Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $647 in Bandung versus $1,742 in Seoul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Bandung versus $2,892 in Seoul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,251 in Bandung versus $4,043 in Seoul.

Living in Bandung costs roughly 63% less than in Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bandung is 52% below, Seoul is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.28 Rp 22.9K

$8.59 ₩13.2K

-85.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.42 Rp 168.9K

$54.3 ₩83.2K

-82.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

$6.30 ₩9,657

-45.56%

Cappuccino

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$3.88 ₩5,952

-62.89%

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

$0.49 Rp 8,717

$1.72 ₩2,643

-71.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,452

$0.86 ₩1,311

-70.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.60 ₩5,509

-8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$5.94 ₩9,098

-39.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.22 ₩3,409

-46.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$3.45 ₩5,286

-68.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

$3.13 ₩4,802

-69.97%

Eggs

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

$3.19 ₩4,884

-50.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 Rp 167.3K

$14.21 ₩21.8K

-34.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 Rp 54.2K

$10.99 ₩16.8K

-72.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.92 Rp 142.0K

$34.74 ₩53.2K

-77.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$7.97 ₩12.2K

-70.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 23.9K

$3.46 ₩5,305

-61.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 Rp 30.3K

$5.43 ₩8,321

-68.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.2K

$6.69 ₩10.2K

-77.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

$3.80 ₩5,828

-61.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 Rp 47.8K

$2.95 ₩4,514

-9.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

$2.63 ₩4,023

-63.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,234

$1.27 ₩1,946

-63.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 Rp 46.0K

$3.23 ₩4,947

-20.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.35 Rp 400.7K

$19.49 ₩29.9K

14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

$2.42 ₩3,709

-13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 Rp 62.5K

$3.25 ₩4,976

7.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,362

$1.12 ₩1,710

-73.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.57 Rp 189.5K

$47.88 ₩73.4K

-77.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$3.56 ₩5,456

-78.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 Rp 12.7K

$0.54 ₩827

31.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 Rp 46.4K

$8.72 ₩13.4K

-70.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

$1.25 ₩1,910

-35.20%

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

$24.4K Rp 437.0M

$28.3K ₩43.3M

-13.74%

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

$26.4K Rp 473.3M

$25.3K ₩38.8M

4.22%

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

$43.12 Rp 773.0K

$161 ₩246.1K

-73.15%

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

$4.52 Rp 81.1K

$34.38 ₩52.7K

-86.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.94 Rp 411.3K

$22.41 ₩34.3K

2.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.48 Rp 385.1K

$57.0 ₩87.3K

-62.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.62 Rp 118.7K

$23.23 ₩35.6K

-71.50%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 Rp 56.6K

$11.19 ₩17.1K

-71.76%

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

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

$412 ₩631.5K

-77.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,577 Rp 135.8M

$23.7K ₩36.2M

-67.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.84 Rp 750.1K

$58.7 ₩89.9K

-28.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.57 Rp 547.9K

$46.80 ₩71.7K

-34.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.2 Rp 1.1M

$78.3 ₩120.0K

-24.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 Rp 1.1M

$114 ₩175.0K

-44.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 Rp 4.2M

$957 ₩1.5M

-75.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$604 ₩924.7K

-74.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 Rp 8.0M

$2,580 ₩4.0M

-82.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 Rp 4.4M

$1,308 ₩2.0M

-81.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$723 Rp 13.0M

$18.2K ₩27.8M

-96.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$309 Rp 5.5M

$9,223 ₩14.1M

-96.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 Rp 5.1M

$3,095 ₩4.7M

-90.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

4.14

121.01%

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

Last update for Bandung: June 2, 2026

Last update for Seoul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $234 in Bandung and $957 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 991% 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: $9.00 in Bandung vs $54.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $500 per month, with Bandung cheaper across the board.

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

Bandung vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 169% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Seoul earns 991% less. 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: $234 in Bandung versus $957 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $54.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $647 in Bandung versus $1,742 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $647 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bandung 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 Bandung 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.