Two holiday islands, two different hemispheres and cultures, which one do you choose? Weighing up the choice between Bali and Mykonos is something that many people are likely to do and it’s hard to do so without all the facts at your fingertips.
So, we thought we’d put together a head-to-head comparison of the two places with all the information you need to pick your next destination based on your needs.
Let’s take a deep dive into the important stuff and see whether Bali or Mykonos should be your next holiday spot.
Bali In Brief: What’s It Like?
Bali is a paradise island that often appears on the top of people’s bucket lists. It’s set in the Indian Ocean in the Indonesian Archipelago.
It has its own unique Hindi culture which is quite separate from the rest of Indonesia and its cultural heritage dates back well over a thousand years. There are temples, museums, art galleries and many other attractions to keep tourists entertained.
The island is home to many natural wonders too from the world heritage site Subak system, to endless waterfalls and two incredible active volcanoes.
The beaches are pretty awesome too with pristine white sand beaches and stunning black volcanic sand beaches, there’s something for everyone.
And the Balinese people themselves are world-renowned for their hospitality and kindness towards visitors.
Mykonos In Brief: What’s It Like?
Mykonos is a holiday island among the Greek islands and its hilly charm with quiet roads and villages makes it a popular holiday spot for Europeans.
The beaches are attractive and well kept and on the North Coast, they’re often barely visited without a soul in sight.
The South Coast, on the other hand, is humming. It’s full of tourist attractions and nightlife, it’s well known for its glitz and glamour and the celebrities that regularly frequent the upmarket clubs.
However, it has a reputation for being expensive even when compared to other Greek Islands and some say that the locals see tourists more as walking ATMs than as guests.
Bali Vs Mykonos: Head-To-Head Comparison
So, let’s put the two islands head-to-head in a variety of categories that will help you decide if you want to visit one or the other based on your own criteria and circumstances.
At the end, we will decide on a “winner” based on the number of categories that each island dominates, but we are sure that no matter where you holiday, you’ll have a great time.
Beaches In Bali Vs Beaches In Mykonos
Mykonos has some lovely beaches, particularly in the South of the island which draws an awful lot of visitors. However, it’s also fair to say that many of these beaches are so popular that they are now buried beneath beach club daybeds and deckchairs.
In many of the best beaches, it will cost you $50 USD ($75 AUD) just to grab a seat and even then, you will be left with the view of the back of someone’s head.
If you get away from the tourists to the North of the island, the beaches are very nice and are often completely deserted. But maybe too deserted, leaving you with issues of where to get a drink or some food or rent any water sports equipment you need.
Bali has many lovely beaches and they’re spread evenly around the island. While there are a few beaches in Bali – Kuta and Seminyak, in particular – that get quite crowded, you won’t find a beach where there’s barely room to turn around.
You’ll also find that if you rent a deckchair, that it won’t cost anything like $50 and if you want to take a seat in a beach club, you may have to agree to a minimum spend but most of the best beach clubs don’t charge an entrance fee.
No matter which beach you choose in Bali, you’ll find that there are equipment rental services, food and drink, etc. not too far away.
Overall, both places have lovely beaches, but we’d give this category to Bali for convenience’s sake and for costs.
Water Sports In Bali Vs Water Sports In Mykonos
Mykonos is not well-known for water sports and while it is possible to get involved in most water sports on the island, they tend to come with a pretty steep price tag.
Overall, the majority of people on the island seem to head to Ornos and Kalafatis beaches if they want to get involved in water sports, with many of the other popular beaches catering exclusively to the party crowd.
Bali has one of the best water sports scenes in Asia and it’s a legendary surfing destination. Een on Berawa Beach, home of the world’s best beach club, FINNS Beach Club, you will find surfers lining the shore in the early morning to catch the best waves.
Head to Nusa Dua, the family-friendly resort town, and you can try just about any water sport in nearby Tanjung Benoa.
Sanur is amazing for watersports, Uluwatu a professional surfer’s dream, Menjangan Island in the little visited West Bali National Park is perfect for divers, and so on.
In short, Bali is the best water sports destination and on this, it’s not even close.
