Cost of living in Seoul
compared to
Cost of living in Seoul vs. South Korea overall average
Seoul is 10.8% more expensive than South Korea overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 11.8% more in Seoul
- Groceries
-
pay 8.5% more in Seoul
- Transportation
-
pay 4.8% more in Seoul
- Housing
-
pay 34.1% more in Seoul
- Childcare
-
pay 19.5% more in Seoul
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 8.8% more in Seoul
- Clothing
-
pay 12.1% less in Seoul
The cost of housing, childcare, restaurants, entertainment and sports, groceries, and transportation in Seoul are more expensive than in South Korea.
Seoul Cost of Living Breakdown
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$8.49
₩12,530
|
$6.37
-
$12.74
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$6.30
₩9,293
|
$5.66
-
$7.08
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$1.64
₩2,418
|
$1.42
-
$2.48
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$0.78
₩1,152
|
$0.71
-
$1.42
|
Seoul - Cost of restaurants
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.24
₩4,778
|
$1.84
-
$7.08
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$6.79
₩10,024
|
$3.57
-
$17.69
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$7.85
₩11,581
|
$5.36
-
$10.71
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$2.93
₩4,327
|
$1.70
-
$5.09
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$4.67
₩6,889
|
$1.93
-
$6.42
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$3.45
₩5,085
|
$2.25
-
$5.78
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$1.52
₩2,249
|
$0.96
-
$2.63
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.35
₩3,470
|
$1.12
-
$4.81
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.77
₩4,091
|
$1.12
-
$4.17
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.62
₩2,390
|
$0.64
-
$2.17
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.30
₩1,914
|
$0.64
-
$2.24
|
Seoul - Cost of groceries
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$4.43
₩6,538
|
$4.29
-
$4.82
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$45.99
₩67,872
|
$42.45
-
$63.68
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$25,072.36
₩37,000,789
|
$23,844.75
-
$28,302.37
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$10.50
₩15,496
|
$7.36
-
$18.40
|
Seoul - Cost of transportation
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$20.56
₩30,336
|
$14.15
-
$28.30
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$925.55
₩1,365,897
|
$707.56
-
$1,768.90
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$559.33
₩825,436
|
$353.78
-
$849.07
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$118.88
₩175,441
|
$68.14
-
$178.55
|
Seoul - Cost of housing
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$360.15
₩531,492
|
$198.12
-
$595.29
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$21,667.04
₩31,975,346
|
$14,151.18
-
$29,717.49
|
Seoul - Cost of childcare
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$3.54
₩5,221
|
$2.12
-
$5.66
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$3.70
₩5,457
|
$2.48
-
$4.81
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$3.18
₩4,699
|
$3.18
-
$4.95
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$56.34
₩83,138
|
$28.30
-
$141.51
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$10.61
₩15,663
|
$9.20
-
$12.74
|
Seoul - Cost of entertainment and sports
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$49.77
₩73,441
|
$35.38
-
$70.76
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$39.49
₩58,279
|
$31.84
-
$63.68
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$74.94
₩110,597
|
$56.60
-
$113.21
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$99.06
₩146,186
|
$63.68
-
$176.89
|
Seoul - Cost of clothing
Tip: Try viewing our aggregate cost of living in South Korea
to see the average cost of cities throughout South Korea, like
Busan,
Chuncheon,
Geoje,
Pohang,
Daejeon,
and more.
For a detailed breakdown of Santa Cruz vs. the national average, see the cost of living in South Korea compared to Seoul.
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