Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kuta, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuta, Bali: $1,231 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Kuta, Bali
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Kuta, Bali Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Kuta, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $1,231 in Kuta, Bali, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Kuta, Bali $1,231

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $2,066 in Kuta, Bali, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Kuta, Bali $2,066

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $2,900 in Kuta, Bali, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Kuta, Bali $2,900

Seoul costs about 48% more than Kuta, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Kuta, Bali is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$2.89 Rp 51.7K

214.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$30.73 Rp 549.4K

118.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$4.94 Rp 88.3K

50.20%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$2.38 Rp 42.5K

71.43%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

7.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.69 Rp 12.3K

15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$2.37 Rp 42.3K

54.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$3.91 Rp 69.9K

51.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.47 Rp 26.2K

39.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

41.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

259.83%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$1.98 Rp 35.4K

80.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$16.58 Rp 296.4K

8.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$3.63 Rp 64.9K

193.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$11.49 Rp 205.4K

130.11%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

123.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

135.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$2.17 Rp 38.7K

170.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$1.89 Rp 33.8K

237.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

116.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.30 Rp 41.2K

8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$0.99 Rp 17.7K

194.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.47 Rp 8,359

144.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$2.11 Rp 37.6K

55.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$21.20 Rp 379.0K

-12.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$2.25 Rp 40.3K

1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

14.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.27 Rp 4,813

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$9.09 Rp 162.4K

400.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$0.49 Rp 8,847

610.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.46 Rp 8,210

30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

221.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

61.29%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$26.2K Rp 468.7M

11.03%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$33.9K Rp 605.9M

-16.83%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$81.4 Rp 1.5M

156.53%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$6.62 Rp 118.4K

430.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$18.48 Rp 330.3K

14.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$47.75 Rp 853.5K

20.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$15.76 Rp 281.6K

0.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$3.87 Rp 69.1K

192.76%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$443 Rp 7.9M

328.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$5,264 Rp 94.1M

327.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$46.10 Rp 824.0K

27.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$35.04 Rp 626.3K

-8.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$80.3 Rp 1.4M

-12.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

3.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$935 Rp 16.7M

-5.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$570 Rp 10.2M

9.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,926 Rp 52.3M

-14.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,426 Rp 25.5M

-10.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$2,256 Rp 40.3M

1222.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$1,861 Rp 33.3M

536.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

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 Kuta, Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Kuta, Bali

$570 46.6% 8.6% $54

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Kuta, Bali

$274 22.4% 42.8% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Kuta, Bali

$107 8.7% 59.8% $159

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Kuta, Bali

$95 7.8% 48.4% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Kuta, Bali

$108 8.9% 1.1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Kuta, Bali

$55 4.5% 30.6% $25

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Kuta, Bali

$13 1.1% 77.1% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $935 in Kuta, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Seoul versus $31.00 in Kuta, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $274 – making Kuta, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇮🇩 Kuta, Bali

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

15:41 3:41 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

57,304

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 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 = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Kuta, Bali 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Kuta, 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 Kuta, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 48% more than Kuta, 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 $1,846 in Kuta, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuta, 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 $31.00 in Kuta, 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 $1,231 in Kuta, Bali. That's a gap of about 48%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuta, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Kuta, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuta, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kuta, 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.