Cost of living comparison
compared to
Chicago vs. Seoul Cost of Living Summary
Chicago is 2.1 times more expensive than Seoul.
Chicago vs. Seoul Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Chicago instead of Seoul, you would:
pay 2.3 times more for restaurants
Seoul | Chicago | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $8.49 ₩13,036 | $20.50 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $6.30 ₩9,668 | $12.00 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $1.64 ₩2,516 | $2.96 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $0.78 ₩1,199 | $2.33 | |
Seoul vs. Chicago - Cost of restaurants
pay 5.8% less for groceries
Seoul | Chicago | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $3.24 ₩4,971 | $4.01 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $6.79 ₩10,429 | $7.05 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $7.85 ₩12,048 | $4.30 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $2.93 ₩4,501 | $5.02 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $4.67 ₩7,167 | $6.55 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $3.45 ₩5,290 | $2.31 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $1.52 ₩2,340 | $0.79 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.35 ₩3,610 | $1.85 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.77 ₩4,256 | $2.09 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.62 ₩2,486 | $1.16 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.30 ₩1,991 | $1.26 | |
Seoul vs. Chicago - Cost of groceries
pay 32.2% more for transportation
Seoul | Chicago | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $4.43 ₩6,802 | $3.81 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $45.99 ₩70,610 | $75.00 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $25,072.36 ₩38M | $35,691.85 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $10.50 ₩16,121 | $14.43 | |
Seoul vs. Chicago - Cost of transportation
pay 2.5 times more for housing
Seoul | Chicago | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $20.56 ₩31,560 | $65.83 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $925.55 ₩1M | $2,418.00 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $559.33 ₩859K | $1,692.50 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $118.88 ₩183K | $141.41 | |
Seoul vs. Chicago - Cost of housing
pay 3.7 times more for childcare
Seoul | Chicago | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $360.15 ₩553K | $2,050.00 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $21,667.04 ₩33M | $39,114.29 | |
Seoul vs. Chicago - Cost of childcare
pay 2.4 times more for entertainment and sports
Seoul | Chicago | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $3.54 ₩5,432 | $7.00 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $3.70 ₩5,678 | $5.53 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $3.18 ₩4,888 | $17.00 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $56.34 ₩86,492 | $71.80 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $10.61 ₩16,295 | $18.00 | |
Seoul vs. Chicago - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 33.8% more for clothing
Seoul | Chicago | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $49.77 ₩76,404 | $64.24 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $39.49 ₩60,630 | $49.62 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $74.94 ₩115K | $99.48 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $99.06 ₩152K | $146.50 | |
Seoul vs. Chicago - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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Compare countries by overall cost of living
See the cost of living in South Korea vs. United States. This provides a comparison of the average cost of living from cities within South Korea and United States.
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