PB1 government tax: 10%, up to 21% as a tax-and-service line
The Indonesian regional accommodation tax is commonly billed as the 10 percent PB1 government tax. On a managed villa it often appears alongside a service charge as a combined tax-and-service line of up to 21 percent, the same structure a Bali hotel uses. On a private villa let the structure is usually a single 10 percent tax line. On a $30,000 high-season headline, a 10 percent tax line is $3,000, and a full 21 percent tax-and-service line is $6,300. Ask whether the quoted rate is net or whether the PB1 and the service charge sit on top, because the gap is real.
Bali tourist levy: IDR 150,000 (about $10) per visitor, one time
Separate from the accommodation, Bali charges every international visitor a one-time tourist levy of 150,000 Indonesian rupiah, about 10 US dollars, introduced on 14 February 2024 and paid through the Love Bali website or app, ideally before arrival. For a party of ten the total is roughly 100 US dollars across the whole trip, a token figure. The villa does not collect it; each guest pays it directly and keeps the QR voucher. It is a trivial line in absolute terms but a real entry requirement, so settle it before you fly.
Service and concierge: usually inside the headline
Unlike the Mediterranean markets, most Ubud estates fold the service and the concierge into the rate or into the combined tax-and-service line, so there is rarely a separate concierge fee. Where a villa adds a management or service charge it is the service portion of the up-to-21-percent line described above. The practical question is not whether a concierge fee applies but whether the headline is net or gross of the PB1-and-service line, which is where the real money sits.
Staff: a full day team is the norm
Most Ubud villas include a full day team in the headline: a villa manager, a cook or kitchen staff, daily housekeeping, a gardener, and often a butler or a driver. Bali labour is inexpensive relative to the West, which is why the staffing is deep and the inclusion broad, one of the genuine advantages of the market. A 24-hour security presence is common at the gorge estates. Verify the team size, the hours, and whether the cook handles all three meals, because the staffing is most of what the rate buys here.
Chef and meals: often included, $60 to $180 per day where separate
Most Ubud villas at this tier include a cook or a kitchen team, so the everyday breakfast and lunch are part of the stay, with the guest paying food at cost. Where you hire independently or want a dedicated chef, a private chef runs 60 to 180 US dollars per day plus food, far below the Mediterranean. Food cost lands at 12 to 35 US dollars per person, reflecting Bali prices. A guest chef for a special dinner runs 250 to 600 US dollars. The villa kitchen is the everyday meal in Ubud, not the exception.
Restaurant nights: $15 to $90 per head
Ubud has a deep restaurant scene for an inland town. The destination rooms (Mozaic, Locavore in nearby Sanur, the Como and Four Seasons restaurants) run 60 to 90 US dollars per head before wine, the strong mid-market warungs and farm-to-table rooms 25 to 50 US dollars, and the local warungs under 15 US dollars. Wine is expensive in Indonesia because of import duty, so a bottle that costs 20 dollars at home runs 60 to 90 here. A family of eight at a destination room with wine can clear 700 US dollars, the wine doing most of the work.
Wellness, driver, and excursions: $30 to $400 per day
Ubud is the wellness capital of Bali, and the in-villa spa is the everyday luxury: an in-villa massage runs 30 to 70 US dollars per person, a yoga or healer session 40 to 120. A private car and driver for the day runs 60 to 100 US dollars, the standard way to see the temples, the terraces, and the volcano. A sunrise Mount Batur trek with a guide runs 80 to 150 US dollars. A white-water rafting day on the Ayung runs 50 to 90. The driver-for-the-day is the single most useful hire in Ubud.
Transfers: $35 to $70 by road from DPS
Ngurah Rai International (DPS) at Denpasar is the only airport, roughly 37 km from Ubud but 90 minutes to two and a half hours by road because of Bali traffic, the longest airport run in this guide relative to the distance. A private car transfer runs 35 to 70 US dollars each way, usually arranged by the villa. There is no rail and no routine helicopter shuttle. Build the transfer time into arrival and departure days, because the road from the airport to the Ubud valleys is slow and unpredictable, especially in the afternoon.
Gratuities: $5 to $15 per staff member per day
Ubud villa staff are paid through the owner or manager, and wages are modest, so a gratuity is meaningful and appreciated. A cash tip of 5 to 15 US dollars per staff member per day is generous by local standards, more for a manager who runs an exceptional week. For a staffed estate with six or seven team members the gratuity line runs 250 to 700 US dollars across a week, a real kindness for a small number against a Western budget. The chef and the driver are tipped separately.