Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,804 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,171 in Des Moines, IA versus $1,804 in Seoul.

Des Moines, IA $2,171
Seoul $1,804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,236 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,877 in Seoul.

Des Moines, IA $3,236
Seoul $2,877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,301 in Des Moines, IA versus $3,950 in Seoul.

Des Moines, IA $4,301
Seoul $3,950

Living in Des Moines, IA is roughly 20% more expensive than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Moines, IA 60% above, Seoul 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$9.10 ₩12.1K

116.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$66.7 ₩88.6K

21.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$7.49 ₩9,959

63.15%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$4.19 ₩5,569

47.02%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.55 ₩2,067

89.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.79 ₩1,055

224.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.64 ₩4,846

37.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$6.14 ₩8,164

-4.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.11 ₩2,811

-56.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.05 ₩4,051

-0.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$4.21 ₩5,599

-19.71%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$3.54 ₩4,709

12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-46.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$10.35 ₩13.8K

-4.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-48.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-45.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.44 ₩4,578

-56.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$5.64 ₩7,493

-19.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$6.41 ₩8,517

-42.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.71 ₩4,938

-17.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.52 ₩3,345

-15.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.87 ₩3,816

-17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.16 ₩1,536

88.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.37 ₩4,480

132.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$18.72 ₩24.9K

-20.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.28 ₩3,036

-25.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.31 ₩4,397

-6.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.13 ₩1,497

53.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$46.73 ₩62.1K

24.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.52 ₩4,684

-44.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.64 ₩849

92.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$8.76 ₩11.7K

124.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.45 ₩1,930

-35.86%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.7K ₩39.4M

-8.39%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-10.81%

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

$185 $185

$211 ₩280.4K

-12.45%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$35.36 ₩47.0K

51.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$20.57 ₩27.4K

241.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 $63.8

$57.7 ₩76.7K

10.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$16.20 ₩21.5K

24.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-12.14%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-39.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

-47.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$57.5 ₩76.4K

3.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 $42.98

$33.08 ₩44.0K

29.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$70.1 ₩93.2K

43.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$84.3 ₩112.0K

72.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$878 ₩1.2M

34.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 $872

$624 ₩829.7K

39.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-30.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 $1,394

$1,287 ₩1.7M

8.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-92.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-80.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$3,599 ₩4.8M

1.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

4.08

60.78%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 28.5% $248

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 37.2% $130

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 43.3% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 13.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 29.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 3.9% $3.3

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 20.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,177 in Des Moines, IA and $878 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Des Moines, IA vs $67.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $480, with Des Moines, IA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

16:37 4:37 PM

14 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

KRW to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Des Moines, IA Seoul 10,280 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
Seoul

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

Des Moines, IA vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Des Moines, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,177 in Des Moines, IA versus $878 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seoul – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,171 per month in Des Moines, IA versus $1,804 in Seoul – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,804 in Seoul versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Des Moines, IA 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.

Expats usually find Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.