Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Banjarmasin

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjarmasin: $584 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,794
/mo nomad
Banjarmasin
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$584
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Banjarmasin

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 Banjarmasin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $584 in Banjarmasin, rent included.

  • Seoul $1,794
  • Banjarmasin $584

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $921 in Banjarmasin, rent included.

  • Seoul $2,863
  • Banjarmasin $921

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,258 in Banjarmasin, rent included.

  • Seoul $3,931
  • Banjarmasin $1,258

Seoul costs about 207% more than Banjarmasin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Banjarmasin is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seoul
Banjarmasin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.80 ₩11.7K
$1.14 Rp 20.6K
671.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.4 ₩90.9K
$14.15 Rp 254.8K
383.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₩10.0K
$3.28 Rp 59.1K
129.88%
Cappuccino
$4.23 ₩5,624
$1.23 Rp 22.2K
243.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₩2,167
$0.78 Rp 14.1K
108.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 ₩985
$0.35 Rp 6,222
111.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.64 ₩4,843
$4.89 Rp 88.0K
-25.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.15 ₩8,175
$3.51 Rp 63.2K
75.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seoul
Banjarmasin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.01 ₩2,679
$1.32 Rp 23.7K
52.27%
White Bread (500g)
$3.13 ₩4,164
$0.97 Rp 17.4K
222.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.32 ₩5,744
$0.85 Rp 15.2K
408.24%
Eggs
$3.61 ₩4,794
$1.54 Rp 27.7K
134.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.83 ₩23.7K
$6.69 Rp 120.3K
166.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 ₩13.9K
$2.12 Rp 38.1K
392.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.80 ₩34.3K
$3.25 Rp 58.5K
693.85%
Apples (1kg)
$7.66 ₩10.2K
$1.91 Rp 34.4K
301.05%
Banana (1kg)
$3.38 ₩4,499
$1.12 Rp 20.1K
201.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.81 ₩7,723
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
552.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.41 ₩8,520
$1.29 Rp 23.2K
396.90%
Potato (1kg)
$3.75 ₩4,983
$1.30 Rp 23.4K
188.46%
Onion (1kg)
$2.54 ₩3,375
$0.90 Rp 16.2K
182.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.84 ₩3,782
$0.73 Rp 13.1K
289.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 ₩1,472
$0.40 Rp 7,234
177.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.35 ₩4,455
$1.93 Rp 34.8K
73.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.49 ₩24.6K
$21.41 Rp 385.3K
-13.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₩3,185
$1.86 Rp 33.4K
29.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 ₩4,480
$3.12 Rp 56.1K
8.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Seoul
Banjarmasin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.14 ₩1,521
$0.29 Rp 5,217
293.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.11 ₩61.3K
$16.77 Rp 301.8K
174.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.49 ₩4,643
$0.52 Rp 9,283
571.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.63 ₩840
$0.37 Rp 6,657
70.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₩11.8K
$2.63 Rp 47.3K
236.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 ₩2,005
$0.79 Rp 14.2K
91.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K ₩38.9M
$24.4K Rp 438.7M
20.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K ₩37.5M
$26.7K Rp 479.8M
5.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
Banjarmasin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$218 ₩289.2K
$41.10 Rp 739.8K
429.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.15 ₩46.7K
$2.75 Rp 49.5K
1178.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.29 ₩28.3K
$17.31 Rp 311.5K
22.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
Banjarmasin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.1 ₩77.2K
$19.71 Rp 354.7K
194.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.10 ₩21.4K
$7.89 Rp 142.0K
104.06%
Cinema Ticket
$11.31 ₩15.0K
$5.62 Rp 101.1K
101.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seoul
Banjarmasin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,948 ₩2.6M
$95.9 Rp 1.7M
1930.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.9K ₩30.4M
$8,380 Rp 150.8M
172.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
Banjarmasin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.0 ₩75.8K
$42.79 Rp 770.1K
33.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.39 ₩44.4K
$25.24 Rp 454.4K
32.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.5 ₩95.0K
$53.7 Rp 965.7K
33.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$82.5 ₩109.7K
$32.67 Rp 588.1K
152.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seoul
Banjarmasin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$901 ₩1.2M
$216 Rp 3.9M
317.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$612 ₩813.5K
$162 Rp 2.9M
277.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,526 ₩3.4M
$557 Rp 10.0M
353.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,266 ₩1.7M
$370 Rp 6.7M
241.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.4K ₩39.1M
$1,052 Rp 18.9M
2697.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.9K ₩15.8M
$822 Rp 14.8M
1347.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seoul
Banjarmasin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,650 ₩4.9M
$204 Rp 3.7M
1686.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.08
9.46
-56.87%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Banjarmasin: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seoul
$612
Banjarmasin
$162 73.5% $450
Groceries & Markets
Seoul
$477
Banjarmasin
$171 64.2% $306
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
$274
Banjarmasin
$61 77.7% $213
Eating Out
Seoul
$184
Banjarmasin
$70 62.1% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
$110
Banjarmasin
$69 36.9% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
$81
Banjarmasin
$31 61.7% $50
Getting Around
Seoul
$57
Banjarmasin
$20 64.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $216 in Banjarmasin. 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 1687% 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $14.00 in Banjarmasin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $171 – making Banjarmasin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Seoul
🇮🇩 Banjarmasin
🕒 Local time
16:54 4:54 PM
15:54 3:54 PM
1 h behind Seoul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,509,458 Capital
715,703
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seoul Banjarmasin 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seoul
  • Banjarmasin

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 Banjarmasin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Banjarmasin cheaper than Seoul?
Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 207%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $877 in Banjarmasin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjarmasin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Seoul or in Banjarmasin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $14.00 in Banjarmasin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Seoul and in Banjarmasin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $584 in Banjarmasin. That's a gap of about 207%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Seoul or in Banjarmasin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Banjarmasin, where all-in costs run around $584, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Banjarmasin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Seoul or Banjarmasin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Banjarmasin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Seoul or Banjarmasin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Banjarmasin. 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.

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