Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boryeong and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Boryeong: $1,491 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Boryeong
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Boryeong Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Boryeong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,491

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Boryeong 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 Boryeong and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,491 in Boryeong versus $1,848 in Seoul.

Boryeong $1,491
Seoul $1,848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,407 in Boryeong versus $2,986 in Seoul.

Boryeong $2,407
Seoul $2,986

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Boryeong versus $4,125 in Seoul.

Boryeong $3,324
Seoul $4,125

Living in Boryeong costs roughly 19% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boryeong 10% above, Seoul 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.93 ₩12.0K

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 ₩91.4K

$68.3 ₩91.8K

-0.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 ₩9,826

$7.35 ₩9,868

-0.41%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,473

$4.12 ₩5,530

-0.97%

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

$1.56 ₩2,096

$1.64 ₩2,207

-4.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₩1,002

$0.81 ₩1,083

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,062

$3.71 ₩4,980

1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 ₩7,862

$6.13 ₩8,236

-4.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 ₩2,845

$2.04 ₩2,742

3.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 ₩4,228

$3.21 ₩4,311

-1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 ₩5,623

$4.39 ₩5,892

-4.56%

Eggs

$3.53 ₩4,734

$3.59 ₩4,822

-1.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.85 ₩24.0K

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 ₩14.3K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.69 ₩35.8K

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-0.74%

Apples (1kg)

$7.90 ₩10.6K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

0.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,545

$3.53 ₩4,739

-4.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.76 ₩7,735

$5.70 ₩7,660

1.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 ₩8,270

$6.18 ₩8,296

-0.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 ₩4,945

$3.76 ₩5,053

-2.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ₩3,519

$2.51 ₩3,373

4.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,927

$2.82 ₩3,780

3.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,532

$1.11 ₩1,490

2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 ₩4,671

$3.30 ₩4,432

5.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,060

$2.42 ₩3,248

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ₩4,389

$3.36 ₩4,509

-2.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,558

$1.19 ₩1,600

-2.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ₩4,899

$3.55 ₩4,770

2.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩863

$0.60 ₩810

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 ₩11.7K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

-3.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,952

$1.44 ₩1,931

0.69%

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

$29.2K ₩39.2M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-3.54%

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

$28.5K ₩38.3M

$28.9K ₩38.8M

-1.20%

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

$212 ₩285.3K

$213 ₩285.4K

-0.05%

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

$35.99 ₩48.3K

$35.83 ₩48.1K

0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 ₩27.7K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

-3.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ₩72.8K

$61.6 ₩82.8K

-11.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.07 ₩18.9K

$16.41 ₩22.0K

-14.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.14 ₩15.0K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

-2.45%

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

$379 ₩509.4K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-80.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-1.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 ₩78.6K

$59.8 ₩80.3K

-2.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.86 ₩44.1K

$34.19 ₩45.9K

-3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 ₩93.1K

$66.0 ₩88.6K

5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ₩112.9K

$81.9 ₩110.0K

2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₩656.2K

$924 ₩1.2M

-47.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩484.9K

$659 ₩885.1K

-45.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-60.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₩1.0M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-47.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,113 ₩9.6M

$27.2K ₩36.5M

-73.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,616 ₩7.5M

$11.3K ₩15.2M

-50.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,484 ₩2.0M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-58.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Boryeong: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Boryeong

$481 32.2%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 0.6% $2.9

Accommodation & Living

Boryeong

$361 24.2%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 82.5% $298

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boryeong

$269 18%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 0.3% $0.7

Eating Out

Boryeong

$182 12.2%

Seoul

$184 10% 1.3% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Boryeong

$110 7.4%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 1.2% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Boryeong

$77 5.1%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 10.4% $7.9

Getting Around

Boryeong

$12 * 0.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 399% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $489 in Boryeong and $924 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Boryeong vs $68 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $483 per month, with Boryeong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Boryeong

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

Same time as Boryeong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,620

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Boryeong Seoul 140 km

From you

Boryeong
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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

Boryeong vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boryeong and Seoul differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,491 vs $1,848 including rent). Boryeong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Boryeong. 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: $489 in Boryeong versus $924 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $379 in Boryeong versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,491 per month in Boryeong versus $1,848 in Seoul – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

For families, Boryeong is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Boryeong and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Boryeong wins on affordability, Seoul on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.