Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,224 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Bali

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $1,224 in Bali, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Bali $1,224

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $2,064 in Bali, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Bali $2,064

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $2,904 in Bali, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Bali $2,904

Seoul costs about 49% more than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Bali is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

232.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$29.64 Rp 530.3K

126.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$4.74 Rp 84.7K

56.54%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

83.78%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

16.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$2.21 Rp 39.5K

65.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$3.62 Rp 64.8K

64.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

42.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

275.89%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

81.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$16.41 Rp 293.5K

9.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$3.63 Rp 65.0K

193.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$11.53 Rp 206.4K

129.31%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$3.37 Rp 60.2K

120.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

141.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

173.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$1.90 Rp 34.0K

235.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

108.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

11.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

210.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$0.48 Rp 8,585

139.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

53.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$21.94 Rp 392.5K

-15.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

$2.77 Rp 49.6K

18.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$0.26 Rp 4,664

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$8.08 Rp 144.5K

462.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$0.44 Rp 7,859

690.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$0.42 Rp 7,497

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$5.66 Rp 101.2K

53.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

66.67%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$24.2K Rp 433.8M

20.09%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$31.5K Rp 563.6M

-10.51%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

160.92%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$6.63 Rp 118.6K

429.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$18.33 Rp 327.9K

15.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$45.56 Rp 815.1K

25.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$15.24 Rp 272.7K

4.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$3.71 Rp 66.4K

205.39%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$442 Rp 7.9M

330.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$5,246 Rp 93.8M

329.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$44.18 Rp 790.3K

33.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$34.13 Rp 610.6K

-5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

-9.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

10.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$994 Rp 17.8M

-10.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$588 Rp 10.5M

5.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$3,084 Rp 55.2M

-19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,496 Rp 26.8M

-14.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$2,383 Rp 42.6M

1152.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$2,015 Rp 36.1M

487.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$223 Rp 4.0M

1535.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

13.78

-70.39%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Bali

$588 48% 5.6% $35

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Bali

$274 22.4% 42.8% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Bali

$105 8.6% 60.4% $160

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Bali

$89 7.3% 51.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Bali

$104 8.5% 5.4% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Bali

$53 4.3% 33.8% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Bali

$12 1% 79.4% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $994 in Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1536% higher in Seoul, 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $274 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

10:50 10:50 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

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).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Bali 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Bali

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

Seoul vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 49% 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 $2,733 per month in Seoul and $1,836 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Seoul and $30.00 in Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,822 in Seoul and $1,224 in Bali. That's a gap of about 49%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,224, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,224 versus $1,822 in Seoul. 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, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.