Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pangyo and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Pangyo: $1,468 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Pangyo
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Pangyo Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Pangyo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,468

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,468 per month in Pangyo vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Pangyo $1,468
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Pangyo vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Pangyo $2,279
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $3,091 per month in Pangyo vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Pangyo $3,091
Seoul $3,931

Pangyo is about 18% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pangyo and Seoul sit above the global median – Pangyo by 9%, Seoul by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.24 ₩9,624

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-17.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.02 ₩46.6K

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-48.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 ₩8,950

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-10.74%

Cappuccino

$3.78 ₩5,025

$4.23 ₩5,624

-10.64%

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

$1.59 ₩2,118

$1.63 ₩2,167

-2.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₩940

$0.74 ₩985

-4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 ₩4,547

$3.64 ₩4,843

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 ₩5,685

$6.15 ₩8,175

-30.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩2,998

$2.01 ₩2,679

11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₩4,015

$3.13 ₩4,164

-3.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 ₩3,555

$4.32 ₩5,744

-38.19%

Eggs

$2.59 ₩3,450

$3.61 ₩4,794

-28.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-37.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.98 ₩10.6K

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-23.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.67 ₩27.5K

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-19.88%

Apples (1kg)

$7.73 ₩10.3K

$7.66 ₩10.2K

0.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,583

$3.38 ₩4,499

2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 ₩9,642

$5.81 ₩7,723

24.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,685

$6.41 ₩8,520

-9.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,784

$3.75 ₩4,983

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ₩3,431

$2.54 ₩3,375

1.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 ₩3,691

$2.84 ₩3,782

-2.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,700

$1.11 ₩1,472

15.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,385

$3.35 ₩4,455

-1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 ₩24.4K

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₩3,047

$2.40 ₩3,185

-4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₩4,627

$3.37 ₩4,480

3.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,527

$1.14 ₩1,521

0.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.37 ₩64.3K

$46.11 ₩61.3K

4.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 ₩4,412

$3.49 ₩4,643

-4.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩884

$0.63 ₩840

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.83 ₩17.1K

$8.86 ₩11.8K

44.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,797

$1.51 ₩2,005

-10.60%

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

$29.8K ₩39.6M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

1.78%

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

$34.2K ₩45.5M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

21.22%

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

$201 ₩267.4K

$218 ₩289.2K

-7.54%

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

$36.58 ₩48.6K

$35.15 ₩46.7K

4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.78 ₩29.0K

$21.29 ₩28.3K

2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 ₩69.0K

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-10.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 ₩16.0K

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-25.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 ₩15.1K

$11.31 ₩15.0K

0.71%

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

$520 ₩691.0K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-73.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-4.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 ₩87.6K

$57.0 ₩75.8K

15.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 ₩83.5K

$33.39 ₩44.4K

88.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 ₩99.4K

$71.5 ₩95.0K

4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 ₩130.7K

$82.5 ₩109.7K

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ₩636.2K

$901 ₩1.2M

-46.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ₩473.1K

$612 ₩813.5K

-41.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 ₩1.6M

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-53.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 ₩983.0K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-41.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,085 ₩9.4M

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-75.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,485 ₩7.3M

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-53.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,307 ₩7.1M

$3,650 ₩4.9M

45.38%

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 Pangyo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pangyo

$424 28.9%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 12.5% $53

Accommodation & Living

Pangyo

$356 24.3%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 71.9% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pangyo

$259 17.7%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 5.6% $14

Eating Out

Pangyo

$158 10.8%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 16.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Pangyo

$136 9.3%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 19% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Pangyo

$75 5.1%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 8% $6

Getting Around

Pangyo

$60 4.1%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 3.8% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Pangyo versus $901 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 45% higher in Pangyo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Pangyo versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $477 – making Pangyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pangyo

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

Same time as Pangyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Pangyo
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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

Pangyo vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,201 per month in Pangyo and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pangyo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Pangyo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $520 per month in Pangyo 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 Pangyo, where all-in costs run around $1,468, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Pangyo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pangyo – 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 Pangyo. 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.