Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herat and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $390 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Herat

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$390

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $390 per month in Herat vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Herat $390
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $467 per month in Herat vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Herat $467
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $544 per month in Herat vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Herat $544
Seoul $3,931

Herat is about 78% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Herat sits 71% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.11 ؋591

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-86.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.81 ؋247

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-49.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ؋101

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 ؋485

Cappuccino

$0.80 ؋51.9

$4.23 ₩5,624

-81.09%

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

$0.47 ؋30.48

$1.63 ₩2,167

-71.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 ؋38.29

$2.01 ₩2,679

-70.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

Eggs

$1.80 ؋117

$3.61 ₩4,794

-50.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.97 ؋387

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-76.86%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 ؋39.20

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-92.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ؋48.69

$3.38 ₩4,499

-77.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ؋41.37

$6.41 ₩8,520

-90.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ؋19.23

$3.75 ₩4,983

-92.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 ؋19.17

$2.54 ₩3,375

-88.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.25

$1.11 ₩1,472

-72.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ؋28.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ؋203

$3.35 ₩4,455

-6.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

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

$305 ؋19.8K

$218 ₩289.2K

40.21%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.17 ؋983

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-73.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

390.20%

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

Last update for Herat: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Herat

–

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Groceries & Markets

Herat

–

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herat

–

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Eating Out

Herat

–

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Herat

–

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Herat

–

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Getting Around

Herat

–

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Herat versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $47.00 vs $477 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Herat

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

23:00 11:00 PM

4 h 30 min ahead of Herat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,000

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

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Between locations

Herat Seoul 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Herat
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

Herat vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 360%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $585 per month in Herat and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 919% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9.00 in Herat and $68.0 in Seoul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Herat, where all-in costs run around $390, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Herat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Herat. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.