Bali Scuba Diving Price Guide: How to Budget for Diving in Bali [2024 Costs]

If you’re planning a dive trip to Bali, you’re in for a treat: macro critters that look like you’d find them on the other side of the moon, stunning coral walls, and huge pelagics like sharks and manta rays abound.

But before you take the plunge, let’s talk turkey: what should you expect to spend on diving in Bali?

Luckily, diving in Bali is incredibly affordable, making it one of the best places to dive on a budget in the world.

But how affordable, exactly? Let’s get into it.

Single Dive Costs

A single dive in Bali typically ranges from $25 to $50 USD (IDR 375K-775K) for a one-tank dive, either from shore or going by boat.

Generally, this fee includes your equipment rental, boat fees, and a licensed divemaster or instructor as your guide.

The price varies based on the dive site’s location (the dive shops in Nusa Penida area tend to be more expensive, and the dive shops in Amed, Tulamben, and Pemuteran tend to be cheaper) as well as the dive shop’s reputation.

Not every dive shop will offer single tank dives, especially if a boat is required to reach a destination. Sometimes you need to book a two-tank dive as a minimum.

Two-Tank Dive Costs

As mentioned above, single tank dives aren’t always offered by every dive shop, simply because it often makes more financial sense for them to offer two-tank dives.

Generally, you immediately start getting a per-dive discount when you book even a two-tank dive.

Expect to pay about $50-60 USD (IDR 775K-1 million) in North Bali.

Costs are little more in the areas around Nusa Penida and Sanur, like around $75-120 USD (IDR 1.2 million-2 million).

That range will be more on the high side if you are diving the Nusa area from Sanur, since there’s extra boat time and so the price of gas is added into the dive rate.

Sometimes dive shops don’t offer two-tank dives and only offer three-tank dives, so keep that in mind too.

Dive Packages

If you’re planning multiple dives in Bali, it always makes sense to buy a dive package, which can offer significant savings!

My per-dive cost ended up being just over $20 USD per tank (IDR 320K) in some of the cheaper locations, because I booked in packages of at least 5+ dives at every dive shop I visited!

For example, a 5-dive package in Pemuteran costs about $128 USD (IDR 2 million) which ends up being just over $25 USD per tank.

A 7-dive package will reduce that further to around $22 USD per tank at a cost of 2.5 million IDR for the package!

Certification Courses

For those looking to get scuba certified in Bali, you’re in luck — it’s one of the cheapest places to get certified!

An Open Water Diver course, which typically takes 2.5-4 days, can cost between $260 to $320 USD (4 million-5 million IDR) on the budget side.

On the higher-end side, expect to spend about $420 USD (6.5 million IDR) for the nicer dive boutiques that cater more to experienced divers than backpackers.

This includes all course materials, all your dives, full equipment rental (a dive computer is not always included, but please always add it — it’s important for your safety to always dive with a computer!), and any PADI/SSI/etc. certification fees.

Note that the more budget-friendly operations tend to offer SSI certification and not PADI — both are just as good.

PADI is more popular, but SSI is rapidly gaining in market share.

You should be able to dive everywhere with both PADI and SSI certification — which one you go with only really matters if you plan to instruct at a later date (PADI is preferred for instruction).

Specialty Dives

Interested in something special like a night dive or an early morning dive?

These typically have an additional fee, tacked on to your dive base rate.

Expect to pay about about $10-20 USD (150K-300K IDR) more for a night dive or a sunrise dive (which is a good option at the USAT Liberty Wreck to avoid the crowds)

Equipment Rental

While diving in Bali is already cheap, the fact that equipment rental is included in many dive packages is another factor that helps make it cheap!

For those few companies that don’t include equipment rental, expect to pay about $10 to $20 USD (150K-300K IDR) per day for a full set if needed.

However, you can usually find a dive shop that includes equipment rental.

Note a dive computer is often not included in this rate and may have to be rented separately at $10 USD (150K IDR) per day.

Extras

There are extras you can add on, like underwater photographers who will take photos of you and the dive, or a private divemaster for you personally, which can help you if you feel a little uncomfortable underwater.

These rates vary quite a bit, so check your dive shop.

Conservation Fees & National Park Fees

Some dive sites in Bali require a small conservation fee, or in the case of Menjangan Island, a national park fee.

The reef fees are typically quite small, about $1-3 USD, and often are bundled into the cost of the diving.

Menjangan is a little more costly, with a daily entry fee of 200K IDR (300K IDR on Sundays) which is around $12/$20 USD, and it’s typically not included in the dive price.