What the hell is this title about – favorite type of crisps? French food types? No, it’s about the cost of living, and cheese and onion are central reasons for not living in Bali versus a small town called Lewes in the U.K., where my wife and I were previously stationed with our two kids.
We love Bali – it’s a great place to live, the people are friendly, and it’s full of all the conveniences that make life good. Like top-notch restaurants, sports clubs (I’m a padel addict and my wife loves cross-training and exercise in general), bars, swimming pools, kids’ clubs and activities, shopping centers…you name it, it’s here in Bali.
The problem with Bali is geographic for us; it’s a slog to the U.K. where we have friends and family who we don’t want to lose touch with and miss. Add two kids under five into the mix, and it’s not just a slog to ‘pop back’ – it’s a hellish, costly slog.
We came to Bali after a series of life-changing experiences, some good and some bad. I was in limbo work-wise, and we just wanted to take off and live somewhere else to recalibrate. A change of not just scenery but of culture too, in the form of Bali, was ‘just what the doctor ordered.’ We had fewer reasons not to come to Bali than we did to come here. And so we came here.
When you uproot and relocate, there are a number of things that happen, some of which are obvious and some not so obvious. For example, obviously, the weather we experienced changed, as did the local food. Not so obviously, we found that it is entirely possible to live in a new place where we didn’t know anyone, with a dramatically different culture, a language we don’t speak, and yet, even with two young kids, we have managed to get into a routine and survive well. We’ve created a life in this entirely new place, and it’s all good. Except for ‘Bali belly,’ ‘Dengue,’ and the presence of snakes.
This ‘not so obvious thing’ that’s happened (i.e., we’ve discovered it’s not such a big deal to live somewhere that isn’t the U.K.) is a game-changer in many ways. For example, we’ve figured out that if we miss people in the U.K., then we could live in another country nearer the U.K. so we can easily visit them and maintain those important relationships. Portugal, for example, is a sub-two-hour flight from the U.K., so we could pop back to see friends and family and vice versa; they could easily visit us.
In many ways, this not-so-obvious discovery is problematic, as we now realize we can not only live but probably live better in lots of different countries which are (say) only a few hours’ flight from the U.K. Sure, we have narrowed down the options through our need to be closer to friends and family. One of the ways we can live better is not being subject to things like the crippling costs of living in the U.K., the awful weather, and the crumbling health service. Not being subject to having to buy an expensive house just because it puts us in the catchment area of a school where our kids won’t learn how to carry knives from their peer group. Where we won’t need to work incredibly hard with all the stress that entails, just to get by. We want to work hard to live well, not just to get by.
Ok, you get it now, but what about the cheese, onion, and wine thing? Well, there is a very handy app called ‘cost of living’ which helps frame things logically in terms of…you guessed it…the cost of living in different places. Looking at Bali, there are only three things that are cheaper in Lewes in the U.K. than here in Bali. Again, you probably guessed it…cheese, onions, and wine. Things that I love, but if you’re saving on average 700% on the cost of a meal out in Bali vs Lewes, you won’t mind the occasional 40% additional cost for some cheese. And if energy utilities (gas, electric, etc.) are around 600% less in Bali, you won’t so much mind the 50% extra cost of wine. And if local transport is 2,250% cheaper in Bali, you won’t mind the extra 20% cost of onions here. You get the drift and most likely think it’s blindingly obvious, but it’s nice to have some solid stats, I’m sure you’ll agree.
So, for my expat family, our time so far in Bali has opened our eyes to the fact that this big old planet we find ourselves on has many potential places to live aside from the one we grew up in. Places where we don’t just think we could probably live in but where we know we could (and most probably will) live if we want to because now the fear of the unknown, which is one of the reasons most people don’t up sticks and live somewhere else, is not so fear-inducing now. We’ve looked that fear in the eye, and it’s not a terrifying monster; it’s a friendly dog – possibly a beagle or a cocker spaniel.
As plans unravel, I’ll keep you updated, and thanks for taking the time to read the ramblings of a dislocated Englishman who has found solace in his ability to survive (in a functional manner) on this island called Bali.
Tune in here for next week’s ‘An Englishman in Bali’ series.
