Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Pohang Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Pohang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,343 in Pohang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,635 in Pohang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,927 in Pohang.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 2% more expensive than in Pohang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Pohang is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$6.11 ₩8,418

-43.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$22.23 ₩30.6K

63.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$6.38 ₩8,796

-10.50%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$3.02 ₩4,156

-11.59%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.46 ₩2,009

19.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.48 ₩663

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$3.78 ₩5,211

-21.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.76 ₩5,177

20.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.92 ₩2,640

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$3.06 ₩4,223

-23.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$2.61 ₩3,603

-57.47%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.68 ₩3,693

-17.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$10.83 ₩14.9K

63.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$6.75 ₩9,302

-39.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$24.99 ₩34.4K

-51.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.29 ₩3,150

62.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$3.69 ₩5,085

-56.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$7.99 ₩11.0K

-71.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$2.95 ₩4,060

-33.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$4.84 ₩6,670

-60.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$3.23 ₩4,454

-27.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$2.29 ₩3,151

-55.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$1.34 ₩1,841

-58.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$3.31 ₩4,559

-32.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$6.65 ₩9,166

246.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.51 ₩2,080

60.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$3.50 ₩4,827

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$3.29 ₩4,531

-85.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.61 ₩837

-29.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$16.44 ₩22.7K

-65.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.24 ₩1,706

-35.48%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$29.7K ₩40.9M

-15.96%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$28.8K ₩39.6M

10.25%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$100 ₩137.9K

-18.57%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$35.70 ₩49.2K

-81.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$27.20 ₩37.5K

-30.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$30.05 ₩41.4K

89.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$7.40 ₩10.2K

153.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$10.95 ₩15.1K

-58.54%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$624 ₩860.4K

-23.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$21.8K ₩30.1M

-73.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$102 ₩140.5K

-55.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$65.8 ₩90.6K

-45.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$94.3 ₩130.0K

-14.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$114 ₩156.5K

-30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$446 ₩615.1K

56.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$2,956 ₩4.1M

-22.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$2,176 ₩3.0M

-92.28%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Pohang: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Pohang pays 1195% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Pohang. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $366, with Ubud, Bali cheaper for home cooking.

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 Pohang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohang wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pohang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1195% lower in Pohang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $624 in Pohang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pohang – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,343 in Pohang versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pohang but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Pohang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pohang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,343 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pohang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Pohang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pohang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.