"What's the ROI?" is the first question every Bali buyer asks — and the one most often answered with hype. Here are the real numbers in 2026: what a villa actually grosses, what costs eat into it, and what you genuinely keep. No inflated promises — just the honest maths so you can judge any deal for yourself.
Gross vs Net: Know the Difference
The number agents love to quote is gross yield — annual rental revenue divided by purchase price. In Bali's prime zones that lands around 10–18% for a well-managed villa. But gross is not what you keep. Net yield — after every cost — is the only number that matters, and it is where honest analysis separates from sales pitch.
What Drives the Revenue
Three levers decide your top line: occupancy, nightly rate and management. Island-wide average occupancy is about 64.7%, but professionally run villas in strong locations exceed 75% year-round — and occupancy, more than headline rate, is what makes or breaks annual income. A diversified, year-round visitor base is exactly why 2026 occupancy is holding up.
The Costs That Eat In
| Cost | Typical level |
|---|---|
| Management fee | ~20% Airbnb / 15% long-term |
| Platform / OTA fees | ~15% (Airbnb / Booking) |
| Cleaning & linen | At cost, per stay |
| Maintenance & utilities | Ongoing, varies by villa |
| Rental income tax | Per Indonesian tax rules |
Done right, cleaning and maintenance are billed at cost with no markup (it's how we run our management). Add it all up and net returns on well-run managed villas typically land in the mid-teens to low-twenties percent — strong, but only when the costs above are real and transparent.
Illustrative example. A $300,000 villa grossing 14% = $42,000/yr. After ~20% management, ~15% platform fees, plus cleaning, maintenance and tax, a realistic net might land in the high-single to low-double-digit percent of the purchase price — meaning the villa pays itself back over years and appreciates. Exact figures depend entirely on location, design and how well it's run. (Numbers are illustrative, not a guarantee.)
How to Maximise What You Keep
The same villa can net wildly different returns depending on three things: buying in a high-demand, fairly-priced location (emerging zones often win); professional management that drives occupancy and dynamic pricing; and a design and position that justify premium rates. Get those right and you are in the strong end of the range; get them wrong and even a "cheap" villa underperforms.
Want real numbers for a specific villa?
Send us a listing or your budget and we'll model honest occupancy, gross and net for it — including the costs most agents leave out. Free 30-minute call.
💬 Model My ReturnsData sources: InmoBali transaction and management records 2022–2026, published Bali market reports 2026. Yields and costs are indicative ranges; individual results vary.