Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denpasar, Bali and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Denpasar, Bali: $896 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Denpasar, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$896
/mo nomad
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,822
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Denpasar, Bali 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 Denpasar, Bali and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $896 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,822 in Seoul.

  • Denpasar, Bali $896
  • Seoul $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,522 in Denpasar, Bali versus $2,847 in Seoul.

  • Denpasar, Bali $1,522
  • Seoul $2,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,148 in Denpasar, Bali versus $3,872 in Seoul.

  • Denpasar, Bali $2,148
  • Seoul $3,872

Living in Denpasar, Bali costs roughly 51% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Denpasar, Bali is 33% below, Seoul is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Denpasar, Bali
Seoul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.20 Rp 39.4K
$9.10 ₩12.2K
-75.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.17 Rp 414.6K
$67.0 ₩90.0K
-65.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.91 Rp 70.0K
$7.42 ₩9,964
-47.30%
Cappuccino
$1.75 Rp 31.4K
$4.08 ₩5,482
-57.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 Rp 19.3K
$1.60 ₩2,146
-32.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,211
$0.80 ₩1,081
-36.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.82 Rp 32.6K
$3.65 ₩4,898
-50.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.3K
$5.94 ₩7,974
-49.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Denpasar, Bali
Seoul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 Rp 22.8K
$2.05 ₩2,748
-37.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.87 Rp 33.4K
$3.08 ₩4,139
-39.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 Rp 18.1K
$4.21 ₩5,659
-76.01%
Eggs
$1.74 Rp 31.1K
$3.57 ₩4,795
-51.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.76 Rp 246.1K
$17.95 ₩24.1K
-23.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.20 Rp 57.2K
$10.64 ₩14.3K
-69.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.61 Rp 171.9K
$26.44 ₩35.5K
-63.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 Rp 52.9K
$7.42 ₩9,969
-60.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 Rp 22.5K
$3.53 ₩4,743
-64.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 Rp 32.5K
$5.87 ₩7,884
-69.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 Rp 27.9K
$6.37 ₩8,554
-75.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.3K
$3.75 ₩5,040
-59.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 Rp 35.0K
$2.49 ₩3,345
-21.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.78 Rp 13.9K
$2.92 ₩3,920
-73.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,743
$1.15 ₩1,545
-62.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.85 Rp 33.1K
$3.29 ₩4,418
-43.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.22 Rp 326.0K
$18.49 ₩24.8K
-1.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 Rp 34.7K
$2.28 ₩3,064
-14.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
$3.28 ₩4,408
-27.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Denpasar, Bali
Seoul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,304
$1.14 ₩1,529
-78.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.17 Rp 128.3K
$45.47 ₩61.1K
-84.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 Rp 7,112
$3.48 ₩4,674
-88.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,428
$0.60 ₩805
-30.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 Rp 55.9K
$8.70 ₩11.7K
-64.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.75 Rp 13.4K
$1.50 ₩2,008
-50.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K Rp 384.3M
$29.1K ₩39.1M
-26.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K Rp 501.7M
$28.2K ₩37.9M
-0.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Denpasar, Bali
Seoul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.7 Rp 1.3M
$209 ₩280.5K
-65.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.91 Rp 105.7K
$35.13 ₩47.2K
-83.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.47 Rp 294.6K
$21.18 ₩28.4K
-22.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Denpasar, Bali
Seoul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.87 Rp 713.2K
$57.3 ₩77.0K
-30.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.71 Rp 227.4K
$15.89 ₩21.3K
-20.01%
Cinema Ticket
$3.01 Rp 53.8K
$11.33 ₩15.2K
-73.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Denpasar, Bali
Seoul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$381 Rp 6.8M
$1,902 ₩2.6M
-79.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,359 Rp 78.0M
$22.5K ₩30.2M
-80.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Denpasar, Bali
Seoul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.61 Rp 708.5K
$58.9 ₩79.1K
-32.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.69 Rp 531.2K
$32.12 ₩43.1K
-7.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
$70.1 ₩94.2K
-3.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.1 Rp 1.2M
$82.5 ₩110.8K
-17.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Denpasar, Bali
Seoul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$594 Rp 10.6M
$885 ₩1.2M
-32.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$353 Rp 6.3M
$624 ₩837.5K
-43.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,822 Rp 32.6M
$2,494 ₩3.3M
-26.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$915 Rp 16.4M
$1,275 ₩1.7M
-28.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,461 Rp 26.1M
$29.8K ₩40.1M
-95.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,189 Rp 21.3M
$11.8K ₩15.9M
-89.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Denpasar, Bali
Seoul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$284 Rp 5.1M
$3,649 ₩4.9M
-92.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
4.08
237.75%

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

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 3, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Denpasar, Bali
$353
Seoul
$624 76.7% $271
Groceries & Markets
Denpasar, Bali
$234
Seoul
$479 105% $245
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Denpasar, Bali
$95
Seoul
$265 179% $170
Clothing & Footwear
Denpasar, Bali
$92
Seoul
$110 18.7% $17
Eating Out
Denpasar, Bali
$72
Seoul
$184 156% $112
Sport & Entertainment
Denpasar, Bali
$46
Seoul
$80 74.3% $34
Getting Around
Denpasar, Bali
$11
Seoul
$57 433% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $594 in Denpasar, Bali and $885 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 1183% 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: $23.00 in Denpasar, Bali vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $479 per month, with Denpasar, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali
🇰🇷 Seoul
🕒 Local time
09:59 9:59 AM
10:59 10:59 AM
1 h ahead of Denpasar, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
788,445
9,509,458 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Denpasar, Bali Seoul 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Denpasar, Bali
  • 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
Denpasar, Bali vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Denpasar, Bali and in Seoul?
Denpasar, Bali and Seoul differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($896 vs $1,822 including rent). Denpasar, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 1183% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Denpasar, Bali and in Seoul?
Rent for a central apartment: $594 in Denpasar, Bali versus $885 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Denpasar, Bali or Seoul?
All in, you'll spend $896 per month in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,822 in Seoul – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Denpasar, Bali and in Seoul?
A monthly transit pass in Denpasar, Bali runs roughly 534% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $896 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Denpasar, Bali but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Denpasar, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Denpasar, Bali and Seoul?
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.
Is Denpasar, Bali or Seoul safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Denpasar, Bali 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.
Where should expats move: Denpasar, Bali or Seoul?
Expats usually find Denpasar, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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