Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikpapan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $668 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$668

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikpapan and in Seoul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $668 in Balikpapan versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Balikpapan $668
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,048 in Balikpapan versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Balikpapan $1,048
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,428 in Balikpapan versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Balikpapan $1,428
Seoul $3,931

Living in Balikpapan costs roughly 63% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balikpapan is 51% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-84.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.95 Rp 197.1K

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-83.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 Rp 55.0K

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-59.55%

Cappuccino

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

$4.23 ₩5,624

-67.85%

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

$0.37 Rp 6,712

$1.63 ₩2,167

-77.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 Rp 6,871

$0.74 ₩985

-48.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 Rp 40.4K

$3.64 ₩4,843

-38.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$6.15 ₩8,175

-45.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

$2.01 ₩2,679

-43.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$3.13 ₩4,164

-65.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$4.32 ₩5,744

-73.15%

Eggs

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

$3.61 ₩4,794

-29.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 Rp 132.8K

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-58.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 Rp 52.6K

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-72.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.04 Rp 144.7K

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-68.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.5K

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-70.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$3.38 ₩4,499

-61.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

$5.81 ₩7,723

-69.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$6.41 ₩8,520

-80.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.7K

$3.75 ₩4,983

-66.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

$2.54 ₩3,375

-25.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$2.84 ₩3,782

-72.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

$1.11 ₩1,472

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 Rp 34.0K

$3.35 ₩4,455

-43.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.83 Rp 374.9K

$18.49 ₩24.6K

12.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 Rp 33.7K

$2.40 ₩3,185

-22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 Rp 54.3K

$3.37 ₩4,480

-10.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,219

$1.14 ₩1,521

-74.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$3.49 ₩4,643

-67.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 Rp 6,777

$0.63 ₩840

-39.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 Rp 46.7K

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-70.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$1.51 ₩2,005

-49.01%

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

$23.4K Rp 420.6M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-20.18%

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

$31.0K Rp 558.8M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

10.05%

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

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

$218 ₩289.2K

-68.98%

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

$4.36 Rp 78.4K

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-87.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 Rp 537.4K

$21.29 ₩28.3K

40.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.74 Rp 427.4K

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-59.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 Rp 152.2K

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-47.45%

Cinema Ticket

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-74.89%

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

$93.1 Rp 1.7M

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-95.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,570 Rp 154.3M

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-62.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.14 Rp 686.6K

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-33.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.66 Rp 335.9K

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-44.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 Rp 2.5M

$71.5 ₩95.0K

96.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 Rp 3.7M

$901 ₩1.2M

-77.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$612 ₩813.5K

-75.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 Rp 9.7M

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-78.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 Rp 6.5M

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-71.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,258 Rp 22.6M

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-95.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 Rp 14.7M

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-93.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$238 Rp 4.3M

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-93.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

4.08

131.86%

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

Last update for Balikpapan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Balikpapan

$206 30.9%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 131% $270

Accommodation & Living

Balikpapan

$148 22.1%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 314% $464

Clothing & Footwear

Balikpapan

$121 18.1%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 8.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikpapan

$102 15.2%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 169% $172

Eating Out

Balikpapan

$57 8.6%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 220% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Balikpapan

$29 4.4%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 174% $51

Getting Around

Balikpapan

$4.2 * 0.6%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 1268% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $203 in Balikpapan and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 1435% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $11.00 in Balikpapan vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $477 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

13:58 1:58 PM

1 h ahead of Balikpapan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,066

9,509,458 Capital

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Balikpapan Seoul 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Balikpapan
Seoul

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

Balikpapan vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balikpapan and Seoul differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($668 vs $1,794 including rent). Balikpapan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1435% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $203 in Balikpapan versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $93.1 in Balikpapan versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Balikpapan – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Balikpapan versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Balikpapan and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.