Petrol in Bali: fuel types, prices and how to fill up

Filling up in Bali is easy once you know the names on the pumps. The great majority of stations on the island are run under the state energy company Pertamina, prices are the same from Canggu to Singaraja, and an attendant does the filling for you. The questions people actually have are which fuel to choose, how to pay, whether the bottles of petrol on roadside stalls are safe, and how far a scooter will go on the way to Amed or Lovina.

This guide answers all of that. Fuel prices in Indonesia changed several times in 2026, so the figures below are correct as of October 2026. Check the MyPertamina app or the price board at the station before you rely on them.

Where to fill up

A petrol station is an SPBU (pronounced "es-peh-beh-oo"). As of early 2026, Bali had 214 Pertamina stations, plus around 146 Pertashop kiosks, which are small official outlets mostly serving rural areas. Stations cluster along the main roads and in towns. Busy stations in the south often stay open late or around the clock, while many smaller rural ones close in the evening.

Most stations have a separate lane for motorbikes. Join the queue for the fuel you want; the pumps are labelled with the product name. Larger stations usually have toilets, a minimarket and an ATM.

On Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, every station closes for 24 hours along with the rest of the island. Queues also build the evening before a holiday and before an expected price change, so fill up early.

Fuel types and prices

Petrol (bensin):

• Pertalite (RON 90): Rp 10,000 per litre. Subsidised, the price is set by the government, and it is the everyday fuel for most scooters. The pumps are usually signed in green.
• Pertamax (RON 92): Rp 15,950 per litre. Non-subsidised, usually signed in blue.
• Pertamax Turbo (RON 98): Rp 19,600 per litre. The premium option, mostly bought for performance cars and big bikes.
• Pertamax Green 95: an ethanol blend sold mainly on Java. You are unlikely to need it in Bali.

Diesel (solar):

• Biosolar: Rp 6,800 per litre. Subsidised and mainly for registered vehicles that qualify.
• Dexlite: Rp 23,700 per litre.
• Pertamina Dex: Rp 25,200 per litre.

Pertalite and Biosolar have stayed at the same price through 2026. The non-subsidised fuels follow world oil prices and the rupiah, and Pertamina adjusts them regularly, often at the start of a month. Pertamax went up to Rp 16,250 in June 2026 and came back down to Rp 15,950 in August, while diesel prices rose sharply at the start of September. Prices in Bali match those in most of Java and Nusa Tenggara.

Which fuel your rental scooter needs

For most rental scooters, the honest answer is Pertalite, with Pertamax as the safer choice for some bigger models.

• Honda BeAT, Scoopy and similar small automatics are designed to run on RON 90. Pertalite is fine.
• Higher-compression scooters such as the Yamaha NMAX, Honda PCX and Honda Vario 160 are a grey area. Honda's manual for the Vario 160 and Yamaha's Indonesian arm have both said these engines can run on Pertalite, but dealers and Indonesian motoring magazines often recommend RON 92 or higher for them. If you are riding one of them for weeks, or on long hilly rides, Pertamax is a sensible choice.
• When in doubt, ask the rental owner what they normally use. Many owners have a preference and will tell you.

Putting Pertamax in a small scooter does no harm. It just costs more. Never put diesel in a petrol scooter; if it happens, do not start the engine, and call your rental owner.

Rental cars and the QR code

Pertamina has been rolling out a QR code system for subsidised fuel, and in Bali car owners are being asked to register their vehicles to buy Pertalite. Registration needs an Indonesian ID card and the car's papers, which a visitor in a rental car will not have. In practice, if you are driving a rental car, buy Pertamax, or check what the owner prefers. If you are driving a diesel car, Dexlite is the straightforward choice.

Motorbikes are a different matter. In April 2026 Pertamina publicly denied rumours of a limit for motorbikes and confirmed that riders do not need a QR code, and that was still the position as of October 2026.

How to fill up, step by step

1. Ride into the motorbike lane for your fuel and switch off the engine. Get off the bike if the attendant asks you to.
2. Open the filler. On many automatics, such as the BeAT, Scoopy and Vario, it sits under the seat. On some bigger scooters it is in the centre of the floor area.
3. Tell the attendant the fuel and the amount. "Pertalite, penuh" means fill it up. You can also ask for an amount, such as "dua puluh ribu" for Rp 20,000.
4. Watch the display. The attendant will point to it and say "mulai dari nol", meaning "starting from zero".
5. Pay, close the filler and the seat, and move off so the next rider can fill up.

