- On 7 August 2026 Bali's governor scrapped the underground MRT project in favour of a surface-running autonomous ART tram. It will run from the airport to Canggu, with a ~Rp 2.2 trillion (~US$123M) budget and construction slated for 2027.
- The metro's own history is the main lesson for an investor. A ceremonial groundbreaking in 2024, nothing built by 2026. Buying a villa 'for the future infrastructure' means paying today for something that may never happen.
- The logic that works is the reverse, since infrastructure follows demand that already exists. The southern traffic corridor is getting a tram because it is overloaded, while Ubud grows on wellness tourism without depending on new megaprojects.
On 7 August 2026, Bali Governor Wayan Koster announced that the island will not get an underground metro. Instead of the MRT, which had its ceremonial groundbreaking in 2024 and never moved past the ceremony, southern Bali will get a surface-running autonomous ART tram costing ~Rp 2.2 trillion (~US$123 million). For a property investor this is more than transport news. It is a rare, honest case study in how Bali's big infrastructure promises work, and why buying a villa "near the future metro" was always a bad idea. Here is the full map of the island's major projects and their real effect on prices.
ART instead of a metro, what happened
The direct answer. The Bali Urban Subway (MRT) project is dead as the answer to the south's traffic problem. It is being replaced by ART (Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit), an autonomous electric tram that runs on ordinary roads along a "virtual track", with no tunnels or rails.
The numbers, per the provincial government's statements and publications of 7–11 August 2026 (Bali Discovery, The Jakarta Post):
| Parameter | MRT (scrapped) | ART (adopted direction) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Underground metro, tunnelling | Surface autonomous tram |
| Start | 2024 ceremony, construction never began | Construction slated for 2027 |
| Route (phase 1) | Airport, Kuta, Canggu | Ngurah Rai Airport to Canggu |
| Budget | Multi-billion-dollar estimates, no investors secured | ~Rp 2.2 trillion (~US$123M), Rp 1.2T for phase 1 and Rp 1T for phase 2 |
| Operator/funding | Private investors (never attracted) | State railway operator PT KAI expected to participate |
Koster's reasoning for dropping the metro was blunt. ART is "far more efficient and technologically easier", while the metro required extensive underground works that failed to attract funding for two years. Before construction starts, a gubernatorial regulation still has to be issued, which means ART, too, currently exists as a plan and a budget envelope.
The metro's lesson, or why an announcement is not an asset
The Bali metro is a textbook case for property buyers. In 2024 the project got a groundbreaking ceremony, presentations and a wave of coverage, and agencies duly added "the future metro" to sales pitches for properties along the route. By 2026, zero kilometres had been built, and the project itself was swapped for a different one, 18 times cheaper and using different technology.
An infrastructure announcement is a hypothesis, not an asset. It becomes an asset the day concrete is being poured and financing is signed.
This does not mean Bali's infrastructure cannot be trusted. It means projects carry different weight, and only what is already under construction belongs in a villa's financial model. Below is the full map with an honest stage assessment.
Bali's infrastructure map and what is at what stage
| Project | What it is | Stage as of August 2026 | Stated timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ngurah Rai Airport expansion | Capacity growth to 32 million passengers a year | Operating airport, expansion programme | by 2031 |
| Benoa marina (BMTH) | Cruise hub and marina on 24.77 ha, up to 188 yachts and up to 5 liners a day | Active phase, fishing port being relocated | launch by end-2028 |
| ART tram | Autonomous tram from the airport to Canggu, ~US$123M | Direction adopted, awaiting regulation | construction from 2027 |
| Kura Kura SEZ | Special economic zone with an $85M outlet mall (opened 08.2026) and an AI centre with Tsinghua University involvement | Operating, expanding | — |
| North Bali airport (Kubutambahan) | Private international airport, B777/A380-capable runway, no state budget funding | Presidential backing (30.07.2026), in the 2025–2029 National Plan, and the idea is 10+ years old | timeline and budget not approved |
| New air links | Direct flights from Bali to Phuket (TransNusa, since July) and from Bandung to Bali (from 14.08.2026) | Launched / launching | — |
The backdrop explains the pace. Bali's tourism generates ~Rp 176 trillion in foreign exchange a year, roughly 55% of Indonesia's entire tourism FX earnings (figures published 10.08.2026). The state invests where the money already is, and that is the key to reading the geography of these projects.
