Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iksan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Iksan: $1,425 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Iksan
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Iksan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Iksan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,425

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,425 per month in Iksan vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Iksan $1,425
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,209 per month in Iksan vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Iksan $2,209
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $2,994 per month in Iksan vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Iksan $2,994
Seoul $4,125

Iksan is about 23% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iksan and Seoul sit above the global median – Iksan by 5%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.97 ₩8,018

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-34.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.23 ₩46.0K

$68.3 ₩91.8K

-49.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 ₩9,143

$7.35 ₩9,868

-7.35%

Cappuccino

$3.66 ₩4,908

$4.12 ₩5,530

-11.17%

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

$1.62 ₩2,173

$1.64 ₩2,207

-1.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩845

$0.81 ₩1,083

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,700

$3.71 ₩4,980

-5.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,870

$6.13 ₩8,236

-28.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 ₩3,050

$2.04 ₩2,742

11.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 ₩4,267

$3.21 ₩4,311

-0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 ₩3,153

$4.39 ₩5,892

-46.47%

Eggs

$3.26 ₩4,383

$3.59 ₩4,822

-9.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ₩21.5K

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-12.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 ₩10.9K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-23.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 ₩15.3K

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-57.57%

Apples (1kg)

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,326

$3.53 ₩4,739

-8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 ₩10.0K

$5.70 ₩7,660

31.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.83 ₩9,168

$6.18 ₩8,296

10.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,831

$3.76 ₩5,053

-4.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,252

$2.51 ₩3,373

-3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$2.82 ₩3,780

-27.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₩1,807

$1.11 ₩1,490

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,621

$3.30 ₩4,432

4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.3K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₩3,008

$2.42 ₩3,248

-7.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,525

$3.36 ₩4,509

0.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,486

$1.19 ₩1,600

-6.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₩4,845

$3.55 ₩4,770

1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩890

$0.60 ₩810

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.02 ₩12.1K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

-0.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₩1,800

$1.44 ₩1,931

-6.94%

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

$29.0K ₩39.0M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-4.03%

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

$36.3K ₩48.7M

$28.9K ₩38.8M

25.55%

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

$211 ₩283.4K

$213 ₩285.4K

-0.69%

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

$43.19 ₩58.0K

$35.83 ₩48.1K

20.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.62 ₩27.7K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

-3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ₩71.8K

$61.6 ₩82.8K

-13.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.03 ₩18.8K

$16.41 ₩22.0K

-14.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 ₩15.3K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

-0.09%

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

$298 ₩400.5K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-84.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.8M

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-22.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 ₩87.7K

$59.8 ₩80.3K

9.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 ₩85.3K

$34.19 ₩45.9K

85.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₩101.1K

$66.0 ₩88.6K

14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 ₩132.9K

$81.9 ₩110.0K

20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ₩666.6K

$924 ₩1.2M

-46.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 ₩485.6K

$659 ₩885.1K

-45.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 ₩1.5M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-61.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 ₩1.0M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-47.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,047 ₩9.5M

$27.2K ₩36.5M

-74.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,569 ₩7.5M

$11.3K ₩15.2M

-50.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 ₩2.3M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-51.42%

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 Iksan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Iksan

$417 29.3%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 16% $67

Accommodation & Living

Iksan

$362 25.4%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 82.3% $298

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iksan

$275 19.3%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 1.9% $5.1

Eating Out

Iksan

$147 10.3%

Seoul

$184 10% 25.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Iksan

$136 9.6%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 20.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Iksan

$76 5.4%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 10.7% $8.2

Getting Around

Iksan

$11 * 0.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 406% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $496 in Iksan 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 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Iksan versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $483 – making Iksan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Iksan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

Same time as Iksan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,000

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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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

Iksan vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 30% more than Iksan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,137 per month in Iksan 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 Iksan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $496 there versus $924 in Seoul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Iksan and $68 in Seoul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,425 in Iksan and $1,848 in Seoul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Iksan – 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 Iksan. 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.