Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,369 a month against $1,798 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,369

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,798

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Busan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,369 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,798 in Busan.

Ubud, Bali $1,369
Busan $1,798

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,302 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,951 in Busan.

Ubud, Bali $2,302
Busan $2,951

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,236 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,104 in Busan.

Ubud, Bali $3,236
Busan $4,104

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 24% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 2% above, Busan 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 61.4K

$7.67 ₩10.2K

-56.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.50 Rp 628.7K

$49.50 ₩66.0K

-30.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 Rp 103.7K

$6.60 ₩8,809

-13.79%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.6K

$3.73 ₩4,982

-27.08%

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

$1.56 Rp 28.4K

$1.77 ₩2,365

-11.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 Rp 11.5K

$1.40 ₩1,875

-55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 49.5K

$3.80 ₩5,066

-28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 Rp 78.9K

$4.37 ₩5,832

-0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 Rp 27.0K

$2.29 ₩3,056

-35.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.7K

$3.14 ₩4,192

-27.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 Rp 19.9K

$3.12 ₩4,159

-65.06%

Eggs

$2.07 Rp 37.8K

$2.62 ₩3,492

-20.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.73 Rp 286.7K

$10.99 ₩14.7K

43.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 Rp 73.7K

$10.40 ₩13.9K

-61.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 Rp 204.3K

$24.69 ₩32.9K

-54.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 Rp 66.8K

$11.01 ₩14.7K

-66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.8K

$3.69 ₩4,929

-57.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 42.8K

$8.33 ₩11.1K

-71.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 36.1K

$6.01 ₩8,019

-67.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 Rp 34.2K

$6.12 ₩8,171

-69.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 Rp 43.4K

$3.34 ₩4,461

-28.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.7K

$2.76 ₩3,681

-63.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,679

$1.34 ₩1,791

-60.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 Rp 40.2K

$3.32 ₩4,433

-33.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.60 Rp 393.7K

$18.81 ₩25.1K

14.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 Rp 43.3K

$2.38 ₩3,173

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 Rp 52.7K

$3.67 ₩4,899

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,171

$1.15 ₩1,534

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.73 Rp 177.4K

$68.6 ₩91.5K

-85.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 8,029

$3.61 ₩4,816

-87.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,499

$0.63 ₩844

-25.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 Rp 102.2K

$14.96 ₩20.0K

-62.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 Rp 16.3K

$1.43 ₩1,906

-37.76%

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

$24.5K Rp 445.9M

$39.8K ₩53.1M

-38.55%

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

$32.3K Rp 588.0M

$33.1K ₩44.1M

-2.39%

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

$77.1 Rp 1.4M

$197 ₩262.5K

-60.83%

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

$6.43 Rp 117.2K

$36.58 ₩48.8K

-82.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.33 Rp 352.3K

$26.77 ₩35.7K

-27.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$42.05 ₩56.1K

88.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 Rp 340.7K

$10.18 ₩13.6K

83.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 78.1K

$11.89 ₩15.9K

-64.00%

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

$488 Rp 8.9M

$639 ₩852.1K

-23.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K Rp 225.9M

$22.1K ₩29.4M

-43.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.14 Rp 822.6K

$106 ₩140.9K

-57.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.54 Rp 647.7K

$66.1 ₩88.1K

-46.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$93.6 ₩124.9K

-15.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$126 ₩168.7K

-38.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 Rp 19.9M

$742 ₩990.7K

47.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 Rp 12.2M

$563 ₩751.8K

18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,476 Rp 63.4M

$2,181 ₩2.9M

59.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 Rp 30.3M

$1,399 ₩1.9M

18.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,381 Rp 43.4M

$5,334 ₩7.1M

-55.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,186 Rp 39.8M

$3,295 ₩4.4M

-33.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$2,595 ₩3.5M

-93.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.22

226.54%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 10, 2026

Last update for Busan: November 9, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$670 49%

Busan

$563 31.3% 16% $107

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$280 20.5%

Busan

$486 27% 73.4% $206

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Busan

$166 9.3% 54.6% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.8%

Busan

$176 9.8% 65.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.5%

Busan

$260 14.5% 153% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$88 6.4%

Busan

$66 3.7% 24.9% $22

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 1%

Busan

$80 4.5% 496% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,093 in Ubud, Bali and $742 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays about 16 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Ubud, Bali vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $486 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

11:43 11:43 AM

1 h ahead of Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

3,586,079

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.49 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18,225 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.49 USD). 1 EUR = 20,223 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,481 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.75 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Busan 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Busan

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

Ubud, Bali vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 94% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,093 in Ubud, Bali versus $742 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 86% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $488 in Ubud, Bali versus $639 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Busan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Busan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.