Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Gwangju

For one person, living costs are similar in Ubud, Bali and in Gwangju: $1,349 and $1,341 a month, rent and utilities included.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Gwangju, South Korea
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Gwangju
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,341
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,341 in Gwangju.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Gwangju $1,341

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,048 in Gwangju.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Gwangju $2,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,756 in Gwangju.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Gwangju $2,756

Monthly costs are close between Ubud, Bali and Gwangju; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Gwangju
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$6.02 ₩8,080
-44.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
$34.32 ₩46.1K
3.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$5.82 ₩7,817
-4.98%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$3.17 ₩4,258
-14.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$1.59 ₩2,141
6.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.63 ₩848
20.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$2.38 ₩3,197
11.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
$4.59 ₩6,170
-4.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Gwangju
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.72 ₩2,312
-13.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$2.49 ₩3,348
-8.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$2.29 ₩3,075
-48.03%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$2.64 ₩3,541
-22.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
$8.80 ₩11.8K
101.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
$7.82 ₩10.5K
-49.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
$11.15 ₩15.0K
9.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
$5.16 ₩6,934
-29.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$3.02 ₩4,050
-49.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$3.72 ₩5,000
-40.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$3.09 ₩4,144
-36.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$3.60 ₩4,835
-48.61%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$1.89 ₩2,541
28.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$2.11 ₩2,838
-53.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,332
$1.28 ₩1,725
-60.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$3.36 ₩4,515
-33.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
$11.19 ₩15.0K
98.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$1.51 ₩2,031
49.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$2.31 ₩3,100
28.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Gwangju
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,562
$1.01 ₩1,351
-75.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
$68.8 ₩92.4K
-88.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,989
$3.06 ₩4,102
-85.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,817
$0.64 ₩854
-32.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
$7.84 ₩10.5K
-30.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.20 ₩1,617
-31.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
$28.1K ₩37.7M
-15.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
$35.2K ₩47.3M
-9.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Gwangju
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$212 ₩284.5K
-62.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$44.13 ₩59.3K
-85.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
$20.64 ₩27.7K
-9.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Gwangju
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
$55.4 ₩74.3K
-10.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
$14.36 ₩19.3K
22.91%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$11.20 ₩15.0K
-61.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Gwangju
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$299 ₩401.2K
64.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
$17.5K ₩23.5M
-67.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Gwangju
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
$32.50 ₩43.6K
37.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
$26.36 ₩35.4K
32.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$63.9 ₩85.8K
25.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$89.9 ₩120.7K
-11.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Gwangju
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$508 ₩682.6K
121.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$370 ₩496.4K
81.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$1,163 ₩1.6M
206.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$744 ₩998.6K
131.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$7,980 ₩10.7M
-65.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$6,343 ₩8.5M
-63.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Gwangju
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$2,834 ₩3.8M
-94.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
3.6
282.78%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gwangju: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Gwangju
$370 44.9% $302
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Gwangju
$308 6.8% $20
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Gwangju
$134 24.1% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Gwangju
$96 11% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Gwangju
$277 166% $173
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Gwangju
$78 34% $20
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Gwangju
$79 593% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $508 in Gwangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays about 17 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $34 in Gwangju. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $308, with Ubud, Bali cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇰🇷 Gwangju
🕒 Local time
07:00 7:00 AM
08:00 8:00 AM
1 h ahead of Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
1,467,996
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Gwangju 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Gwangju

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 Gwangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Where can you earn more: Ubud, Bali or Gwangju?
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.
What is the rent difference between Ubud, Bali and Gwangju?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $508 in Gwangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 89% less than in Gwangju. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do food prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Gwangju?
Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 enough for either Ubud, Bali or Gwangju?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Gwangju gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Ubud, Bali or in Gwangju?
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.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Gwangju?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Gwangju are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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