Compare · Bali vs Thailand
Bali vs Thailand for Australians leaving home
The regimes are genuinely different: Bali is a worldwide tax system while Thailand runs remittance-basis tax, which of your income streams each one actually touches matters more than any headline rate.
Both have a tax treaty with Australia, so either way you get a tie-breaker if the ATO contests your departure, and capped withholding (15%/10% vs 15%/10% on unfranked dividends/interest).
On day-to-day costs there is little between them, roughly 45% and 50% of Sydney's basket (indicative, ex-rent), so the money question is decided by tax and rent, not groceries.
Personalise this, enter your numbers once and every figure below becomes yours: “your estimated income tax: $14,200”, not “0, 22%”. Open the Country Comparison tool →
| 2 destinations | BaliIndonesia | ThailandThailand |
|---|---|---|
| Tax | ||
| Regime | worldwide, taxes worldwide income | remittance, worldwide income not taxed |
| Income tax on salary | Progressive 5, 35%. An A$120k income maps to roughly 27% effective, Indonesia is not a low-tax residence on paper. | Progressive 0, 35% on Thai-source salary. A THB 2m (~A$87k) salary pays roughly 18% effective after standard allowances. |
| Capital gains | No concessional CGT: foreign gains are ordinary income up to 35%. Indonesian-listed share sales instead pay a 0.1% final tax on proceeds. (30% typical) | Gains on SET-listed Thai shares are exempt. Foreign share gains earned from 2024 are taxable at progressive rates in the year remitted. (15% typical) |
| Dividends | Domestic dividends: 10% final (0% if reinvested in Indonesia under conditions). Foreign dividends: progressive rates unless the reinvestment exemption applies. | Thai dividends: 10% final withholding. Foreign dividends: progressive rates when remitted, with a treaty credit for Australian tax already paid. |
| Interest | Taxed locally around 20% | Taxed locally around 15% |
| Crypto | Crypto traded on Indonesian platforms carries small final transaction taxes (income tax of ~0.1% of value plus VAT). Gains realised offshore by a resident are, strictly, worldwide income at progressive rates. | Crypto gains are assessable income at progressive rates, with 15% withholding on some disposals. Trades on SEC-licensed Thai exchanges have enjoyed temporary exemptions. Foreign-exchange crypto gains follow the remittance rules, taxable when brought in. |
| Australia tax treaty | Yes, AU withholding capped at 15% dividends / 10% interest, tie-breaker available | Yes, AU withholding capped at 15% dividends / 10% interest, tie-breaker available |
| Social security | BPJS health and employment schemes apply to formal employees; foreign remote workers typically fall outside them. | Employees pay a capped social security contribution (max THB 750/month), negligible for planning. |
| Visa | ||
| Best pathways |
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| Visa ease | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Family on visas | Dependants covered on main pathways | Dependants covered on main pathways |
| Fastest timeline | ~0 months on the quickest pathway | ~1 month on the quickest pathway |
| Money | ||
| Rent (family home, monthly) | $2,500/mo | $2,800/mo |
| Rent (couple, monthly) | $1,500/mo | $1,500/mo |
| International school (per child/yr) | $15,000 | $22,000 |
| Health cover (family/yr) | $5,000 | $5,500 |
| Cost of living vs Sydney | 45% of Sydney (ex-rent) | 50% of Sydney (ex-rent) |
| Relocation one-off | ~$12,000 | ~$15,000 |
| Flights home (return, pp) | $1,100 | $1,300 |
| Life | ||
| Timezone vs AEST | 2h behind | 3h behind |
| Flight from Sydney | ~6.5 hours | ~9.5 hours |
| English | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Safety | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Healthcare | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Schooling | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Climate | Tropical, 30°C year-round; wet season roughly November to March. | Tropical: hot season to 40°C, monsoon June, October, pleasant November, February. |
Costs, rates and visa figures are country-module data marked indicative until individually verified; FX and rental markets move constantly.
Honest downsides, side by side
Every destination hub on this site carries its downsides in the open. Here are both lists together, because the right question is rarely “which is better?” and usually “which set of problems would you rather live with?”
Bali
- Healthcare on the island is adequate for small things and inadequate for big ones, serious cases get evacuated to Singapore or Australia, so insure accordingly.
- Indonesia taxes worldwide income at up to 35%: done legally, Bali is often a worse tax outcome than staying in Australia at middle incomes.
- Infrastructure strain is real: traffic between Canggu and anywhere can be brutal, and rainy-season flooding, power cuts and construction noise are routine.
- Foreigners cannot own land freehold, leaseholds and nominee structures carry genuine legal risk.
- Enforcement culture is unpredictable: long tolerance, then sudden crackdowns (on visas, on unlicensed business, on tax).
Thailand
- The 2024 remittance change turned Thailand from "de facto tax-free" into a real tax system overnight, and the rules are still settling, which is exactly the uncertainty you moved to avoid.
- Visa policy churns: rules on extensions, insurance and financial proof change frequently and vary by immigration office.
- Air quality in Bangkok and especially Chiang Mai (burning season, Feb, April) is a genuine health issue.
- You will never be more than a guest: property freehold is off-limits for land, and permanent residency/citizenship are rare in practice.
Make this comparison yours
The table above shows the general figures. Enter your income and family once and the tax rows become your numbers, “your estimated income tax in Canggu: $14,200”, not a range.