They’re both in Indonesia but if you were going on holiday to just one destination in this archipelago would you pick its most famous island – Bali or its capital city – Jakarta on the island of Java?
Given that these are both very different destinations, we decided to put them head-to-head and weigh them against each other.
This will help you make an informed decision on whether you want to visit Bali or Jakarta this year.
Bali In Brief: What’s It Like?
Bali is a beautiful island in the Indonesian archipelago. It has a unique Hindu culture when most of the country is Muslim.
It’s famous for its beaches, temples, forests, and natural beauty. It’s also well-known for the kind and compassionate people who welcome every visitor to their land.
That’s not to say that it’s a sedate place, it’s also famous for its nightlife and beach clubs and you can easily find something in Bali to suit nearly every person’s idea of a good time.
Jakarta: What’s It Like?
Jakarta is a huge city, verging on mega-city status, it’s the capital of a relatively new and developing nation.
It has some stunning modern neighbourhoods of skyscrapers and modern shopping complexes, and older neighbourhoods of cultural significance and even a few slums.
It’s famous for its traffic, its business environment and for being busy all day long, every day. If you’ve experienced a big city in any part of Asia before, you will already have some idea of what to expect in Jakarta.
Bali Vs Jakarta Destination Comparison
We use a standard format on this site to compare two destinations to ensure that the comparisons are fair and that we weigh up concerns that visitors may have before they decide to visit Jakarta or Bali.
This enables us to be reasonably objective and offer insight that allows you, the reader, to tailor your holiday experiences based on your own preferences.
Beaches In Bali Vs Beaches In Jakarta
There’s really only one beach in Jakarta proper and that’s Ancol Beach a tiny splash of sand by the water which is usually overcrowded and covered in rubbish.
The greater metropolitan area has a few more beaches, but to get to a good beach from Jakarta proper, you’re talking a 3-4 hour drive. We don’t consider that to be a part of Jakarta anymore.
You can always go offshore to the One Thousand Islands region, which isn’t too far way, but that’s not really Jakarta, either.
Whereas Bali has plenty of amazing beaches to offer people and while some are a long drive from Denpasar Airport, most of them are within an hour’s drive of the airport – Sanur, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Legian, and Jimbaran all spring immediately to mind.
And sure, this may not be the fairest of categories to start with for Jakarta but we try to carry out all of our comparisons in Southeast Asia (including those in Indonesia and other countries) on the same basis for overall fairness.
Bali wins the best beaches hands down and no, it’s not even close.
Water Sports In Bali Vs Water Sports In Jakarta
The capital city has many things going for it and we’re sure that you can find an indoor or outdoor pool and get some swimming done but it’s not a place that anyone goes to for water sports.
The absence of beaches we’ve already discussed in our Jakarta/Bali round-up up but the bright city lights simply don’t lead to large bodies of water where you can take up water sports, either.
In stark contrast, Bali has some incredible water sports destinations and many international brands in this area of sports can be found sponsoring contests on the beautiful beaches of the jewel of Indonesia’s ten thousand islands.
You can find plenty of surfing spots anywhere in Bali but most locals and tourists in the know would recommend Tanjung Benoa as the place to go for the most variety of water sports.
We’d also say that if you like relaxed living, then Sanury is also a great place to learn many water sports and it’s got some of the safest water on the island too.
So, Bali wins our second category without breaking a sweat too.
Safety In Bali Vs Safety In Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital city of a developing nation. As any local will tell you, cities in developing nations often have unsavoury characters hanging around.
While you are unlikely to fall victim to violent crime in the capital unless you are very unlucky, pickpocketing and petty crime are rife. There’s a reason that nearly all the expats who live in houses in Jakarta live on compounds too – burglary is a serious issue.
Tourists in the city are advised to leave valuables in their hotels, make sure that they use the safes in those hotels and take all precautions against theft.
Bali isn’t perfect, by any means, but it is considered a generally safe destination with some petty crime and pickpocketing but almost no violent crime (at least, not from locals, tourists sometimes manage to start bar fights with a little help from the alcohol).
You can walk through most parts of the island even late at night in relative safety and that’s a real positive.
Bali is a popular spot with tourists and thus, it makes sense for the local government to keep any issues under control to avoid spoiling the island’s reputation.
Thus, Bali wins in the overall safety category too. Having said this, Jakarta isn’t a highly dangerous place by any means and as long as you have your wits about you, we think most people can visit the capital of Indonesia without any real issues.
