"How much does a home nurse cost in Bali?" is the first question almost every family asks us, and we understand why — most people have never hired private nursing before, and the figures online range from suspiciously cheap to frankly alarming. After twelve years and thousands of visits across south Bali, here is an honest breakdown of what home nursing actually costs here, what drives the price up or down, and how to avoid paying for care you do not need.
The Short Answer
For most families, home nursing in Bali starts at IDR 350,000 for a visit of up to two hours, and a full 12-hour shift starts from IDR 600,000. A prescribed injection or IV visit starts from IDR 250,000, and round-the-clock live-in nursing care starts from IDR 15,000,000 per month. These are our real rates, the same across Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Ubud, Sanur and the rest of south Bali — there is no "tourist area" surcharge. The full table lives on our pricing page.
What Actually Drives the Price
Five things move the number, and understanding them lets you budget honestly:
- Qualification level. A companion or caregiver for non-clinical support (meals, mobility, company) costs less than a registered nurse who can give injections, manage IVs and dress surgical wounds. Match the skill to the actual need — you do not pay nurse rates for companionship.
- Hours and pattern. A single two-hour visit, a 12-hour day shift, and 24/7 live-in care are three different products. Per hour, longer and live-in arrangements work out far cheaper than repeated short visits.
- Clinical complexity. A simple dressing change is one rate; managing drains, catheters, an IV antibiotic course or post-operative care with multiple medications sits higher because it requires a senior nurse and consumables.
- Consumables. Sterile dressings, IV sets, syringes and prescribed medication are billed at cost on top of the visit. We itemise every rupiah so there are no surprises.
- Duration of arrangement. Open-ended live-in placements are priced monthly and per-day rates fall the longer the commitment.
Worked Examples From Real Bookings
Numbers in the abstract are hard to picture, so here are three typical situations (details changed for privacy):
| Situation | What we provided | Rough monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Daughter visiting elderly mother for two weeks | One 2-hour wellness + medication visit every second day | ~IDR 3,500,000 for the stay |
| Medical tourist after knee surgery, 10 days in a villa | Daily wound check, prescribed injections, light physio | ~IDR 6,000,000 for the recovery |
| Expat father with dementia needing constant supervision | 24/7 live-in nurse, rotated, ongoing | From IDR 15,000,000 / month |
These illustrate a key point: most families spend far less than they fear, because they need targeted care — not a nurse standing in the room all day.
How to Spend Less Without Cutting Corners
We would rather have a long-term client than overcharge a short-term one, so here is genuine advice. First, be honest about the clinical level required — book a caregiver for companionship and a nurse only for nursing. Second, batch tasks into fewer, longer visits rather than many short ones. Third, for anything beyond a week, ask about live-in or daily-rate arrangements which lower the per-hour cost sharply. Fourth, keep your own doctor's prescriptions current so we are not duplicating consultations. And fifth — just ask us. We will tell you on WhatsApp, for free, whether you genuinely need a nurse at all.
What About Insurance?
We are a direct-pay service, but we provide fully itemised invoices and English-language visit documentation that many travel and health insurers accept for reimbursement of prescribed aftercare. If you are claiming, tell us before we start so we document everything your insurer needs. We will help with the paperwork — it is part of the job.
The Honest Bottom Line
Good home nursing in Bali is more affordable than equivalent private care in Australia, Europe or Singapore, and far less than an extended hospital stay. What you are really paying for is a licensed nurse arriving at your door — often the same day — so that recovery, elderly care or a chronic condition is managed properly at home instead of becoming an emergency. If you would like a precise quote for your situation, the fastest route is to message us the details; the full standard rates are always on the pricing page, and you can see exactly what each service includes too.