Uluwatu or Canggu: which is better?
It depends on what the house must do. Uluwatu pays more per booked night and books more nights, so it leads on rental income. Canggu leads on resale, schools and errands within a ten-minute ride. Both are in Badung regency. By road they sit an hour or more apart in season.
Think of Canggu as a town and Uluwatu as a coastline. Canggu is a strip of beach villages. Uluwatu is a limestone plateau in Pecatu village, with clifftop villas and surf breaks reached by stairs. Our Canggu and Uluwatu pages list each area's rates and entry prices.
| Uluwatu | Canggu | |
|---|---|---|
| Average nightly rate | Rp 4.3 mn | Rp 3.9 mn |
| Occupancy | 46% | 37.5% |
| Rental listings competing | Far fewer | Almost 4,000 |
| Beach | White coral sand, reached by stairs | Dark volcanic sand, open beach |
| Median distance to the nearest school | 2.4 km | 695 m |
| To the airport, off-peak | About 40 min | 40–50 min |
| Listings in farm or protected zones | 26.1% | 3.6% in Berawa |
Source: AirROI, 12 months to July 2026, via our area pages; Rise Real Bali catalog and field visits, 2023–2026
Which earns more from nightly rentals?
Uluwatu, on both counts. It charges about 10% more per night and fills 46% of nights against 37.5%. That is roughly 168 booked nights a year against 137, so the average Uluwatu listing grosses about a third more.
AirROI's revenue per listing, quoted in our rental yield guide, points the same way: Rp 491 million a year in Uluwatu against roughly Rp 380 million in Canggu. Both averages include studios, so they describe the market, not your villa.
Our district pages give 8–10% net a year for a well-chosen Uluwatu view villa and 6–9% for a Canggu one. Canggu's base case assumes 70% occupancy, almost double the area average. Test any brochure at 50%.
Uluwatu's year is lumpier, with peaks in July–August and December and a dip in February. Canggu's problem is crowding. Almost 4,000 listings chase the same guests.
Source: AirROI, 12 months to July 2026, via our area pages and rental yield guide; net yields from our area pages (Rise Real Bali model)
Choosing an area?
Gusti Ayu will send a short answer on which area fits your plans, on WhatsApp.
How much does a villa cost in Uluwatu and in Canggu?
Two-bedroom villas cost about the same. Our catalog's median asking price is Rp 5.85 billion in Uluwatu and Rp 5.46 billion in Canggu, a 7% gap.
Across every listing the gap looks wider, Rp 5.75 billion against about Rp 3.4 billion, because Canggu's catalog holds more studios and apartments and Uluwatu's more large view villas. Compare like with like.
Freehold land in central Canggu costs Rp 1.2–2.5 billion for each are (100 m²). On the Bukit the range is Rp 0.5–1.5 billion, and the view drives most of it (Magnum Estate, May 2026). Two reviews of Uluwatu disagree by a factor of two, so read it as a range. The land price guide shows where they split.
| Uluwatu | Canggu | |
|---|---|---|
| Median | Rp 5.85 bn | Rp 5.46 bn |
| Lowest | Rp 3.40 bn | Rp 3.38 bn |
| Highest | Rp 10.11 bn | Rp 9.80 bn |
Source: Rise Real Bali catalog, September 2026, converted at Rp 17,917; Magnum Estate, May 2026, as summarized in our land price guide
How much is long-term rent in Uluwatu and in Canggu?
Uluwatu costs more, and its range is far wider. The median asking rent for a two-bedroom villa is Rp 62.5 million a month there, against Rp 36.0 million in Canggu, from 480 rental ads we collected on September 7, 2026.
Uluwatu's spread runs from Rp 35.0 million to Rp 209.0 million, because a villa on the cliff edge and one on the plateau sit in the same sample. Budget for the line, not the median.
Signing for a year rather than by the month lowers the asking rent by a median 22% in the sample. That is about Rp 13.7 million a month on a Rp 62.5 million villa and Rp 7.9 million on Rp 36.0 million.
| Villa | Uluwatu (Bukit) | Canggu |
|---|---|---|
| 2 bedrooms | Rp 35.0 · 62.5 · 209.0 mn | Rp 25.0 · 36.0 · 62.5 mn |
| 3 bedrooms | Rp 50.0 · 96.8 · 124.9 mn | Rp 40.0 · 56.3 · 124.8 mn |
Source: Rise Real Bali survey of 480 long-term rental ads taken September 7, 2026; these are asking rents rather than signed leases, with the conversion at Rp 17,636
Which is better to live in, Uluwatu or Canggu?
