loved how relaxed I felt there. I was going there for a PR and marketing internship, and was looking forward to learning new things in the marketing field and to Bali’s slower pace of life.
Bali has been my home for a decade now. I met my now-husband here, and we have two children.
I think Bali is a great place to raise kids, but I’ve also noticed things have changed a lot over the years because of the tourist and expat presence. I’m not yet sure whether my family and I will stay in our area long-term.
I moved to Bali when it was becoming known as an emerging startup hub
I initially just planned to stay in Bali for the length of the three-month internship.
After moving, I got to know a lot of people who started companies here. Back then, there was a wave of startups being found in Bali. I remember the BBC comparing it to Silicon Valley.
I went to a networking event and met the then-CEO of a business communication company. I told her my internship was finishing, and I was offered an internship with her company, which led to a full-time role as the social media marketing manager.
I’ve been working there ever since but shifted roles to become an operations manager three years ago.
Once I was hired, I switched from a social visa to a KITAS, a temporary residence permit, and am now on a KITAP, a permanent stay permit that foreigners with Indonesian spouses are eligible for.
I was lonely at first, but now I have a husband and 2 kids here
Initially, I found Bali a bit lonely. It was difficult to meet people staying here more than a few months.
I made very good Indonesian friends, but it would’ve been nice to have more expat connections.
My mind wasn’t completely set on staying initially, so I wasn’t really investing in building relationships. I didn’t take a course in the local language until a year and a half in. While I mostly speak English with Indonesian friends, those classes were a great way to meet other expats.
Things are a bit different now that I have a family.
I met my husband in 2014, the same year I moved. We didn’t start dating until 2015 and got married in 2019. We had a daughter in 2020 and a son in 2023.
My husband is Indonesian, and we feel very integrated into the local community. He currently runs a café and a guest house we opened in Sumatra, the island he’s from, traveling back and forth from Bali as needed.
My daughter is going to kindergarten, and she loves it. In general, Indonesian people are really good with children. If we go to a restaurant, no one gets upset if kids are loud or have a tantrum, and waiters will actually entertain them.
Years ago, we planned to move to Germany, where I’m from, when the kids reached schooling age because education is free. Schooling in an international curriculum in Bali is expensive.
My husband would be open to relocating to Germany for our family, but the language and visa requirements would be challenging.
More recently, we’ve found a range of international education options in Bali, and by the time my daughter is old enough, we may find something that suits her better than moving to Germany, where the kids would have to make new friends.
Tourism has driven up the cost of living in Bali
I’d say that as an expat, I’m making more than the average local person in Bali, but I still don’t think I could afford the luxury lifestyle that Bali is being promoted for, like the villas and pools.
Demand for rentals has gone up. During COVID-19, Bali was dead, and I don’t think anyone expected people to come back so fast in the numbers they have. One reason I’m aware of is people are drawn to the investment option of building villas in Bali. Another is that following the Ukraine war, lots of people from Russia and Ukraine have moved to Bali.
Rents have risen dramatically in some areas. We have a long-term rental agreement for the house we live in now, so we haven’t been impacted by this yet.
Other prices have also increased, making it harder for local people to afford their lifestyles. When we shop at local markets, we notice the price of chicken and vegetables has gone up. New hotels and big restaurants are driving up demand — it seems that Bali wants to keep attracting more tourists who are willing to spend more money.
Things have changed significantly and I’m not sure if we’ll stay where we are or move
Bali has become more Westernized in recent years. The area I live in, Renon, was known as a small little town with original restaurants, but it has changed completely. There are more houses villas, grocery marts and shops. We have new things to do, like going shopping or to playgrounds, but I miss the feeling of Bali — the calmness — it used to have.
There’s more traffic now and I notice I feel annoyed going from one place to the other. Rice fields are disappearing and more land is being built on.
My family will probably continue to live in Bali for a few years. Raising kids here is great, and so are the people and environment.
But with how things are developing, I’m not sure we’ll continue to stay in our area. It’s becoming too crowded and touristy.
We’d perhaps consider moving elsewhere in Bali. There are places, such as in the east and north of Bali, that are less touristy. We have considered moving to the island of Sumatra, where my husband is from, but the volume and quality of schools and hospitals aren’t as good as in Bali.
I still really enjoy living in Bali. I understand why people are flocking here, but for people who have been here for so long, like me, there have been big changes — and a lot of the original things have been lost.
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