Things To Do In Bali Vs Things To Do In Jakarta
This category is interesting. We can easily find over 100 things for tourists to do in Bali & Jakarta. If you visit Jakarta you might hit up the National Museum, see the miniature Indonesia Park, walk around Merdeka Square, find a mosque and see how the locals worship, etc.
Jakarta is a huge city, though, and one of the downsides of there being a lot to do is that many of the attractions are very far apart from each other. There’s nothing worse than spending most of your holiday in a traffic jam, inching towards the next thing to do.
Bali, on the other hand, is a lot of small towns and that makes it much easier to find lots of things to do that are all close by to each other – Canggu, Ubud and Kuta, in particular, are popular places for day trips even if you don’t rent a room in those areas because of how much they each have to do.
Sure, you might spend some time in traffic getting to an area, but once you’re in that area, you can often walk between the different things you want to see.
So, while this category is close, we’re going to say that Bali is better than Jakarta when it comes to things to do.
Nightlife In Bali Vs Nightlife In Jakarta
You might be thinking that the big city lights would make the Jakarta – Bali tie-up here really interesting, but sadly, it’s not to be.
Jakarta has plenty of nightlife, of course, but sadly for tourists, it’s mainly focused on the local market as it is in most cities in Asia.
The locals tend to approach clubs very differently to Westerners and they tend to go out in large groups, sit at pre-booked tables, and then drink.
They don’t mingle, they don’t dance and makes it hard to have a good time as an outsider.
That means if you want to have an amazing time in Jakarta’s nightclubs, you need to take a large group with you.
For sure, you can find the occasional expat bar or hangout where things are a little different but mainly, Jakarta’s nightlife is aimed at Jakartans.
Bali, on the other hand, is famous around the world for its wild nightlife from amazing beach clubs like FINNS, the world’s best beach club, to some of the largest nightclubs in the world, to bars, restaurants and pubs galore all of which are aimed at tourists.
Bali is a more welcoming and open environment at night for couples or individuals, large groups will have a good time too, mind you.
There’s nothing in Jakarta that compares to FINNS, Shi Shi or Klymax in Bali or even to Zouk in Singapore for that matter.
This turns out to be a no-brainer, unless you’re a local, the nightlife in Bali is far superior to the nightlife in Jakarta.
Cultural Highlights In Bali Vs Cultural Highlights In Jakarta
There’s no doubt that Jakarta has cultural attractions, like the National Museum that we mentioned earlier.
But like most big metropolitan cities, its own culture is somewhat fluid. Islam is the dominant religion in Java, but Indonesia isn’t a strict Islamic nation like say, Saudi Arabia.
That means Jakarta is often a melting pot and most locals are free to practice the religion and culture they want to be involved with.
Bali, however, has a very distinct and defined culture. This tiny Hindu enclave is world renowned for being the “Island of the Gods” and it has over 20,000 temples!
There are museums, dance performances, shadow puppets and so much more to enjoy.
The friendly, easy-going nature of the locals is also legendary and that means, we think Bali wins for cultural highlights too.
What’s The Food Like In Bali Vs Jakarta?
We love the food in Indonesia and there’s no doubt that you can find amazing Javanese food in Jakarta. There’s also a pretty reasonable choice of other food options in the city as you’d expect from a place of its size.
One thing we really like about Jakarta is that it draws people in from all over Indonesia and you can try most Indonesian cuisines in the city.
However, Google for “best restaurants in Jakarta” and you’ll only find some very short lists. Try the same for Bali and you will find whole books masquerading as blog posts.
That’s because Bali is built for tourists and many of the best international chefs in Indonesia are deployed to Bali to build brands.
There are no Michelin stars in Indonesia at all – the Michelin Guide doesn’t operate here, but Bali has plenty of chefs who’ve earned stars elsewhere and several restaurants that ought to win stars if the Guide ever does come.
So, if we’re just comparing the local food – Bali and Jakarta both have awesome options and we’d be happy to eat in either place.
But once we start looking for something more than just a sate restaurant, then Bali really starts to show its value. The prices are cheaper in Bali too, in the main.
So, in this category, Bali wins over Jakarta – there are more options, they’re easier to get to and whether you like local or international food, you can find it easily in Bali.
Aesthetics Matter: Jakarta Or Bali?
Jakarta is a big city. It’s also quite a modern city by global standards as it’s only fairly recently that Jakarta became the capital of Indonesia at all.