Canggu if you want errands on a scooter, Uluwatu if the ocean is the point. Canggu packs school, doctors, gyms and coworking into ten minutes. Uluwatu has shops, cafés and clinics too, but they're scattered across the plateau.
The school run is the clearest difference. Measured from catalog listings, the nearest school or kindergarten is 695 m away in Canggu at the median and 2.4 km away in Uluwatu. Our international schools guide lists fees.
Canggu's sand is dark and volcanic, and its waves work all year. Uluwatu's is white coral, nearly every beach sits down a cliff staircase, and the surf is best from April to October.
Neither escapes traffic. A 5 km stretch in Canggu that once took 10–15 minutes can take over an hour at rush hour (Bali Discovery, June 2026), and crews have been rebuilding the Subak Sari–Umalas road since May 12, 2026. Around Uluwatu, Badung made evening turn restrictions on the Pecatu approach permanent on July 2, 2026. Our infrastructure guide tracks both.
Ask about water in either place. Badung runs a shortfall of roughly 1,200 liters a second, and in the dry season some parts of the Uluwatu peninsula depend on water delivered by truck.
Source: Rise Real Bali catalog, September 2026, and field visits, 2023–2026; Bali Discovery, June 22, 2026; Detik on the Umalas road, June 29, 2026; Antara Bali, June 5, 2026; Detik, September 17, 2024; Bali Post, June 2026
What are the zoning and license risks in each?
Uluwatu's risk is the land. In our database, 26.1% of its listings fall inside farm or protected zones, where building and legal letting are both off the table. Pecatu, the village that runs southern Uluwatu, shows 27.9%. In Berawa, the densest part of Canggu, the share is 3.6%.
Canggu's risk is the license. Some of the area, especially around Mengwi, is zoned residential, and letting by the night there needs the right license first. Since August 1, 2026, booking platforms have delisted operators without one. Our rental license guide explains the steps.
A protected strip also runs along the shoreline in Bingin, and approvals stop there. On July 21, 2025, the authorities cleared 48 structures built inside it (Detik and Metro TV).
In both places, check the same chain before a deposit: the plot's zone in the RDTR, the building permit (PBG), the certificate of occupancy (SLF) and the rental license (NIB). Our zoning guide shows the lookup.
Source: Rise Real Bali district pages for Uluwatu, Pecatu, Berawa and Canggu, September 2026; Detik and Metro TV, July 21, 2025; delisting date, see our license guide
Who does each area suit?
Canggu is where most of our clients start. People who begin in Uluwatu tend to arrive in their second or third year on the island. That is what we saw in deal reviews from 2023 to 2026, not a rule.
Uluwatu fits
- Owners buying for nightly income who can live with a seasonal calendar
- Surfers and ocean lovers who fly often and don't mind a drive for most other errands
- Buyers who check zone and water plot by plot
Canggu fits
- Owners who may sell within five years and want the deepest pool of buyers
- Families who want a school, a doctor and a café within ten minutes
- Renters-first residents, in the island's deepest long-term market
Comparing two real villas
Averages only go so far. Two real listings in our catalog show the rest: a two-bedroom villa with an ocean view in west Uluwatu asks about Rp 5.3 billion on a 31-year lease, and a two-bedroom pool villa in Canggu asks about Rp 5.7 billion on a 24-year lease.
Per year of lease, the Uluwatu villa costs about 28% less than the Canggu one, which has almost three times the land. Canggu's residential zone also means checking the nightly-letting license first.
Open the Uluwatu villa and the Canggu villa, then ask us to run both through the same yield model. Next door, our Canggu and Pererenan comparison does the same.
| Uluwatu | Canggu | |
|---|---|---|
| Asking price | About Rp 5.3 bn | About Rp 5.7 bn |
| Lease | 31 years | 24 years |
| Price per lease year | About Rp 171 mn | About Rp 238 mn |
| House · plot | 127.5 m² · 143 m² | 121 m² · 400 m² |
| Finished | June 2026 | March 2024 |
| Zone, per our database | Tourism | Residential |
Source: Rise Real Bali catalog, September 2026, converted at Rp 17,917; price per lease year is our arithmetic
What this means for buyers
- Uluwatu leads on income: Rp 4.3 million a night at 46% occupancy, against Rp 3.9 million at 37.5% in Canggu.
