Most Dutch students default to an internship at home because it's familiar. A growing number choose Bali instead — not as an escape, but because it's often better value, equally credit-eligible, and more useful for their CV. This page gives you the honest comparison.
This is not a sales pitch for Bali. Some students should stay in the Netherlands. But if you are genuinely undecided, the comparison below gives you the real numbers and honest trade-offs — so you can make the right call for your situation.
This is where the conversation usually starts, and where most students are most surprised.
| Category | Bali | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly living total | €440–630 | €900–1,400 |
| Accommodation | €180–300/month | €550–900/month |
| Program / placement fee | One-time €449–649 | Usually €0 (self-arranged) |
| Food | €50–120/month | €200–350/month |
| Transport | €50–80/month | €80–150/month |
| 5-month total (estimate) | €2,650–3,800 + flights | €4,500–7,000 |
Key point: For a 5-month internship, Bali often costs the same or less than staying in Rotterdam or Amsterdam. The one-time program fee is typically offset within the first two months of lower monthly costs.
The main variable is flights. A return flight from Amsterdam to Bali runs €500–900 depending on timing. Factor that into your calculation — it shifts things, but rarely changes the overall picture dramatically for a 5-month placement.
Both a Bali placement and a Dutch placement give you real work experience. But the nature of that experience differs in ways that show up on your CV and in interviews.
Not everyone should go to Bali. If your five-year plan is rooted in a specific Dutch industry, city, or company — building that network locally may genuinely matter more than the international story. But if you are keeping your options open, the Bali angle differentiates you in a way that a domestic internship rarely does.
Both count. Full stop.
Island Internship placements are structured to meet Dutch university requirements. Host companies provide a formal internship agreement (internship overeenkomst), a named supervisor, learning objectives, and a final assessment. The documentation is the same whether you do your internship at home or abroad — your study coordinator receives the same packet either way.
We have had students from Maastricht University, UvA, Erasmus, Tilburg, VU Amsterdam, and HBO institutions complete credit-bearing placements through Island Internship. The process for getting coordinator approval is the same you would go through with any external placement.
Practical tip: Speak to your study coordinator early — ideally before you apply. Share the destination and planned dates. We can provide a placement overview document if your coordinator wants to review the structure before you proceed.
Beyond the formal comparison, there is a qualitative difference in what students take away from each experience.
Neither of these is wrong. But students who come back from Bali consistently describe the experience as something that changed how they see their own capabilities — not just their CV.
This page is written by Island Internship — so we are biased toward Bali. That's worth saying explicitly. But the cost comparison is real. The numbers are drawn from students who actually lived there. The career value argument is based on what students report back. The university credit compatibility is real and has been tested across multiple Dutch universities and programmes.
You should speak to your study coordinator, your parents, and be honest about your own situation before deciding. If the timing is wrong, the cost doesn't work, or you have a compelling reason to stay — stay. The decision matters more than which answer fits a comparison page.
But if you are genuinely undecided, and the numbers above make Bali viable — it is almost always the more interesting choice.
Is doing an internship in Bali more expensive than staying in the Netherlands?
For most students, Bali is cheaper. Monthly living costs in Bali run €440–630, compared to €900–1,400 in Dutch cities. The one-time program fee (€449–649) is typically offset within the first two months of lower living costs.
Does a Bali internship count for Dutch university credits?
Yes. Island Internship placements are structured to meet Dutch university requirements — formal internship agreement, named supervisor, learning objectives, and final assessment documentation. We have students from Maastricht, UvA, Erasmus, Tilburg, VU, and other Dutch institutions who have completed credit-bearing placements through us.
What are the career advantages of a Bali internship over a Dutch internship?
A Bali internship typically offers closer access to founders and leadership, cross-cultural team experience, and a stronger, more distinctive CV story. A Dutch home internship offers better local network-building and may be more relevant if your career plans are specifically Dutch-market focused. Both are valid — the right choice depends on your goals.
Who should not choose a Bali internship?
If you have strong local connections in the Netherlands you specifically want to deepen, if your field is very locally specific, if the cost doesn't work for your personal circumstances, or if you strongly prefer staying close to home — a Dutch placement is the right call. Bali is not for everyone, and there is no value in pushing people toward a placement that doesn't fit.
If Bali feels like the right call, the application is free.
If Bali is the right call, these are the natural next pages.