Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucheon and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucheon: $1,490 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 Bucheon
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Bucheon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Bucheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,490

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,490 per month in Bucheon vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Bucheon $1,490
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Bucheon vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Bucheon $2,399
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $3,308 per month in Bucheon vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Bucheon $3,308
Seoul $4,125

Bucheon is about 19% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bucheon and Seoul sit above the global median – Bucheon by 10%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.03 ₩12.1K

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 ₩91.3K

$68.3 ₩91.6K

-0.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩10.0K

$7.35 ₩9,851

1.90%

Cappuccino

$4.18 ₩5,607

$4.12 ₩5,520

1.46%

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

$1.54 ₩2,068

$1.64 ₩2,203

-6.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,081

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ₩4,903

$3.71 ₩4,971

-1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 ₩7,855

$6.13 ₩8,221

-4.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,747

$2.04 ₩2,737

0.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₩4,142

$3.21 ₩4,303

-3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 ₩5,901

$4.39 ₩5,881

0.23%

Eggs

$3.73 ₩4,996

$3.59 ₩4,814

3.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.50 ₩23.5K

$18.23 ₩24.4K

-4.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 ₩14.1K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.16 ₩35.1K

$26.89 ₩36.0K

-2.71%

Apples (1kg)

$7.64 ₩10.2K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-2.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.43 ₩4,593

$3.53 ₩4,730

-2.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,834

$5.70 ₩7,646

2.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.35 ₩8,516

$6.18 ₩8,281

2.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₩5,052

$3.76 ₩5,044

0.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ₩3,481

$2.51 ₩3,367

3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,805

$2.82 ₩3,773

0.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,558

$1.11 ₩1,487

4.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₩4,558

$3.30 ₩4,424

3.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ₩25.2K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,049

$2.42 ₩3,242

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,348

$3.36 ₩4,501

-3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,550

$1.19 ₩1,597

-2.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 ₩4,925

$3.55 ₩4,761

3.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩800

$0.60 ₩809

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ₩11.9K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

-2.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₩1,955

$1.44 ₩1,927

1.39%

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

$30.0K ₩40.2M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-1.01%

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

$28.5K ₩38.3M

$28.9K ₩38.7M

-1.20%

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

$215 ₩287.9K

$213 ₩284.9K

1.05%

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

$35.76 ₩47.9K

$35.83 ₩48.0K

-0.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 ₩27.9K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

-2.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₩73.8K

$61.6 ₩82.6K

-10.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.32 ₩19.2K

$16.41 ₩22.0K

-12.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 ₩14.9K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

-2.54%

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

$374 ₩501.6K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-80.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K ₩30.9M

$22.8K ₩30.5M

1.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 ₩79.2K

$59.8 ₩80.1K

-1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 ₩44.4K

$34.19 ₩45.8K

-3.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 ₩94.2K

$66.0 ₩88.4K

6.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.8K

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₩665.9K

$924 ₩1.2M

-46.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₩478.9K

$659 ₩883.5K

-45.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-60.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 ₩991.6K

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-48.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,114 ₩9.5M

$27.2K ₩36.4M

-73.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,501 ₩7.4M

$11.3K ₩15.1M

-51.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,529 ₩2.0M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-57.16%

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 Bucheon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bucheon

$479 32.1%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 1% $4.7

Accommodation & Living

Bucheon

$357 24%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 84.5% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucheon

$271 18.2%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 0.6% $1.6

Eating Out

Bucheon

$184 12.4%

Seoul

$184 10% 0.1% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Bucheon

$110 7.4%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 1.1% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Bucheon

$77 5.2%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 9.2% $7.1

Getting Around

Bucheon

$11 * 0.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 409% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $497 in Bucheon versus $924 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 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Bucheon versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $483 – making Bucheon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Bucheon

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

Same time as Bucheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

848,191

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bucheon vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,490 in Bucheon, $1,848 in Seoul – Bucheon comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,236 per month in Bucheon and $2,771 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucheon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $497 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,490 in Bucheon and $1,848 in Seoul. That makes Bucheon about 19% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $374 per month in Bucheon and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

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 Bucheon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.