- Two-bedroom villas cost about the same, a median Rp 5.85 billion and Rp 5.46 billion, so choose on how you'll use the house, not on price.
- Long-term rent is where Canggu is cheaper: a two-bedroom villa has a median rent of Rp 36.0 million a month, against Rp 62.5 million in Uluwatu.
- Check the zone first in Uluwatu, where 26.1% of listings sit in restricted zones, and the rental license first in Canggu.
FAQ
Is Uluwatu or Canggu better for investment?
Uluwatu earns more per listing, at Rp 4.3 million a night and 46% occupancy against Rp 3.9 million and 37.5%. Canggu is easier to sell, because it has the deepest pool of buyers. Pick Uluwatu for income if the plot's zone is clean, and Canggu if exit speed matters more.
Is Uluwatu cheaper than Canggu?
It depends on what you buy. A two-bedroom villa has a median asking price of Rp 5.85 billion in Uluwatu and Rp 5.46 billion in Canggu. Land is cheaper on the Bukit, at Rp 0.5–1.5 billion per are against Rp 1.2–2.5 billion. A two-bedroom rental costs more in Uluwatu, at Rp 62.5 million against Rp 36.0 million.
How far is Uluwatu from Canggu?
An hour or more by road, and longer in the high season or the evening peak. From Canggu, the airport alone can take 90 minutes on a Friday, while Uluwatu sits about 40 minutes from it off-peak. Treat them as two separate bases, not a commute.
Is Uluwatu a good place for families?
It can be, but the school run is longer. Counting from catalog listings, the median trip to the nearest school or kindergarten is 2.4 km in Uluwatu and 695 m in Canggu. Families who want an international school within ten minutes usually settle in Canggu, Berawa or Umalas.
Can foreigners buy a villa in Uluwatu or Canggu?
Yes, and the rules are identical in both areas. Foreign buyers lease the land, take out Hak Pakai (a right of use) with a residence permit, or own through a PT PMA company. Freehold in a personal name isn't open to a foreigner. Whatever the route, confirm the plot's zone and the rental license before paying a deposit.
How we know this
Nightly rates and occupancy are AirROI's averages for the 12 months to July 2026, as shown on our Uluwatu and Canggu pages. Other guides on this site quote nearby cuts of the same data, such as Canggu at 36.2%, because the samples and dates differ. The averages blend studios and large villas together. The net yields are our base cases, not forecasts. Catalog prices are published asking prices in September 2026, converted at Rp 17,917, and the two-bedroom comparison counts villas only. The long-term rent figures are asking prices in our survey of 480 ads on September 7, 2026, converted at Rp 17,636, with the whole Bukit as one block. Booked nights, price per lease year and the percentage gaps are our arithmetic. Beach, surf and drive notes come from our field visits. Zone shares come from our listing database, and the RDTR decides for each plot. Nothing here is legal advice.
- AirROI, Uluwatu and Canggu short-term rental data, 12 months to July 2026
- Rise Real Bali catalog of published listings, September 2026; area pages for Uluwatu, Pecatu, Berawa and Canggu
- Rise Real Bali survey of 480 long-term rental ads, September 7, 2026
- Magnum Estate, Bali land prices, May 2026
- Detik and Metro TV, Bingin demolition, July 21, 2025
- Bali Discovery, Canggu traffic, June 22, 2026; Detik, Umalas road works, June 29, 2026; Antara Bali, Pecatu traffic scheme, June 5, 2026
- Detik, South Badung water shortfall, September 17, 2024; Bali Post, Badung water deficit, June 2026
By Dmitrii Rogov, Rise Real Bali.
Rise Real Bali is a real estate agency in Bali. We write from the deals we handle and from public data, and we name our sources.
This report is published under the CC BY 4.0 license. You may quote, republish and use the figures and text commercially if you credit "Rise Real Bali", name the license and link to this page. Photos and renderings are not covered by the license: their rights belong to the developers and other rights holders.
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