Buying in Sanur: what long-stay tenants pay, what homes cost and where the health zone fits

It is a good place if you buy for tenants who stay a month or more, or for yourself. It is a poor fit if you want a surf-and-nightlife short-stay machine. Sanur sits on the east coast, inside Denpasar city, and the sea is closed off by a reef. There is no surf and no sunset.

What you get instead is a working town. Sidewalks run along many streets, and a seafront path of about 5 km follows the shore. Clinics, schools and supermarkets are close enough to reach on foot or by scooter. In a typical Sanur listing we see cafés, a pharmacy and a supermarket within 50 to 400 meters, and the beach path between 350 meters and 1.1 km away. The airport is roughly 20 to 30 minutes by car.

Demand rests on three things: the oldest expat community on the island, an international school, and since 2025 a hospital cluster. None of them depends on tourist seasons. Prices in Sanur rise slowly for that reason. The area rarely produces the sharp jumps that buyers saw in the west coast villages, and it rarely falls hard either. For a wider comparison of districts, read our guide to the best area to buy in Bali.

Source: Our own viewings and area notes since 2023

On a long stay, a Sanur apartment rents for a median of about Rp 27.5 million a month. The range runs from Rp 25.0 to 30.0 million. A three-bedroom villa has a median near Rp 41.0 million, with a wide spread from Rp 22.0 to 59.9 million.

Apartment rents sit in a narrow band, which tells you the market is mature. There is little to bargain over, but also few surprises. An annual contract costs about 22% less per month than a month-by-month stay, so owners trade price for fewer empty weeks.

These are asking prices from rental ads, not signed deals. Treat them as a ceiling for negotiation. If you plan to let your home, run the numbers in our yield calculator with both a nightly and a long-stay case.

Source: Rental ads collected by Rise Real Bali on 7 September 2026 (480 ads, all Bali)

They can, but they are not the main case. Short-stay performance in this part of the island is modest. AirROI's twelve-month benchmark to July 2026 puts private rentals in the neighboring Nusa Dua area at about Rp 1.5–1.8 million a night with roughly 40% occupancy. Canggu earns about Rp 3.8 million a night at 37.5% occupancy.

Our arithmetic, not a forecast: Rp 1.65 million × 40% × 365 nights gives roughly Rp 240 million a year before costs. A long-stay apartment at the median rent brings in about Rp 330 million over twelve months, with less work. The units differ in size, so use this only as a direction.

The practical lesson is to model both cases for each property. Our villa rental yield guide shows how gross and net yield differ once management and utilities come out.

Source: AirROI, short-term rental benchmarks by area, twelve months to July 2026; Rise Real Bali calculation

It is a 41.26-hectare health zone (KEK Kesehatan Sanur), created by Government Regulation 41 of 2022. The government set an investment target of Rp 10.2 trillion and a patient target of 123,000 to 240,000 a year by 2030. President Prabowo opened the zone on June 25, 2025.

Its anchor is Bali International Hospital, with 255 beds, 34 intensive care units and 8 operating theaters. It has treated private patients since April 2025 and focuses on cardiology, oncology, neurology, gastroenterology and orthopedics. The zone also aims to bring foreign doctors to the island.

For an owner, the effect is indirect. Patients and relatives rent nearby for weeks, and long-stay demand in north Sanur has grown. We do not have a published count of foreign patients, so we do not quote one. Zone targets are plans, not results. Read them that way.

If health care is part of your move, see healthcare and insurance in Bali.

Source: PP 41/2022 as described by the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, May 30, 2023; Republika, June 26, 2025; Indonesian National Police portal report, June 26, 2025; What's New Indonesia, 2025

The median leasehold villa in Sanur asks Rp 6.21 billion, based on Propertia's March 2026 listing study. Two bedrooms: Rp 4.73 billion. Three bedrooms: Rp 6.50 billion, which is nearly the all-villa figure.

Nusa Dua, the other calm south-east district, asks Rp 6.59 billion for the median villa. Its two-bedroom median is lower, at Rp 3.52 billion. The two areas price almost level, so choose by lifestyle, not by sticker price.

These are asking prices, not sales. Negotiated deals land lower, and developer prices for new projects follow the developer's price list. Browse current properties or the Sanur area page for what is on offer now. For the island-wide picture, see how much a villa in Bali costs.

Source: Propertia listing study, March 2026 data, published 8 April 2026

Sanur suits people who value calm, services and long stays. Canggu suits those who want a social scene, surf and a short-stay market. The choice is about how you live, then about price.

The tenant is the real difference between the two. In Canggu, guests book for four nights. In Sanur, families, medical visitors and long-term residents book for weeks or a year. Many buyers arrive in Sanur after a year or two elsewhere, when school, a doctor and quiet start to matter more than a beach club. Compare the west coast in living in Bali: pros and cons and in our Canggu area page.

Source: AirROI, twelve months to July 2026; Our own viewings and area notes since 2023

A foreigner cannot hold freehold (Hak Milik) in Indonesia. The routes that work are leasehold (Hak Sewa), the Hak Pakai right of use for residents, or a foreign-owned company (PT PMA). Each has a different term and cost, so read can foreigners buy property in Bali first.

Sanur has many older leases signed in the 1990s and 2000s. Always check how many years remain, because value falls as the term runs down. Our leasehold vs freehold guide explains the freehold premium and how a short remaining term affects resale. Extensions are covered in leasehold extensions.

The coast adds one more rule. National regulation sets a coastal setback of at least 100 meters from the highest tide line (Perpres 51/2016), and local plans set the exact line. Near the sea, check the zoning before you check the price.

Source: Perpres 51/2016 on coastal setbacks, per the Cabinet Secretariat, June 2016; Rise Real Bali due diligence practice

Start with the lease term, the position on the map and the noise. Three checks decide most Sanur outcomes.

Lease time left: ask to see the lease certificate, and get the lessor's written consent to any transfer before you sign. Position: homes near the seafront path rent faster than those on the Ngurah Rai Bypass, where traffic noise hurts the second row. Walking time to a clinic matters to long-stay tenants, so measure it. Ask for the building approval (PBG) and the certificate of occupancy (SLF) as well, using our due diligence checklist.

Last, test the rental case. Ask the seller or manager for twelve months of real bookings or contracts. If you hire a manager, compare terms against typical management fees. We work at the developer's or seller's price, and you pay nothing for the introduction.

Source: Our deal files and checks since 2023

Slow, walkable and family-friendly. Bali Island School, founded in 1986, teaches the IB program from age 3 to 18. Sanur Independent School follows a British curriculum for ages 2 to 15. Both sit inside the district, so the school run takes minutes. For options island-wide, see our international schools guide.

Sanur harbor sends ferries to Nusa Penida in 40 to 45 minutes, with tickets from Rp 117,000 and about 15 operators (carrier schedules, September 2026). Rough weather cancels sailings, so check on the day you travel.

The reef keeps the water calm. Tide still matters. At low tide you may walk a long way across wet sand before the water gets deep enough to swim. Swimming is easier at high tide. Some buyers find the area too quiet, and that is the most common complaint we hear. Rent for a month before you commit. You will know within two weeks whether the pace suits you, and a rental costs far less than a wrong purchase.

Source: International Schools Database, 2026/2027 fee sheets; ferry operator timetables and tariffs, September 2026; Our own viewings and area notes since 2023

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