Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $1,829 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,829 in Seoul, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
Seoul $1,829

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,973 in Seoul, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
Seoul $2,973

A family of three spends $3,180 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,116 in Seoul, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
Seoul $4,116

Ubud, Bali is about 27% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 2% below the global median, while Seoul is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

$8.87 ₩11.9K

-61.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 628.8K

$69.4 ₩93.3K

-50.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 101.2K

$7.50 ₩10.1K

-25.73%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.5K

$4.04 ₩5,431

-35.15%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.56 ₩2,092

-1.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$0.73 ₩985

-12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$3.66 ₩4,912

-27.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 77.4K

$5.88 ₩7,898

-27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$2.08 ₩2,797

-29.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.6K

$3.01 ₩4,043

-23.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$4.18 ₩5,621

-73.44%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

$3.63 ₩4,882

-42.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 289.3K

$17.87 ₩24.0K

-10.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.5K

$10.32 ₩13.9K

-62.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 206.9K

$26.17 ₩35.2K

-56.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.5K

$7.42 ₩9,966

-52.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$3.45 ₩4,638

-55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$5.60 ₩7,520

-60.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$6.29 ₩8,449

-68.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

$3.60 ₩4,840

-48.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$2.51 ₩3,368

-3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$2.77 ₩3,727

-63.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,479

$1.14 ₩1,533

-54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

$3.42 ₩4,599

-35.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 395.4K

$18.60 ₩25.0K

17.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$2.30 ₩3,097

1.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$3.34 ₩4,491

-11.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,544

$1.12 ₩1,505

-77.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.4K

$46.78 ₩62.9K

-82.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,944

$3.60 ₩4,836

-87.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,493

$0.60 ₩808

-21.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.6K

$8.87 ₩11.9K

-36.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.49 ₩2,003

-44.30%

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

$24.4K Rp 443.7M

$29.7K ₩39.9M

-17.65%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.2M

$28.0K ₩37.6M

13.27%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$216 ₩290.0K

-64.10%

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

$6.14 Rp 111.5K

$34.52 ₩46.4K

-82.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 343.3K

$20.34 ₩27.3K

-6.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 925.4K

$59.2 ₩79.6K

-13.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 331.2K

$15.93 ₩21.4K

14.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$11.01 ₩14.8K

-60.22%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$1,962 ₩2.6M

-74.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 221.8M

$26.3K ₩35.3M

-53.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 819.6K

$62.3 ₩83.7K

-27.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 633.2K

$33.82 ₩45.4K

3.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$67.9 ₩91.2K

15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$82.9 ₩111.4K

-6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.6M

$918 ₩1.2M

17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.1M

$654 ₩878.3K

1.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.7M

$3,093 ₩4.2M

13.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.3M

$1,457 ₩2.0M

14.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.5M

$28.4K ₩38.2M

-91.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.6M

$11.4K ₩15.3M

-80.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$3,496 ₩4.7M

-95.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.08

237.75%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Seoul: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

Seoul

$654 35.7% 1.7% $11

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

Seoul

$474 25.9% 69.4% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Seoul

$111 6.1% 4.5% $4.8

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Seoul

$181 9.9% 71.3% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

Seoul

$271 14.8% 164% $168

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

Seoul

$81 4.4% 35.9% $21

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 384% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $918 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seoul are about 21 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ubud, Bali versus $69 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $474 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

19:16 7:16 PM

1 h ahead of Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,148 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,345 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1,344 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Seoul 5,270 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 37% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,744 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $918 there versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali.

Public transport costs about 83% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $492 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,962 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $1,829 in Seoul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,331 in Ubud, Bali to $1,829 in Seoul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.