Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Gyeongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,228 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Gyeongju
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,228
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,228 in Gyeongju, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Gyeongju $1,228

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,988 in Gyeongju, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Gyeongju $1,988

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,748 in Gyeongju, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Gyeongju $2,748

Ubud, Bali costs about 11% more than Gyeongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Gyeongju is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Gyeongju
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$7.61 ₩10.1K
-56.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$48.01 ₩63.8K
-26.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$6.51 ₩8,653
-10.91%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$3.02 ₩4,012
-9.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$1.10 ₩1,457
49.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.35 ₩469
137.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$2.59 ₩3,442
4.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$4.34 ₩5,764
-0.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Gyeongju
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$2.31 ₩3,073
-35.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$2.47 ₩3,280
-6.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$3.13 ₩4,164
-62.30%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$2.60 ₩3,451
-17.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$11.06 ₩14.7K
58.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$10.33 ₩13.7K
-60.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$18.49 ₩24.6K
-33.86%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$4.50 ₩5,985
-21.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$2.57 ₩3,411
-38.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$3.82 ₩5,075
-41.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$3.67 ₩4,879
-47.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$2.56 ₩3,398
-26.56%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$2.18 ₩2,897
5.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$2.19 ₩2,917
-54.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$1.33 ₩1,766
-60.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$3.44 ₩4,571
-33.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$14.77 ₩19.6K
55.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$1.14 ₩1,515
105.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$2.22 ₩2,949
31.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Gyeongju
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$1.06 ₩1,409
-77.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$2.93 ₩3,895
-83.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$0.79 ₩1,046
-41.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$16.57 ₩22.0K
-67.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.02 ₩1,354
-13.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$29.6K ₩39.3M
-16.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$34.0K ₩45.2M
-8.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Gyeongju
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$80.6 ₩107.1K
3.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$36.83 ₩49.0K
-82.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$27.20 ₩36.2K
-31.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Gyeongju
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$52.1 ₩69.3K
7.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$11.96 ₩15.9K
51.42%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$11.04 ₩14.7K
-60.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Gyeongju
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$639 ₩849.8K
-22.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$22.2K ₩29.5M
-74.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Gyeongju
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$45.34 ₩60.3K
1.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$22.41 ₩29.8K
57.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$91.7 ₩121.9K
-13.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$128 ₩170.8K
-38.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Gyeongju
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$478 ₩635.9K
138.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$366 ₩486.7K
84.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$1,163 ₩1.5M
201.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$732 ₩972.7K
132.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$7,249 ₩9.6M
-61.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$5,416 ₩7.2M
-58.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Gyeongju
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$1,841 ₩2.4M
-91.06%
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 11, 2026

Last update for Gyeongju: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Gyeongju
$366 45.8% $310
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Gyeongju
$359 23.6% $69
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Gyeongju
$144 32.4% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Gyeongju
$145 33.8% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Gyeongju
$130 20.5% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Gyeongju
$74 14.9% $9.6
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Gyeongju
$11 * 11.6% $1.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $478 in Gyeongju. 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 1019% higher in Gyeongju, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $48.00 in Gyeongju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $359 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇰🇷 Gyeongju
🕒 Local time
07:02 7:02 AM
08:02 8:02 AM
1 h ahead of Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
258,156
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Gyeongju 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Gyeongju

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 Gyeongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gyeongju cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 11%, 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 $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,843 in Gyeongju. 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 Gyeongju, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Ubud, Bali and in Gyeongju?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali and $1,228 in Gyeongju. That's a gap of about 11%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $639 in Gyeongju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Gyeongju?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gyeongju, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Gyeongju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ubud, Bali or Gyeongju more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Gyeongju – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Gyeongju?
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 Gyeongju. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?