Technically, it’s not the capital anymore; that’s “Nusantara”, but as Nusantara hasn’t been fully developed yet, Jakarta still serves as the capital.
That means if you like concrete and glass, there’s a lot of it in Jakarta. There are also a few attractive areas in the city with some of the old city still peeking through.
But there are also, as with every major city in developing nations, quite a few slums and people living in the city have to rub shoulders with that fact every single day.
Bali, on the other hand, was built for tourism and that means it’s built to be attractive. The hotels and resorts are gorgeous and many of the tourist attractions in the South of the island are amazing too.
It also has an incredible array of natural beauty, waterfalls, rice terraces, caves, cliffs, jungles, and beaches. The land is famed for being attractive.
That’s not to say there are no ugly parts of Bali; there are. But they’re few and far between, and a lot of effort has gone into keeping most tourists away from the less attractive parts of the island.
So, when it comes to looks (and you shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover, even though we all do), Bali is a more attractive place than Jakarta and it’s not even close.
Bang For Buck: Which Is Better Value Jakarta Or Bali?
If you want to try living like a local in very modest circumstances, Jakarta can be very cheap, but it means living a long way out of what most visitors would consider to be the “city” and in circumstances that pose a genuine risk to your safety.
And to be fair, if you opt to live in the middle of nowhere in Bali, it’s going to be cheaper than living in a remote part of Jakarta.
But try living like an expat in a nice part of the city in a comfortable and large apartment or in one of the more central hotels and resorts, and you will find that Jakarta is nowhere near as cheap as it once was. In fact, it’s probably the most expensive part of Indonesia (excluding a few small neighbourhoods inhabited by the super-wealthy).
Whereas, while Bali has some expensive accommodation (it’s home to more $1,000+ per night hotel rooms than anywhere else in the world). There’s always somewhere more reasonably priced to stay around where you want to be.
You can live as cheaply or as expensively as you want in Bali and you don’t have to compromise on your standard of living to do so. If you want to stay longer than a tourist, you can still rent a room in a guest house in some parts of Bali for less than $300 a month and you can get a studio apartment in the most popular areas for under $500 a month too.
Overall, Bali offers more bang for the buck than Jakarta in most circumstances. Sure, there are exceptions to this rule, but we’re speaking generally here.
Which Has The Better Shopping? Bali Or Jakarta?
If you want to buy international brands then Jakarta is the place to be. Rather like Manila in the Philippines, this part of Indonesia loves its malls.
You can find an endless number of chain stores represented and even high-end famous brands too. But you will need to search around for local brands and there’s much less emphasis on local shopping than in Bali.
Bali, on the other hand, is the kind of place that tourists are going to love to shop in. There are markets galore, boutique stores nearly everywhere in the major beach towns and yes, Bali has a few shopping malls with international brands in them too.
If you live in Indonesia, Jakarta might edge this category, but if you visit, Bali probably does. So, we’re going to call this one a tie. Both Bali and Jakarta are great places to go shopping.
Getting Around: Jakarta & Bali Transport Options
Bali has almost no public transportation and there’s no doubt that this could be a source of frustration when you visit the island except for the fact that it does have ride-sharing – Grab and Gojek being the two most popular apps.
Ride-sharing is so cheap when compared to Western countries and is both safe and convenient.
Sure, there isn’t “no public transportation” at all – FINNS has a shuttle service around Berawa, there’s a dangerous boat taxi service on the coast, and a decent public bus service that isn’t very convenient but mainly you either use your own transport or you use a ride-sharing app in Bali.
This means that if you visit Bali and then visit Jakarta, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised that the capital city has quite a lot of public transportation.
There are trains and buses, as well as taxis and Grab and Gojek. Now, it’s also fair to say that while traffic in Bali is terrible, it’s worse in Jakarta.
So, you may find that the public transportation takes a very long time to take you from A to B.
However, in this category, there’s no doubt that Jakarta is the winner.
Which Place Is Best For Digital Nomads Jakarta Or Bali?
Jakarta is a big city, a seriously big city, and that means that of course there are co-working spaces, coffee shops where you can work and decent Wi-Fi connections.
However, it’s not a popular place with digital nomads mainly because it’s a big city and because the traffic makes getting around a city as big as Jakarta really challenging.
Bali, on the other hand, is probably the second most popular spot with digital nomads in Southeast Asia after Chiang Mai in Thailand.
