Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cheongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,409 in Cheongju, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. The total is higher in Cheongju despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
Learn more

Cheongju Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,409 in Cheongju.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Cheongju $1,409

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,329 in Cheongju.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Cheongju $2,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,249 in Cheongju.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Cheongju $3,249

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 4% less than in Cheongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

$7.47 ₩10.0K

-55.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

$48.95 ₩65.7K

-27.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

$5.88 ₩7,898

-5.95%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$3.66 ₩4,909

-25.68%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$1.84 ₩2,476

-7.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.40 ₩1,874

-45.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$3.65 ₩4,906

-27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$4.33 ₩5,816

1.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$2.25 ₩3,026

-33.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

$3.25 ₩4,370

-29.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$3.05 ₩4,102

-60.98%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$2.73 ₩3,672

-25.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

58.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

$10.65 ₩14.3K

-62.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

$24.55 ₩33.0K

-50.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$11.40 ₩15.3K

-67.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$3.59 ₩4,819

-57.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$8.30 ₩11.1K

-73.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

$5.85 ₩7,855

-66.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$5.84 ₩7,842

-68.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

$3.43 ₩4,602

-29.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$2.87 ₩3,854

-65.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,332

$1.33 ₩1,779

-61.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$3.45 ₩4,627

-35.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

$18.71 ₩25.1K

18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

$2.46 ₩3,303

-8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

$3.40 ₩4,572

-12.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,562

$1.15 ₩1,538

-78.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,989

$3.50 ₩4,701

-87.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,817

$0.76 ₩1,021

-43.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

$16.67 ₩22.4K

-67.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.36 ₩1,823

-39.71%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

$39.0K ₩52.4M

-38.92%

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

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

$33.7K ₩45.3M

-5.89%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$205 ₩275.0K

-61.39%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

$24.30 ₩32.6K

-73.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

$27.72 ₩37.2K

-32.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

$53.6 ₩71.9K

-7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

$13.97 ₩18.8K

26.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

$11.81 ₩15.9K

-63.84%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$651 ₩873.5K

-24.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

$21.8K ₩29.3M

-74.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

$36.84 ₩49.5K

21.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

$65.4 ₩87.8K

-46.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$93.9 ₩126.0K

-14.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$113 ₩152.1K

-29.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$342 ₩459.8K

228.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$275 ₩369.7K

143.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

$1,197 ₩1.6M

197.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$760 ₩1.0M

126.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

$7,228 ₩9.7M

-62.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

$5,619 ₩7.5M

-59.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$2,613 ₩3.5M

-93.73%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Cheongju

$275 19.5% 59% $396

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Cheongju

$488 34.6% 69.1% $199

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Cheongju

$161 11.4% 49.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Cheongju

$139 9.9% 29.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Cheongju

$257 18.2% 147% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Cheongju

$77 5.5% 33% $19

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8% 4% $0.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $342 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $49 in Cheongju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $488 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

04:59 4:59 AM

1 h ahead of Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

835,669

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Cheongju 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Cheongju

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 Cheongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Cheongju. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $342 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $651 in Cheongju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36 versus $49 in Cheongju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Cheongju 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, Cheongju on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.