Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seongnam: $1,418 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Seongnam
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Seongnam Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Seongnam

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,418

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,418 per month in Seongnam vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Seongnam $1,418
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Seongnam vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Seongnam $2,361
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $3,305 per month in Seongnam vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Seongnam $3,305
Seoul $4,125

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

Both Seongnam and Seoul sit above the global median – Seongnam by 4%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 ₩9,282

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-23.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 ₩55.6K

$68.3 ₩91.2K

-39.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 ₩9,123

$7.35 ₩9,812

-7.07%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ₩5,378

$4.12 ₩5,498

-2.18%

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

$1.56 ₩2,079

$1.64 ₩2,195

-4.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₩1,010

$0.81 ₩1,077

-6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 ₩4,715

$3.71 ₩4,952

-4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,085

$6.13 ₩8,188

-37.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₩3,085

$2.04 ₩2,726

13.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 ₩4,249

$3.21 ₩4,286

-0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,950

$4.39 ₩5,858

-15.49%

Eggs

$3.67 ₩4,895

$3.59 ₩4,795

2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 ₩12.2K

$18.23 ₩24.3K

-49.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 ₩10.7K

$10.51 ₩14.0K

-23.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.41 ₩27.2K

$26.89 ₩35.9K

-24.10%

Apples (1kg)

$7.56 ₩10.1K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-3.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,752

$3.53 ₩4,712

0.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.65 ₩7,541

$5.70 ₩7,616

-0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.81 ₩9,098

$6.18 ₩8,249

10.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,014

$3.76 ₩5,024

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ₩3,502

$2.51 ₩3,354

4.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 ₩3,916

$2.82 ₩3,758

3.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₩1,797

$1.11 ₩1,482

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 ₩4,643

$3.30 ₩4,406

5.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 ₩25.3K

$18.64 ₩24.9K

1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₩2,801

$2.42 ₩3,229

-13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₩2,574

$3.36 ₩4,483

-42.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,453

$1.19 ₩1,591

-8.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ₩4,870

$3.55 ₩4,742

2.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩893

$0.60 ₩806

11.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$9.08 ₩12.1K

-3.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₩1,857

$1.44 ₩1,920

-3.47%

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

$30.0K ₩40.0M

$30.3K ₩40.4M

-0.95%

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

$28.1K ₩37.5M

$28.9K ₩38.6M

-2.89%

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

$215 ₩286.9K

$213 ₩283.7K

1.12%

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

$36.76 ₩49.1K

$35.83 ₩47.8K

2.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.23 ₩28.4K

$21.39 ₩28.6K

-0.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₩73.5K

$61.6 ₩82.3K

-10.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 ₩18.9K

$16.41 ₩21.9K

-13.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.2K

$11.42 ₩15.2K

-0.35%

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

$379 ₩506.2K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-80.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₩24.1M

$22.8K ₩30.4M

-20.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ₩77.0K

$59.8 ₩79.8K

-3.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.54 ₩43.4K

$34.19 ₩45.7K

-4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₩95.3K

$66.0 ₩88.1K

8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.4 ₩112.7K

$81.9 ₩109.3K

3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₩651.2K

$924 ₩1.2M

-47.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₩481.0K

$659 ₩880.0K

-45.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ₩1.5M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-61.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 ₩1.4M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-27.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,247 ₩9.7M

$27.2K ₩36.3M

-73.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,589 ₩7.5M

$11.3K ₩15.1M

-50.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Seongnam: 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

Seongnam

$426 30%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 13.6% $58

Accommodation & Living

Seongnam

$360 25.4%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 83% $299

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seongnam

$273 19.3%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 1.2% $3.2

Eating Out

Seongnam

$159 11.2%

Seoul

$184 10% 16% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Seongnam

$111 7.8%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 1.7% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seongnam

$78 5.5%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 8.5% $6.6

Getting Around

Seongnam

$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 $488 in Seongnam 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Seongnam versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $426 vs $483 – making Seongnam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seongnam

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

Same time as Seongnam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

967,510

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seongnam
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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

Seongnam vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,418 in Seongnam, $1,848 in Seoul – Seongnam comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,127 per month in Seongnam 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 Seongnam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $488 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,418 in Seongnam and $1,848 in Seoul. That makes Seongnam about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $379 per month in Seongnam and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Seongnam – 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.