Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeongju and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,227 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,227

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,227 per month in Gyeongju vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Gyeongju $1,227
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,008 per month in Gyeongju vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Gyeongju $2,008
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $2,788 per month in Gyeongju vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Gyeongju $2,788
Seoul $4,125

Gyeongju is about 34% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Gyeongju sits 10% below the global median, while Seoul is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 ₩10.3K

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-15.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.45 ₩66.4K

$68.3 ₩91.8K

-27.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 ₩8,864

$7.35 ₩9,868

-10.20%

Cappuccino

$3.05 ₩4,100

$4.12 ₩5,530

-25.97%

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

$1.10 ₩1,480

$1.64 ₩2,207

-32.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₩486

$0.81 ₩1,083

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 ₩3,598

$3.71 ₩4,980

-27.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 ₩5,674

$6.13 ₩8,236

-31.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩3,023

$2.04 ₩2,742

10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ₩3,398

$3.21 ₩4,311

-21.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,121

$4.39 ₩5,892

-30.07%

Eggs

$2.65 ₩3,561

$3.59 ₩4,822

-26.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 ₩15.0K

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-38.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₩14.1K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.08 ₩25.6K

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-29.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 ₩6,197

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-41.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,610

$3.53 ₩4,739

-23.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 ₩5,178

$5.70 ₩7,660

-32.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 ₩4,942

$6.18 ₩8,296

-40.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ₩3,510

$3.76 ₩5,053

-30.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 ₩3,062

$2.51 ₩3,373

-9.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 ₩3,007

$2.82 ₩3,780

-20.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,729

$1.11 ₩1,490

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,452

$3.30 ₩4,432

0.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 ₩20.3K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

-18.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,552

$2.42 ₩3,248

-52.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₩3,074

$3.36 ₩4,509

-31.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ₩1,375

$1.19 ₩1,600

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 ₩4,001

$3.55 ₩4,770

-16.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,044

$0.60 ₩810

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.95 ₩22.8K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

86.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₩1,438

$1.44 ₩1,931

-25.69%

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

$40.1K ₩53.8M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

32.34%

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

$33.3K ₩44.7M

$28.9K ₩38.8M

15.33%

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

$81.2 ₩109.0K

$213 ₩285.4K

-61.80%

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

$35.92 ₩48.2K

$35.83 ₩48.1K

0.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.37 ₩36.7K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

27.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₩74.0K

$61.6 ₩82.8K

-10.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 ₩18.7K

$16.41 ₩22.0K

-15.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 ₩14.9K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

-2.89%

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

$633 ₩850.3K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-67.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.6M

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-3.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.48 ₩59.7K

$59.8 ₩80.3K

-25.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.62 ₩30.4K

$34.19 ₩45.9K

-33.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 ₩125.0K

$66.0 ₩88.6K

41.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.7K

$81.9 ₩110.0K

58.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ₩658.2K

$924 ₩1.2M

-46.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₩475.9K

$659 ₩885.1K

-46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-61.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 ₩992.8K

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-48.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,222 ₩9.7M

$27.2K ₩36.5M

-73.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,555 ₩7.5M

$11.3K ₩15.2M

-50.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,898 ₩2.5M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-46.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.08

3.43%

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

Last update for Gyeongju: 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

Gyeongju

$364 29.7%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 32.7% $119

Accommodation & Living

Gyeongju

$354 28.9%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 86% $305

Eating Out

Gyeongju

$145 11.8%

Seoul

$184 10% 26.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeongju

$144 11.8%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 86.7% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeongju

$131 10.7%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 16.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeongju

$77 6.3%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 9.3% $7.2

Getting Around

Gyeongju

$11 * 0.9%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 424% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Gyeongju 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 88% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Gyeongju versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $483 – making Gyeongju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

Same time as Gyeongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,156

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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Gyeongju Seoul 280 km

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Gyeongju
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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

Gyeongju vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,841 per month in Gyeongju 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 Gyeongju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $490 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,227 in Gyeongju and $1,848 in Seoul. That makes Gyeongju about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $633 per month in Gyeongju and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gyeongju, where all-in costs run around $1,227, than in Seoul at $1,848. In Gyeongju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gyeongju – 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 Gyeongju. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.