No smoking anywhere near the pumps, and keep your phone in your pocket while you are at the pump.

Why they show you the zero

Starting every sale from zero is part of Pertamina's service standard for station staff. The attendant shows you that the display reads zero before filling, so you can see that you are paying only for the fuel that goes into your tank. If the display does not start at zero, point it out politely before the fuel flows. Complaints about any station can go to Pertamina's call centre on 135.

Paying

• Cash works everywhere and is the most reliable. Carry small notes, since a Rp 100,000 note for a Rp 20,000 fill can leave the attendant hunting for change, especially at night.
• QRIS, Indonesia's national QR payment standard, is accepted at many stations. You scan the code with an Indonesian banking or e-wallet app, or with a foreign banking app from one of the countries whose QR systems are linked to QRIS.
• Debit and credit cards are accepted at many larger stations, though not all, and the card machine may not work for a small amount.
• The MyPertamina app offers cashless payment and shows current prices.

Ask before the fuel goes in if you plan to pay by anything other than cash.

Bottled petrol and Pertamini

All over Bali you will see small stalls with petrol in one-litre glass bottles, and slightly larger set-ups with a tall metal pump and a glass tank, often branded "Pertamini". Despite the name, these are not part of Pertamina's network. Pertamina has said that such sellers are not part of its business, and the quantity and quality are not checked the way they are at a station. You will usually pay a little more per litre than at an SPBU.

They are still part of daily life here, and they are useful:

• In an emergency, when you are running low and the nearest station is some way off
• In villages and on back roads where there is no station nearby
• Late at night, when the local station has closed

Buy only enough to reach the next proper station, a litre or two, and choose a busy stall where the stock turns over. For regular filling, use an SPBU or an official Pertashop, which sells Pertamina fuel, mostly Pertamax, at set prices.

Electric scooters and charging

Electric scooters are a growing option in Bali, and some rental operators specialise in them. They come in two broad types.

• Plug-in models have a removable battery that you take inside and charge at a normal socket overnight. Ask the rental owner how long a full charge takes and what range to expect.
• Battery-swap models use a network of swap stations where you exchange an empty battery for a full one in a few minutes. In Bali, Swap Energi has run swap stations at Circle K stores, and Oyika has opened swap stations at Alfamart stores in Denpasar, Badung and Gianyar. Each network only works with its own batteries, so check the operator's app for stations near your route.

Swap stations are concentrated in the south. For long rides to the north or east, a petrol scooter is still the easier choice unless you have confirmed charging along the way. An electric scooter is a motorbike in law, so the same licence, helmet and registration rules apply.

Fuel tips for long rides to the north and east

Rides to Amed, Lovina, Munduk, Kintamani or the west of the island cross mountains and long stretches between towns. Stations still exist along the main roads, but they are further apart, and the climbs use more fuel than the flat roads of the south.

• Start with a full tank. Rentals are often handed over with very little fuel, so your first stop is usually the station.
• Refill at half a tank. On a day trip, top up whenever you pass a station in a town once the gauge drops to half, rather than waiting for the warning light. Fuel gauges on older rentals are not always accurate.
• Know your range. A Honda Vario holds 5.5 litres, and consumption figures of around 45 to 50 km per litre are commonly quoted for the Vario range. Hills, a passenger and stop-start traffic cut that noticeably. Smaller models like the BeAT and Scoopy carry less fuel.
• Plan early starts carefully. If you are riding up for a sunrise at Mount Batur or Kintamani, fill up the evening before, since rural stations may not be open in the small hours.
• Fill up before the quieter coasts. Top up in a town on the main road before heading out along the far east coast around Amed, or into the north-west towards West Bali National Park.
• Carry cash. Small stations and roadside stalls in the countryside may only take cash.
• Use bottled petrol as a backup, not as your plan.

With a full tank, a rain poncho under the seat and a little planning, the long roads north and east are some of the best riding on the island.