Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mokpo and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mokpo: $1,406 a month against $1,829 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mokpo, South Korea
Seoul, South Korea
Mokpo
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,406
/mo nomad
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,829
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,406 per month in Mokpo vs $1,829 in Seoul, rent included.

  • Mokpo $1,406
  • Seoul $1,829

A couple spends around $2,304 per month in Mokpo vs $2,973 in Seoul, rent included.

  • Mokpo $2,304
  • Seoul $2,973

A family of three spends $3,202 per month in Mokpo vs $4,116 in Seoul, rent included.

  • Mokpo $3,202
  • Seoul $4,116

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

Both Mokpo and Seoul sit above the global median – Mokpo by 4%, Seoul by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mokpo
Seoul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.40 ₩9,960
$8.87 ₩11.9K
-16.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.40 ₩50.3K
$69.4 ₩93.4K
-46.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.67 ₩8,979
$7.50 ₩10.1K
-11.07%
Cappuccino
$3.55 ₩4,781
$4.04 ₩5,437
-12.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 ₩2,130
$1.56 ₩2,094
1.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ₩922
$0.73 ₩986
-5.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.38 ₩4,549
$3.66 ₩4,917
-7.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 ₩5,600
$5.88 ₩7,906
-29.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mokpo
Seoul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 ₩2,885
$2.08 ₩2,800
2.88%
White Bread (500g)
$3.15 ₩4,236
$3.01 ₩4,048
4.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.73 ₩3,678
$4.18 ₩5,628
-34.69%
Eggs
$2.62 ₩3,529
$3.63 ₩4,888
-27.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.55 ₩14.2K
$17.87 ₩24.0K
-40.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.58 ₩14.2K
$10.32 ₩13.9K
2.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.61 ₩29.1K
$26.17 ₩35.2K
-17.42%
Apples (1kg)
$7.48 ₩10.1K
$7.42 ₩9,977
0.81%
Banana (1kg)
$3.03 ₩4,072
$3.45 ₩4,643
-12.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.30 ₩7,128
$5.60 ₩7,528
-5.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.35 ₩7,192
$6.29 ₩8,458
-14.94%
Potato (1kg)
$3.75 ₩5,047
$3.60 ₩4,846
4.17%
Onion (1kg)
$2.71 ₩3,643
$2.51 ₩3,372
7.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.75 ₩3,704
$2.77 ₩3,731
-0.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 ₩1,679
$1.14 ₩1,535
9.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.25 ₩4,369
$3.42 ₩4,604
-4.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.48 ₩18.1K
$18.60 ₩25.0K
-27.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 ₩3,163
$2.30 ₩3,100
2.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.62 ₩4,866
$3.34 ₩4,496
8.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Mokpo
Seoul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.00 ₩1,343
$1.12 ₩1,506
-10.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$46.78 ₩62.9K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.09 ₩5,496
$3.60 ₩4,842
13.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.59 ₩795
$0.60 ₩809
-1.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.80 ₩13.2K
$8.87 ₩11.9K
10.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 ₩1,903
$1.49 ₩2,005
-5.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.2K ₩40.7M
$29.7K ₩39.9M
1.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1K ₩40.5M
$28.0K ₩37.6M
7.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mokpo
Seoul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 ₩278.1K
$216 ₩290.3K
-4.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.80 ₩48.2K
$34.52 ₩46.4K
3.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.26 ₩30.0K
$20.34 ₩27.4K
9.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mokpo
Seoul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.6 ₩68.1K
$59.2 ₩79.6K
-14.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.38 ₩16.7K
$15.93 ₩21.4K
-22.28%
Cinema Ticket
$11.94 ₩16.1K
$11.01 ₩14.8K
8.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mokpo
Seoul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$416 ₩560.0K
$1,962 ₩2.6M
-78.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K ₩30.5M
$26.3K ₩35.3M
-13.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mokpo
Seoul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.6 ₩84.2K
$62.3 ₩83.8K
0.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.0 ₩83.4K
$33.82 ₩45.5K
83.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.6 ₩100.3K
$67.9 ₩91.3K
9.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 ₩147.1K
$82.9 ₩111.5K
31.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mokpo
Seoul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$533 ₩716.8K
$918 ₩1.2M
-41.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$344 ₩463.4K
$654 ₩879.3K
-47.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,118 ₩1.5M
$3,093 ₩4.2M
-63.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$940 ₩1.3M
$1,457 ₩2.0M
-35.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,862 ₩9.2M
$28.4K ₩38.2M
-75.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,612 ₩7.5M
$11.4K ₩15.3M
-50.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mokpo
Seoul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,496 ₩4.7M
-
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 Mokpo: October 31, 2026

Last update for Seoul: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Mokpo
$416
Seoul
$474 13.9% $58
Accommodation & Living
Mokpo
$344
Seoul
$654 89.8% $309
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mokpo
$265
Seoul
$271 2.2% $5.9
Eating Out
Mokpo
$156
Seoul
$181 16% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Mokpo
$139
Seoul
$111 20% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Mokpo
$74
Seoul
$81 9% $6.7
Getting Around
Mokpo
$11 *
Seoul
$58 425% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Mokpo versus $918 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Mokpo versus $69 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $474 – making Mokpo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Mokpo
🇰🇷 Seoul
🕒 Local time
22:02 10:02 PM
22:02 10:02 PM
Same time as Mokpo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
237,739
9,509,458 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1,345 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mokpo Seoul 310 km
From you
  • Mokpo
  • 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
Mokpo vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mokpo cheaper than Seoul?
Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,109 per month in Mokpo and $2,744 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mokpo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $533 there versus $918 in Seoul.
What are total monthly expenses in Mokpo and in Seoul?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,406 in Mokpo and $1,829 in Seoul. That makes Mokpo about 23% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $416 per month in Mokpo and $1,962 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Mokpo or Seoul more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mokpo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Mokpo or Seoul?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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