Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Pohang

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,236 a month against $1,362 in Pohang, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Pohang despite lower rent and utilities.

60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Pohang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bali and in Pohang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Bali vs $1,362 in Pohang, rent included.

Bali $1,236
Pohang $1,362

A couple spends around $2,086 per month in Bali vs $1,682 in Pohang, rent included.

Bali $2,086
Pohang $1,682

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Bali vs $2,002 in Pohang, rent included.

Bali $2,937
Pohang $2,002

Bali is about 9% cheaper than Pohang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bali sits 8% below the global median, while Pohang is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$5.91 ₩7,857

-53.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

$22.55 ₩30.0K

32.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

$6.52 ₩8,675

-28.99%

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

$3.02 ₩4,012

-23.18%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

$1.48 ₩1,967

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$0.53 ₩710

20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$3.64 ₩4,836

-39.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

$3.81 ₩5,062

-6.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$2.36 ₩3,142

-36.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$3.25 ₩4,319

-32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$1.46 ₩1,940

-19.86%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

$2.73 ₩3,634

-26.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

$10.95 ₩14.6K

50.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

$10.36 ₩13.8K

-64.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

$24.86 ₩33.1K

-53.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

$2.20 ₩2,929

56.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

$3.61 ₩4,798

-59.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-71.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$2.92 ₩3,879

-37.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$5.00 ₩6,653

-64.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$3.41 ₩4,532

-33.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$2.27 ₩3,015

-56.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$1.34 ₩1,785

-61.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

$3.31 ₩4,407

-35.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

$6.49 ₩8,631

230.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$1.53 ₩2,031

49.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

$3.49 ₩4,638

-18.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,713

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,646

$3.30 ₩4,388

-85.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,705

$0.58 ₩766

-25.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

$16.64 ₩22.1K

-66.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$1.24 ₩1,647

-33.87%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

$29.5K ₩39.2M

-19.61%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

$28.4K ₩37.8M

11.77%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$102 ₩136.1K

-20.55%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

$36.26 ₩48.2K

-81.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

$26.84 ₩35.7K

-31.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

$30.38 ₩40.4K

54.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

$7.43 ₩9,884

102.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

$11.38 ₩15.1K

-67.57%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$445 Rp 8.0M

$637 ₩847.5K

-30.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

$21.8K ₩29.0M

-76.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

$105 ₩139.2K

-59.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

$64.3 ₩85.5K

-48.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$92.5 ₩122.9K

-18.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$111 ₩147.9K

-33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$447 ₩594.3K

33.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

$2,990 ₩4.0M

-34.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 4.0M

$2,240 ₩3.0M

-90.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.22

226.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Pohang

$447 32.8% 25% $149

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Pohang

$386 28.3% 39.4% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Pohang

$165 12.2% 55.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Pohang

$168 12.3% 65.8% $67

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Pohang

$137 10.1% 52.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Pohang

$53 3.9% 2% $1.1

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5% 46.9% $5.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 917% higher in Pohang, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali versus $23.00 in Pohang. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Bali vs $386 in Pohang – so Bali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇰🇷 Pohang

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

10:35 10:35 AM

1 h ahead of Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

514,869

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Pohang 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Pohang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bali vs Pohang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohang costs about 10% more than Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,854 per month in Bali and $2,043 in Pohang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,236 in Bali and $1,362 in Pohang. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $445 per month in Bali and $637 in Pohang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,236, than in Pohang at $1,362. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pohang it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,236 versus $1,362 in Pohang. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pohang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.