Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gimcheon and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Gimcheon: $1,437 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Gimcheon
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Gimcheon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Gimcheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,437

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,437 per month in Gimcheon vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Gimcheon $1,437
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,340 per month in Gimcheon vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Gimcheon $2,340
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $3,242 per month in Gimcheon vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Gimcheon $3,242
Seoul $4,125

Gimcheon is about 22% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gimcheon and Seoul sit above the global median – Gimcheon by 6%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.90 ₩7,917

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-34.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.08 ₩45.8K

$68.3 ₩91.8K

-50.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₩8,895

$7.35 ₩9,868

-9.93%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₩4,817

$4.12 ₩5,530

-12.86%

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

$1.60 ₩2,142

$1.64 ₩2,207

-2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.81 ₩1,083

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 ₩4,565

$3.71 ₩4,980

-8.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ₩6,186

$6.13 ₩8,236

-24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,109

$2.04 ₩2,742

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,309

$3.21 ₩4,311

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₩3,011

$4.39 ₩5,892

-48.97%

Eggs

$3.39 ₩4,549

$3.59 ₩4,822

-5.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.60 ₩21.0K

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-14.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 ₩10.5K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-25.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.25 ₩15.1K

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-58.16%

Apples (1kg)

$7.61 ₩10.2K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.34 ₩4,491

$3.53 ₩4,739

-5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.73 ₩10.4K

$5.70 ₩7,660

35.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 ₩9,182

$6.18 ₩8,296

10.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 ₩4,603

$3.76 ₩5,053

-8.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 ₩3,192

$2.51 ₩3,373

-5.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₩2,845

$2.82 ₩3,780

-24.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₩1,807

$1.11 ₩1,490

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,586

$3.30 ₩4,432

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.52 ₩24.9K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₩2,989

$2.42 ₩3,248

-7.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 ₩5,183

$3.36 ₩4,509

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,498

$1.19 ₩1,600

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ₩4,082

$3.55 ₩4,770

-14.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩878

$0.60 ₩810

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.92 ₩12.0K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

-1.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₩1,492

$1.44 ₩1,931

-22.92%

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

$29.3K ₩39.4M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-3.16%

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

$35.5K ₩47.7M

$28.9K ₩38.8M

22.95%

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

$209 ₩281.1K

$213 ₩285.4K

-1.51%

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

$42.72 ₩57.4K

$35.83 ₩48.1K

19.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.99 ₩28.2K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

-1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 ₩71.0K

$61.6 ₩82.8K

-14.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.50 ₩18.1K

$16.41 ₩22.0K

-17.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 ₩15.1K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

-1.84%

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

$304 ₩407.8K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-84.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₩24.4M

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-20.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 ₩89.2K

$59.8 ₩80.3K

11.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 ₩84.9K

$34.19 ₩45.9K

84.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 ₩99.9K

$66.0 ₩88.6K

12.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₩134.9K

$81.9 ₩110.0K

22.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 ₩670.5K

$924 ₩1.2M

-45.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ₩509.3K

$659 ₩885.1K

-42.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 ₩1.8M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-55.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 ₩1.4M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-29.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 ₩10.9M

$27.2K ₩36.5M

-70.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,412 ₩7.3M

$11.3K ₩15.2M

-52.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,915 ₩2.6M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-46.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

4.08

0.49%

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

Last update for Gimcheon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gimcheon

$416 29%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 16.2% $67

Accommodation & Living

Gimcheon

$379 26.4%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 73.8% $280

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gimcheon

$273 19%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 1.2% $3.3

Eating Out

Gimcheon

$145 10.1%

Seoul

$184 10% 27% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Gimcheon

$137 9.5%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 20.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Gimcheon

$75 5.2%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 12.1% $9.1

Getting Around

Gimcheon

$11 * 0.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 434% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $499 in Gimcheon 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 run about 86% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Gimcheon versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $483 – making Gimcheon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gimcheon

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

Same time as Gimcheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,056

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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Gimcheon
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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

Gimcheon vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,155 per month in Gimcheon 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 Gimcheon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $499 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,437 in Gimcheon and $1,848 in Seoul. That makes Gimcheon about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $304 per month in Gimcheon 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 Gimcheon – 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 Gimcheon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.