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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,342 in Pohang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,006 in Pohang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,670 in Pohang.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 5% more expensive than in Pohang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 5% above, Pohang 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$5.06 ₩7,471

-31.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$18.25 ₩26.9K

77.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$6.19 ₩9,133

-21.81%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.87 ₩4,237

-4.18%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.48 ₩2,190

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.48 ₩708

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$3.62 ₩5,345

-17.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.64 ₩5,370

5.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.80 ₩2,657

-3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$3.16 ₩4,660

-22.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.61 ₩3,848

-55.17%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.99 ₩4,408

-18.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$10.33 ₩15.2K

40.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$6.56 ₩9,672

-33.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$27.64 ₩40.8K

-56.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.19 ₩3,228

69.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$3.22 ₩4,755

-49.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$7.26 ₩10.7K

-62.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$2.50 ₩3,684

-10.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$4.79 ₩7,061

-59.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$2.94 ₩4,334

-22.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$2.04 ₩3,016

-48.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.16 ₩1,716

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.25 ₩4,791

1.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$5.77 ₩8,515

301.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.50 ₩2,206

85.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$3.45 ₩5,085

-20.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.06 ₩1,562

-74.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$2.44 ₩3,600

-80.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.85 ₩1,252

-50.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$16.49 ₩24.3K

-62.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.20 ₩1,776

-32.50%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$27.6K ₩40.8M

-3.75%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$25.1K ₩37.1M

28.03%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$106 ₩155.8K

-25.82%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$51.0 ₩75.3K

-92.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$27.95 ₩41.2K

-12.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$29.38 ₩43.3K

235.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$7.13 ₩10.5K

-11.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$10.83 ₩16.0K

-63.16%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$498 ₩734.1K

-38.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$14.2K ₩20.9M

-53.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$103 ₩152.0K

-47.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$47.32 ₩69.8K

-20.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$87.9 ₩129.7K

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$111 ₩163.6K

-31.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$449 ₩662.3K

120.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$439 ₩647.3K

53.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$1,047 ₩1.5M

222.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$770 ₩1.1M

166.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$2,676 ₩3.9M

-16.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$2,192 ₩3.2M

-92.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.22

214.69%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Pohang: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $449 in Pohang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pohang pays 1213% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $18.00 in Pohang. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $359, 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 5% 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 1213% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $449 in Pohang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $498 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 $18.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,342 in Pohang versus $1,408 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 $1,342 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 5% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.