The beautiful beaches, hospitable local people, relatively low cost of living, etc. are a major draw for folks who are working on international salaries or incomes and want to hugely increase their standard of living.
Living in Bali means day trips to exotic locales, amazing food, a chance to explore a tropical island, having fun, and never having too much time to worry, it’s a place that your family and friends will love to visit and when they get there the resorts and hotels are amazing.
Overall, when every town is happy to cater to nomads (especially if they have money) then Bali beats Jakarta hands down for digital nomad life.
Which Place Is Best For Expats Jakarta Or Bali?
We’ve lived in Bali a lot and occasionally, we’ve had reasons to spend a night or two (or more) in a hotel in Jakarta and thus, we’ve met a lot of expats in Indonesia over the years.
One thing we’d note immediately is that when you visit Jakarta, many of the locals and expats are excited to hear you’re from Bali and they immediately want to talk about their plans to visit this part of Indonesia.
They want to hit up the beaches, taste the food and enjoy the lower prices that Bali has to offer.
Conversely, we rarely hear much enthusiasm when people here in Bali are faced with the prospect of visiting the city of Jakarta for a while.
Generally speaking, there are more expat opportunities in Jakarta than in Bali and, mainly, if you’re driven by money – the pay is likely to be better in Jakarta too.
But the quality of life in most parts of Bali is infinitely better than in Jakarta and given a choice, most expats we’ve spoken to would pick Bali in a heartbeat.
So, Bali wins the battle of the expats because the best place to be as an expat is the place you want to be, which is not always the place that you end up.
Overall Bali Vs Jakarta
So, it’s not always easy to compare an island to a city but we’ve done our best and here are the final results.
Jakarta had better public transportation than Bali.
We felt that Jakarta and Bali were equally good places to go shopping.
However, Bali won the categories for best beaches, water sports, safety, things to do, nightlife, cultural highlights, food, aesthetics, value for money, and as the most attractive place for both digital nomads and expats.
That means in our somewhat unscientific but objective head-to-head Bali is going to be a much better holiday destination for most tourists than Jakarta is.
Of course, you could always visit both, internal flights are surprisingly cheap in Indonesia.
FAQs
Is It Cheaper To Go To Bali Or Jakarta?
In part, it will depend on where you’re flying from but assuming that the flight costs are about equal. You can have a better time for less money in Bali than you can in Jakarta as a tourist.
Which Is Nicer Bali Or Jakarta?
Some people really love being in a big city, but the majority of people would take Bali’s beautiful beaches, jungles and temples over the concrete skyscrapers of Jakarta.
Is It Cheaper To Fly To Bali Or Jakarta?
It very much depends on where you fly from. If you’re flying very long distances, there won’t be a lot in the cost of tickets but Bali is a popular destination for holidaymakers and that means you can often get cheaper tickets due to flight availability as opposed to flying to Jakarta.
Is Bali Or Jakarta Better For Kids?
If we were taking children on holiday, we’d rather take them to Bali than Jakarta. It’s a safer, cleaner environment with plenty for children to do and see.
The Balinese people absolutely love children and the hotels and resorts often have excellent facilities for kids too.
There are some cool attractions for children in Jakarta but you would need to plan a family holiday very carefully if you want to be able to get round the city to see them.
Is It Better To Visit Jakarta Or Bali?
If you check out our round-up above, you will see that we came to the conclusion that most people would prefer to visit Bali rather than visit Jakarta.
This is due to a whole range of different factors but mainly it boils down to the fact that Bali is built for tourism.
How To Book A Holiday In Bali?
You can always book your holiday in Bali through the Bali Res Center. A local travel specialist where you can be sure that your money will stay on the island and support local people rather than be siphoned off by a multinational corporation.
Final Thoughts On Bali Or Jakarta
As you can see, when we put them head-to-head, Bali beats Jakarta hands down for most tourists. It will cost less, there’s more to explore, it’s easier to get around (particularly in a car), it’s better set up for holidays, and it’s all about fun.
The capital, on the other hand, has terrible traffic which makes it hard to get around and spend time at its most interesting attractions. That’s not to say that Jakarta is a bad place, it’s just not most people’s ideal holiday destination.
Read more:
Bali Vs Maldives: The Tropical Island Heavyweights Go Head-To-Head
Bali Or Lombok: Which Island Is Best For Your Indonesian Holiday?
Bali Or Gili Islands: One Paradise Island Or Three Tiny Islands?
