“With R200, You’re Balling”: Bali Store Haul for R30 Leaves Mzansi Student Stunned in TikTok Video

A university student from Cape Town went viral after showing Mzansi exactly what R30 buys at a Bali corner store in Indonesia. TikToker Tim, who uses the handle @timmorrel, posted the clip on 19 May 2026 after booking a last-minute cheap flight to Bali he found online and could not ignore.

Tim loaded a basket with water, M&Ms, chips, a watermelon slice, two-minute noodles, carrots, a chocolate bar, and an iced tea. He spent under R30 on everything. The Indonesian rupiah trades at roughly 1,000 rupiah to R1, which meant every item in that basket cost next to nothing by South African standards.

Why everything in Bali cost so little

The prices are not a fluke. Bali’s cost of living stays low because of lower local wages, a weaker rupiah against most foreign currencies, and the island’s ability to grow much of its own fresh produce locally. When food does not need to travel far to reach shelves, prices stay down.

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Tim walked through each price as he shopped. A watermelon slice came to about R1.75. An iced tea set him back roughly R3.50. Noodles, carrots, and chips barely moved the total. He still had change left after grabbing everything on his list.

The student had not planned a Bali trip at all. He found a cheap flight online and booked it on the spot. That decision turned into a viral TikTok moment that had South Africans in the comments seriously reconsidering where they book their next holiday.

Watch the video below:

More stories involving South Africans abroad

• A South African woman posted a TikTok video showing people her experience going to another African country.
• A white South African man abroad stopped to answer questions about his identity, sparking pride back home.
• A South African woman showed people the adventure she decided to take by going to Zimbabwe.

Source: Briefly News