A comfortable retirement works out cheaper in Bali, Indonesia — around £1,900/month for a couple, versus £2,300 in Greece (about 17% more).
Cost of living, side by side
| Bali, Indonesia | Greece | |
|---|---|---|
| Modest (couple/mo) | £1,200 | £1,600 |
| Comfortable (couple/mo) | £1,900 | £2,300 |
| Premium (couple/mo) | £3,000 | £3,700 |
Indicative monthly estimates for a couple — real costs vary by location, lifestyle and exchange rates.
Bali, Indonesia: Foreigners can't own freehold land, but can hold property via leasehold or the 'Hak Pakai' right-to-use.
Greece: Foreigners can buy property freely in Greece.
Bali, Indonesia: The KITAS and second-home visa routes are the common paths for longer stays.
Greece: Residency-by-investment and other routes attract retirees; passive-income options exist.
Bali, Indonesia: Southern Bali has decent private clinics and hospitals (such as BIMC and Siloam) for routine and moderate care, but serious emergencies are often referred to Singapore, so comprehensive international insurance is strongly advised; everyday consultations are inexpensive and usually paid out of pocket.
Greece: Greece's public ESY system covers residents (retirees often via a UK S1 form), and private care is high-quality, affordable and frequently English-speaking, with the best hospitals in Athens and Thessaloniki; many expats buy private cover for roughly £80-250 a month depending on age.
Bali, Indonesia: Indonesian tax residents (183+ days) are taxed on worldwide income on a progressive scale up to 35%, with relief available under the UK-Indonesia double-tax treaty; the retirement KITAS and Second Home visas do not by themselves exempt a foreign pension, so take advice on residency and what you remit.
Greece: A retiree who moves tax residence to Greece can elect a flat 7% tax on all foreign income, including pensions, for up to 15 years (you must not have been Greek-resident for five of the prior six years and must spend 183+ days a year there); otherwise standard progressive rates apply, so take advice.
Bali, Indonesia: Tropical and warm all year (high 20s to low 30s C); the dry season from roughly April to October is the best time, with a humid, wetter monsoon from November to March. Very friendly and generally safe; English is widely spoken in tourist and expat areas, but traffic is chaotic and driving is on the left, so many retirees prefer to hire a driver.
Greece: Classic Mediterranean with hot dry summers and mild winters, the islands and south being warmest; late spring and early autumn are the loveliest months. Greece is very safe and famously welcoming; English is widely spoken in tourist and expat areas, driving is on the right, and the relaxed pace suits many British retirees.
Bali, Indonesia: Foreigners cannot own freehold land, so buying is via long leasehold (Hak Sewa, commonly 25-30 years) or a Hak Pakai right-to-use title (which needs a KITAS); budget notary and legal fees of around 1%, plus a 5% acquisition duty (BPHTB) on a Hak Pakai transfer, and always use an independent lawyer to check title.
Greece: Budget around 5-8% in one-off costs, a 3.09% transfer tax on resale homes (new builds may carry 24% VAT, currently suspended), notary about 1-2%, land registry near 0.5%, plus legal and agent fees; buying typically takes one to three months.
Bali, Indonesia: Sanur for a calm, flat, walkable beach town popular with retirees, Ubud for a green cultural base inland, Seminyak and Canggu for lively well-serviced coastal living, and Uluwatu for clifftop scenery.
Greece: Crete for a large island with hospitals, airports and year-round life, Peloponnese towns like Kalamata for value and nature, Athens for the best services and flights, and islands such as Rhodes or Corfu for classic island living.
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