Safety In Bali Vs Safety In Mykonos
In general, both Bali and Mykonos are safe places for tourists and much safer than the average Western city.
Neither place has much in the way of violent crime and what little violent crime affects tourists on the island tends to be caused by drunken antics in the various bars and clubs, rather than locals targeting tourists.
Both islands do have issues with petty crime and pickpocketing, bag snatching, and burglary are not unknown in either place though the vast majority of tourists return home without any unpleasantness.
So, overall, this category is a draw. There’s no doubt that you’re going to be in safe hands in either place.
We should note that if you intend to visit Mykonos for more than tourism and are seeking an expat lifestyle, there is a local mafia that poses serious issues when setting up a business on that island, but it won’t impact tourists in any way.
Things To Do In Bali Vs Things To Do In Mykonos
There is a reasonable amount of things to do in Mykonos with the beaches being very popular, the old towns and villages looking awesome, some churches, lighthouses and even windmills.
Plus, you can always take a cruise to other islands in the area – a day trip to the ruins on Delos is popular, along with a sunset cruise just to enjoy the sunset.
However, Bali has much more to offer than Mykonos to tourists. There are endless temples, waterfalls, rice fields, museums, etc. to explore.
There are waterparks, recreation centres, haunted theme parks, and much more to get around.
And Bali has interesting villages, lovely beaches, diving spots too. In fact, as Indonesia’s tourism center, there’s been huge investment in Bali to ensure that visitors are never bored.
So, while Mykonos does have things to do, Bali wins this category because there’s a lot more to do.
Nightlife In Bali Vs Nightlife In Mykonos
Bali and Mykonos are world famous for their nightlife and you can enjoy a serious spot of partying around Ornos, Psarou Beach and Paradise Beach.
However, you will need to be prepared to pay for it. A beer can cost as much as 10 Euro in a club (that’s around $11.50 USD or $17 AUD). A cocktail can easily set you back twice that.
And don’t forget the entrance fees which can run from 30 Euro (roughly $35 USD or $50 AUD) to 100 Euro (around $115 USD or $150 AUD) and don’t tend to include any drinks.
Bali is home to FINNS the world’s best beach club and it also has endless nightclubs, bars, pubs, etc. particularly around the Seminyak, Canggu and Kuta areas but there’s some nightlife in places like Ubud, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, etc. too.
It’s reputation for partying is well deserved but it’s nowhere near as expensive as Mykonos. You can get a beer in a club for around $6 USD or $9 AUD, sometimes even less with happy hour pricing. A cocktail is unlikely to cost more than $12 USD.
Entrance fees, if they are charged, are reasonable ($10 – $20 USD or $15-$30 AUD) and often include a drink as part of the fee. The only exception to this is for big events such as those held on New Year’s Eve when prices can go up.
Sure, you can have a great time in both places, but if you want bang for buck, there’s no doubt that Bali wins this category. You can have a week of good times in Bali, for the price of a couple of nights out in Mykonos.
Culture In Bali Vs Culture In Mykonos
While Greek culture is most definitely ancient and interesting, Mykonos itself isn’t home to much of the ancient Greek civilization. That leaves a museum or two to explore, an old church and some nice villages (there’s no doubt that the rows of white houses are very attractive).
Bali, on the other hand, is a cultural enclave. It is the only majority Hindu place in all of Southeast Asia and the island’s culture is world famous.
Not only are there endless temples, festivals, statues, museums, etc. for you to explore but the culture has led to the Balinese being considered among the most friendly and welcoming people on Earth.
In Mykonos, however, the tourism industry has led to some local businesses being perceived as only interested in money, not in the tourists who bring it with them.
We’d say that this category is a surprisingly easy win for Bali.
Food In Bali Vs Food In Mykonos
Greek food vs Balinese food is a tough one. There’s no doubt that we love our babi guling, sate liliit and ayam betutu served with lashing of nasi campur, nasi goreng, mie goreng, etc. and Indonesia as a whole has a really wide range of cuisines to draw on.
