Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,008 per month in Aachen vs $1,752 in Seoul, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,994 per month in Aachen vs $2,801 in Seoul, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,980 per month in Aachen vs $3,850 in Seoul, rent included.

Aachen costs about 15% more than Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Aachen and Seoul sit above the global median – Aachen by 46%, Seoul by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 €14.29

$9.76 ₩13.2K

70.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 €56.0

$65.6 ₩88.7K

-0.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$7.14 ₩9,651

59.52%

Cappuccino

$3.78 €3.25

$4.02 ₩5,433

-5.97%

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

$2.92 €2.51

$1.64 ₩2,211

78.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 €2.74

$0.83 ₩1,115

284.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 €4.37

$3.59 ₩4,848

41.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.73 ₩7,745

-0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.11 ₩2,845

-34.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.11 ₩4,202

-35.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 €3.35

$4.25 ₩5,744

-8.47%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.96

$3.38 ₩4,563

1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.90 €12.82

$17.01 ₩23.0K

-12.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 €9.55

$10.06 ₩13.6K

10.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.81 €18.77

$24.88 ₩33.6K

-12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$7.36 ₩9,939

-53.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.06

$3.47 ₩4,689

-30.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$5.55 ₩7,493

-61.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 €3.12

$6.26 ₩8,452

-42.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$3.65 ₩4,925

-57.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$2.43 ₩3,286

-36.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.73 ₩3,684

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.08 ₩1,459

20.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.68 €9.19

$3.23 ₩4,370

230.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 €6.16

$18.34 ₩24.8K

-60.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$2.36 ₩3,190

-48.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

$3.12 ₩4,221

-48.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 €3.45

$1.16 ₩1,571

245.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 €63.2

$44.79 ₩60.5K

64.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.79

$3.56 ₩4,804

56.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.25

$0.58 ₩790

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.63 €32.38

$8.88 ₩12.0K

323.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.45 ₩1,957

51.03%

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

$33.5K €28.8K

$29.1K ₩39.3M

15.21%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.1K ₩37.9M

39.87%

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

$399 €343

$196 ₩265.4K

103.01%

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

$17.82 €15.33

$34.49 ₩46.6K

-48.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.99 €43.02

$19.80 ₩26.8K

152.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 €34.06

$57.0 ₩77.0K

-30.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.06 €25.00

$16.05 ₩21.7K

81.06%

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 €13.91

$11.04 ₩14.9K

46.47%

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

$770 €662

$1,891 ₩2.6M

-59.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K €17.6K

$22.0K ₩29.8M

-7.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 €82.6

$56.3 ₩76.1K

70.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 €38.29

$32.45 ₩43.8K

37.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 €74.6

$68.2 ₩92.2K

26.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €117

$79.4 ₩107.3K

71.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €733

$865 ₩1.2M

-1.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 €513

$601 ₩812.0K

-0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 €1,351

$2,497 ₩3.4M

-37.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 €918

$1,225 ₩1.7M

-12.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,653 €4,004

$28.2K ₩38.1M

-83.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,593 €3,092

$11.3K ₩15.3M

-68.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,715 €3,197

$3,486 ₩4.7M

6.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

4.08

-2.94%

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

Last update for Aachen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Seoul: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $852 in Aachen versus $865 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 run about 7% higher in Aachen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Aachen versus $66.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $464 – making Aachen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Aachen vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,008 in Aachen, $1,752 in Seoul – roughly 15% apart. Aachen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,013 per month in Aachen and $2,628 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Aachen and $66.0 in Seoul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,008 in Aachen and $1,752 in Seoul. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,752, than in Aachen at $2,008. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aachen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seoul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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