October 26th, 2026
Is Lombok a Good Investment? The Next 10 Years
Is Lombok a good investment? The island is gearing up fast: an international airport that handled more than 1.3 million passengers in 2025, a direct road to Mandalika, a circuit that hosts MotoGP, and rising visitor numbers. Here is what is already in place, what is coming, and how the returns of a villa in South Lombok are worked out over the next 10 years, with sourced facts rather than promises.
Why Lombok property investment makes sense now
Lombok is Bali's neighbour, just to the east. For a long time it stayed in Bali's shadow. Not any more: the province of West Nusa Tenggara, which includes Lombok, recorded 2.09 million visits from January to October 2025, and foreign visits grew by 19% over the same period (provincial figures, November 2025).
For an investor, Lombok brings together 3 things Bali no longer offers at the same price:
- Bays in the south of the island that are still lightly built, with white sand beaches and hills facing the ocean.
- Freehold land, affordable compared with Bali's sought-after areas.
- Growing tourist demand, driven by international events and direct flights.
Investing in Lombok is not a bet on an empty island: it is a decision to enter a destination that is taking shape, before it becomes as dense as Bali.
The infrastructure already in place
Lombok International Airport
Zainuddin Abdul Madjid airport, in the centre of the island, handled 1,305,887 passengers and 12,972 aircraft movements in 2025 (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). Over the 2026 Lebaran period it welcomed 167,078 passengers in 18 days, 28% more than a year earlier.
The direct road to Mandalika
A 17.3 km bypass links the airport to the Mandalika area on the south coast. It opened in November 2021, together with the circuit, and it is what makes South Lombok quick to reach from the airport.
Mandalika and the international circuit
Mandalika is a special economic zone on the south coast, built around an international circuit. The 2026 MotoGP round, from 9 to 11 October, drew 157,875 spectators, 12.5% more than in 2025 (Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, October 2026). MotoGP has said it intends to stay at Mandalika until at least 2031; the official extension is in the hands of the Indonesian government.
Every major event fills the hotels and villas of the south of the island, and introduces Lombok to an international audience that then comes back on holiday.
What will change by 2035
Over 10 years, it is this infrastructure, already built, that will play out: more flights as demand grows, more hotels and services around Mandalika, more travellers choosing South Lombok for its calm and its beaches. Recent figures point that way: more passengers at the airport, more foreign visits, more spectators at the circuit.
For a villa built today, that means entering the market early in this rise, with land bought at today's price.
Villa returns in Lombok over 10 years
How rental income is worked out
A villa's return is not a percentage on an advert. It is worked out line by line:
- Gross income: the average nightly rate, times 365, times the occupancy rate of the area.
- Minus booking platform fees.
- Minus rental management fees and fixed costs: maintenance, staff, electricity, insurance, accounting.
- Minus the local tax on rental income.
- The net result, divided by the total project budget, gives the annual return.
At Genesis Bali, every personalised budget sets out 3 costed scenarios for your project (cautious, realistic, favourable), with every assumption written next to the numbers. A project has to stand up in the cautious scenario; the other 2 are upside.
Land value
In South Lombok, land is bought freehold. Over 10 years, a project's total return adds up 2 things: the rent collected, and the value of the land and the villa. With infrastructure already in place and visitor numbers rising, South Lombok has the conditions that built the value of Bali's most sought-after areas.
Building in South Lombok today
Genesis Bali's published prices for building in Lombok, at the 26 October 2026 rate ($1 = IDR 18,127, xe.com):
- Standard construction: IDR 20,000,000 per sqm, about $1,103
- Premium construction: IDR 27,000,000 per sqm, about $1,490
- Ocean view land in the 4 southern bays: under IDR 150,000,000 per ARE (1 ARE = 100 sqm), under about $8,275
For example, building a 150 sqm villa at standard specification comes to IDR 3,000,000,000 (about $165,500), excluding land, design and furniture. The full budget, land included, is set in writing from the mandate.
For a foreigner, freehold goes through an Indonesian foreign-owned company, a PT PMA. Genesis Bali's in-house legal team handles it, along with the land checks. To understand the difference with a lease, see freehold vs leasehold in Bali.
On timing, construction takes 10 to 12 months, and the whole journey from signing the mandate to handing over the keys takes about 14 to 17 months. The detail is in how long it takes to build a villa.
The South Lombok areas
We work in 4 bays on the south coast, each with its own character:
- Selong Belanak: a wide white sand bay, the best known in the south of the island.
- Mawun: an enclosed bay between 2 hills, calm and sheltered.
- Tampah: a wilder beach, surrounded by hills.
- Are Guling: an open bay, with clear views over the ocean.
To compare with land prices in Bali, see Bali leasehold land rates by region in 2026, and to choose an area in Bali, where to build in Bali.
Our projects in South Lombok
Genesis Bali is currently building Villa Elyes, a 3 bedroom ocean-facing villa in South Lombok, due for delivery in August 2027. In Bali, Genesis Bali has more than 20 delivered or ongoing projects, including Villa Ambisi in Kedungu in August 2026: the same team, the same site reporting and the same firm budget from the mandate apply in Lombok.
All our projects are in our portfolio, and the steps of a custom project in our services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lombok a good investment?
Lombok combines affordable land, infrastructure already in place and rising visitor numbers. The actual return depends on the land, the villa and the management: that is why every Genesis Bali budget sets out 3 costed scenarios with their assumptions, rather than a single percentage.
Lombok or Bali: where should you invest?
Bali is a more mature market, with well-established demand and more expensive land. Lombok lets you buy freehold facing the ocean for less, in a destination on the rise. Both can make sense: it depends on your budget and your goals.
How much does land cost in South Lombok?
In the 4 southern bays (Selong Belanak, Are Guling, Mawun, Tampah), ocean view freehold land is currently under IDR 150,000,000 per ARE (1 ARE = 100 sqm), under about $8,275, depending on the plot and the view.
Can foreigners buy land in Lombok?
Yes, through a PT PMA, an Indonesian company with foreign shareholders. Genesis Bali's legal team sets up the structure and checks the land in-house.
How long does it take to build a villa in Lombok?
Construction takes 10 to 12 months. From signing the mandate to receiving the keys, allow about 14 to 17 months, including the land search and design.
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