Bali is also home to some of the world’s best restaurants and you can find pretty much any cuisine you want here. While there are no Michelin stars in Bali, that’s because the Michelin Guide doesn’t operate in Indonesia, not because there are no deserving restaurants.
Mykonos is great too and we love Kopanisti, Kremidopita and Lazarakia as much as anyone and there’s no doubt that the island has some excellent fine dining restaurants too.
Overall, we think this category is too close to call and we’re going to make it a tie both Bali and Mykonos have amazing food.
Aesthetics Matter: Bali Or Mykonos?
Mykonos has a very charming rustic feel to it and the picturesque villages that litter the countryside are charming, the beaches are lovely and even Mykonos Town is an attractive place.
Bali, on the other hand, isn’t always as pretty as Mykonos in its most built-up areas, but it has far more landscapes to choose from. Dramatic volcanic beaches and towering volcanoes, gorgeous rice terraces, powerful waterfalls and so much more.
Overall, it’s impossible to choose between these two beautiful places and we think we’d call this category a tie.
Which Has The Better Shopping? Bali Or Mykonos?
Bali is awesome for shopping if you like designer fashion and boutique stores selling the latest from international and local designers at reasonable prices.
However, because of its location in the archipelago, there’s no doubt that many imported goods, particularly electronics are more expensive in Bali than elsewhere.
Mykonos is, on the other hand, able to draw on its position within the European Union to cater to shoppers of all types and sizes.
It’s also very keen to serve the well-heeled and if you like high-end designer fashion, you will be spoilt for choice in Mykonos.
Overall, they’re both great for shoppers, but we’d give Mykonos the edge if you’ve got a large stack of cash burning a hole in your pocket and you want to splurge.
Which Island Is Best For Digital Nomads Mykonos Or Bali?
Canggu and Ubud in Bali are two of the world’s top digital nomad destinations. The balance of affordability, luxury and things to do make Bali a big draw for nomads in Southeast Asia.
In fact, while the two areas above are ripe with co-working, co-living, and nomad meetups, much of the island has facilities where the itinerant worker can plug in and get their business flowing.
It’s not impossible to be a digital nomad in Mykonos, of course, but it is far more expensive than in Bali and the island is not really home to a large number of digital nomads.
That means there aren’t many (if any) meetups and you might need to travel a long way from your accommodation to find a coworking space or nomad-friendly cafe to work from.
This category is no contest, Bali is, by far, the better place for digital nomads to work and play from.
Which Island Is Best For Expats, Mykonos Or Bali?
Mykonos is home to a small expat community much of which is either retired Europeans or people working in the island’s tourism industry.
It’s fair to say that it’s not one of the more popular places to retire in Europe though given that it has a high cost of living when compared to other equally attractive Greek islands and much of the rest of the Mediterranean.
Bali makes it very easy to retire in the country and it’s a very popular retirement destination for Australians and other expats. It also has a large tourism industry which provides employment for expatriate workers.
Overall, Bali has a bigger expatriate population and that makes it the winner in this category – Bali is better for expats.
Bang For Buck: Which Is Better Value Mykonos Or Bali?
This is very much a walkover on day-to-day costs of living. Bali is cheaper in nearly every respect than Mykonos and on a like-for-like basis.
Assuming that you’re not in the market for high-end luxury imported goods (one area where Mykonos and Bali are probably competitive) then food, drink, accommodation, entertainment, etc. are all substantially cheaper in Bali.
That means Bali is the hands down winner in this category. You can enjoy a meal and some drinks at FINNS in Bali in a comfortable seat with a view of the ocean and the use of an infinity pool, for the price of renting a deckchair in Mykonos, for example.
Flight Costs
Obviously, flight costs will vary depending on where you are flying from but typically (based on Google Flights data on the day of publication, this may vary seasonally, etc. too):
Sydney to Bali round trip (economy class) – is about $400 USD ($600 AUD)
Sydney to Mykonos round trip (economy class) – is about $1,500 USD ($2,250 AUD)
London to Bali round trip (economy class) – is about $750 USD ($1,125 AUD)
London to Mykonos round trip (economy class) – is about $300 USD ($450 AUD)
New York to Bali round trip (economy class) – is about $1,000 USD ($1,500 AUD)
New York to Mykonos round trip (economy class) – is about $700 USD ($1,050 AUD)
Hotel Costs
However, while flight costs are slightly higher to Bali than to Mykonos, you can easily save the difference on accommodation.
