Most expats arrive in Ubud, stay in a hotel for a week, and then start looking. The first villa you rent will probably be the worst deal you make here. That''s OK — call it the apprenticeship. Here is what we wish someone had told us before signing.

What a villa actually costs

Long-stay rates are roughly half what daily-booking platforms quote. A two-bedroom villa with a small pool that costs IDR 4M per night on Airbnb might rent for IDR 25–35M per month direct. The arithmetic is dramatic, and it''s why nobody who lives here uses Airbnb beyond the first week.

The price spectrum is wide. A simple one-bedroom kost (Indonesian-style guesthouse room) starts around IDR 4M per month. A two-bedroom villa in Penestanan or Nyuh Kuning sits IDR 18–35M depending on pool, view, and finishes. A three-bedroom in a quiet lane with rice-field outlook is IDR 35–60M. Anything north of IDR 70M per month is paying for novelty, not utility.

How to find one

The platforms most expats actually use:

• Walking the lanes. Penestanan, Nyuh Kuning, Pengosekan, Tegallalang, Sayan. Look for hand-painted "for rent" signs. Knock. Phone numbers on the gate are the front door to a different price tier than any platform.
• Facebook groups. Search "Ubud villa rent." Treat the listings as a starting point — half are agents, prices are higher, and the photos are best taken with a grain of salt.
• A trusted referral. Ask in any community we''ve built. Someone always knows a place coming up.
• Agents. The agent fee is typically one month''s rent. They earn it on contract negotiation and the practicalities of getting your deposit back. A good agent is worth using once.

Avoid: Airbnb for anything longer than two weeks, "luxury villa" listing sites that exclusively quote in dollars.