How infrastructure actually moves villa prices
The direct answer. In Bali the logic is "infrastructure catches up with demand", not "announced, therefore prices rise". Every project in the table goes where the flow already exists. The tram goes into the overloaded corridor from the airport to Canggu, the marina into the island's main port, the outlet mall into the SEZ by the airport. Infrastructure here is a consequence of demand, not its cause.
Three practical takeaways for a villa buyer.
First. A premium "for the future project" is payment for someone else's hypothesis. Properties "10 minutes from the future station" are already sold at a markup, though the project does not yet have its enabling regulation. If it slips (and the metro slipped into infinity), that markup does not come back.
Second. Projects genuinely under construction change a location's economics gradually and predictably. The Benoa marina will strengthen the south's premium segment by 2028, and the airport expansion supports overall flow (Bali received ~3.2 million foreign visitors in H1 2026, −2.4% year-on-year, a mature market rather than a boom). That is a backdrop for all locations, not a multiplier for one.
Third. Traffic is the flip side of the south's infrastructure boom. The very fact that Canggu needs a tram tells you about the density of construction and roads in that corridor. We covered this in Ubud vs Canggu. In overheated locations the costs of growth arrive before the infrastructure that solves them.
DOMA's position. We work where the infrastructure already works
Our base is Ubud, a deliberate bet not on megaprojects but on a place with an established economy. Ubud does not depend on the southern tram or the northern airport. Its driver is wellness tourism, which Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism made a national strategy in 2026, along with guests who stay longer. The roads, clinics, schools and restaurants are already there, and we mapped them in our Ubud infrastructure guide and the living in Ubud guide.
Our villas' financial model has no line item called "price growth after ART launches". We calculate returns from the reports of delivered properties, with a realistic range of 10–15% net per year, and our returns breakdown shows how. If the south's projects deliver, overall arrivals grow and that is a bonus. If they slip, the villa's economics do not change. Our flagship Mirador project in Ubud offers villas from $139,000, completion in September 2027 and milestone-based payments. Run your own numbers in the configurator, it takes 5 minutes.
Bottom line
Bottom line. On 7 August 2026 Bali honestly admitted there will be no metro, which is healthier for the market than two more years of pretty renders. Genuinely in progress are the airport (32M by 2031), the Benoa marina (2028) and the Kura Kura SEZ. ART (2027) and the northern airport remain at the plans stage. Buy the location that earns today, and treat future infrastructure as a free option, not as a line in the price. This is not a public offer.
FAQ
Will Bali get a metro?
No. According to Governor Wayan Koster's statement on 7 August 2026, the underground MRT project has been replaced by a surface-running autonomous ART tram. The metro had its ceremonial start in 2024 but failed to attract sufficient funding, and construction never physically began.
What is ART and when will it be built?
ART (Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit) is an autonomous electric tram that runs on ordinary roads along a virtual track, with no tunnels or rails. The first line is planned from Ngurah Rai Airport to Canggu. The stated budget is about Rp 2.2 trillion (~US$123M), with Rp 1.2T for phase 1 and Rp 1T for phase 2, and state railway operator PT KAI is expected to co-finance and operate it. Construction is slated to start in 2027, after a gubernatorial regulation is issued.
Should I buy a villa near a future ART station or the new airport?
Buying a specific property purely because of announced infrastructure is a risky bet. Timelines slip, projects change (see the metro) or get cancelled. The healthier logic is the reverse. Choose a location where returns already work today, and treat future infrastructure as a free option rather than the basis of your model.
Which major projects are actually moving in Bali right now?
Visibly active are the Ngurah Rai Airport expansion (target 32 million passengers by 2031), the Benoa BMTH marina and cruise hub (launch stated for end-2028) and the Kura Kura SEZ (an $85M outlet mall opened in August 2026). Still at the plans-and-statements stage are the ART tram (construction from 2027) and the North Bali airport (presidential backing, no approved timeline or budget).