To make the comparison fair and easy, we took an international brand – Radisson Blu and compared them.
In Mykonos, for a 2 week holiday – a room for 2 will cost $7,217 USD (over $10,600 AUD) in July, that’s $555 USD a night ($830 AUD)
In Bali, for the same 2 week holiday – a room for 2 will cost $5,227 USD (around $7,800 AUD) ni July, that’s $402 USD (or $603 AUD).
In short, spend two weeks in Bali, and you will find the savings on the room pay for your flights entirely, no matter where you’re flying from.
You’ll also find that villa accommodation, 5-star resorts, hostels, mid-range hotels, etc. are all cheaper on a like-for-like basis in Bali.
That’s going to leave you plenty of money for some great nights out.
Final Round Up Bali Vs Mykonos
So, Mykonos won the best shopping category and drew in the most attractive and best food categories.
But Bali won all the other categories and quite convincingly. There’s a reason that Bali is extremely popular with Australians and those who’ve discovered its charms come back again and again and it’s that it offers amazing experiences for less money than other top holiday destinations.
So, why not book a flight and try the Island of Gods, yourself? It’s the only way to know for sure that Bali is the best holiday destination.
FAQs
Has Bali Become Too Touristy?
No. While Bali saw around 6 million visitors in 2024, it’s a large island in the archipelago and the majority of tourists only visit the Southern Beach towns and the Central town of Ubud.
In fact, places like North Bali, East Bali and the West Bali National Park still have huge potential for increases in tourist volumes without crowding anyone out.
There’s no doubt that the post-pandemic years have been good for tourism in Bali and that there are sometimes challenges raised by tourism on the island, but there’s still space for every visitor that wants to come and enjoy this slice of paradise in the Indian Ocean.
Which Is Better Mykonos Or Bali?
In our head-to-head (see above) we compared the two islands in many different ways and overall, we came to the conclusion that Bali is going to be a better holiday destination for many visitors than Mykonos.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t have a great time on the Greek island, of course you can, but it does mean that you can have an even better time in Bali.
Is Mykonos In Bali?
No, Mykonos is not in Bali. It’s a Greek island in Europe in the Northern Hemisphere, whereas Bali is in the Indonesian Archipelago in the Southern Hemisphere.
Bali is a fully tropical island whereas Mykonos is above the tropic of Capricorn and thus, subject to more seasonal weather variation than Bali is.
Bali Or Mykonos Which Is Cheaper?
Bali is part of the developing nation of Indonesia in Southeast Asia, a part of the world famous for its low-cost but high-standards of living.
Mykonos, on the other hand, is part of Greece which is part of the European Union. It’s a highly developed part of the world in an area famed for its high cost of living.
It won’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that Bali is cheaper than Mykonos on a day-to-day basis and that if you were to spend a couple of weeks in Bali, even when you factor in the cost of flights, it’s likely to be cheaper than spending two weeks in Mykonos.
Of course, if you have a fixed budget, you might decide to boost your stay in Bali compared to an equivalent length of stay in Mykonos.
Is Bali Still Worth Visiting?
Yes! In fact, we’d suggest that if you want to experience a paradise island in the tropics, there’s never been a better time to visit Bali than right now.
Imagine the joys of seeing the world’s finest sunset, walking over soft sands, enjoying a cold coconut and listening to the sounds of the ocean against the shore.
Bali is a place that tops travel bucket lists the world over and it’s because there’s nowhere else like it on Earth.
Final Thoughts On Bali Vs Mykonos
As you can see from our round-up, both Bali and Mykonos have plenty to offer visitors, but there’s no doubt in our minds that Bali is going to appeal more to most holidaymakers.
It has more to do, more to see, it’s better value for money and has amazing nightlife including the legendary world’s best beach club, FINNS.
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