Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Aachen Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Aachen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,761 per month in Seoul vs $2,003 in Aachen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,830 per month in Seoul vs $3,071 in Aachen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,899 per month in Seoul vs $4,138 in Aachen, rent included.

Seoul is about 12% cheaper than Aachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Seoul and Aachen sit above the global median – Seoul by 32%, Aachen by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.67 ₩12.8K

$16.29 €14.27

-46.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 ₩80.1K

$80.2 €70.3

-32.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 ₩9,207

$11.52 €10.09

-45.83%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₩5,635

$4.18 €3.66

-8.61%

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

$1.73 ₩2,556

$3.38 €2.96

-48.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₩1,228

$2.95 €2.59

-71.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ₩5,355

$5.34 €4.68

-32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 ₩8,640

$4.73 €4.14

23.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,313

$1.22 €1.07

83.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 ₩5,036

$2.20 €1.92

55.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 ₩4,572

$3.46 €3.03

-10.40%

Eggs

$3.21 ₩4,735

$3.66 €3.21

-12.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 ₩21.0K

$14.70 €12.88

-3.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.82 ₩16.0K

$14.12 €12.37

-23.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.24 ₩50.6K

$19.16 €16.78

78.71%

Apples (1kg)

$8.06 ₩11.9K

$3.15 €2.76

155.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.47 ₩5,128

$1.78 €1.56

94.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.43 ₩8,014

$2.32 €2.03

134.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ₩9,429

$4.45 €3.90

43.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,742

$1.56 €1.37

149.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 ₩4,226

$1.73 €1.51

65.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 ₩3,822

$1.92 €1.69

34.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,883

$0.92 €0.81

39.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 ₩4,797

$9.46 €8.29

-65.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 ₩24.7K

$6.68 €5.85

150.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₩3,486

$1.10 €0.96

114.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ₩4,828

$1.59 €1.40

105.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,596

$3.45 €3.02

-68.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩69.0K

$57.8 €50.6

-19.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ₩5,352

$5.70 €4.99

-36.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 ₩775

$2.35 €2.06

-77.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 ₩12.7K

$17.58 €15.40

-50.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₩1,749

$2.08 €1.82

-43.27%

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

$27.6K ₩40.8M

$31.2K €27.4K

-11.51%

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

$25.4K ₩37.5M

$38.4K €33.7K

-33.96%

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

$165 ₩243.3K

$355 €311

-53.63%

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

$35.09 ₩51.8K

$20.04 €17.55

75.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.38 ₩33.0K

$52.5 €46.01

-57.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 ₩84.2K

$35.48 €31.09

60.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 ₩34.0K

$22.41 €19.63

2.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 ₩16.0K

$16.48 €14.44

-34.10%

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

$409 ₩604.3K

$405 €355

0.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₩34.0M

$23.2K €20.3K

-0.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 ₩87.7K

$115 €100

-48.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 ₩69.9K

$45.67 €40.01

3.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 ₩118.4K

$82.6 €72.3

-2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₩173.3K

$135 €119

-13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$969 ₩1.4M

$821 €719

18.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 ₩862.0K

$602 €527

-3.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,535 ₩3.7M

$1,439 €1,261

76.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 ₩2.0M

$1,173 €1,028

12.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$25.9K ₩38.2M

$4,608 €4,037

461.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K ₩15.9M

$3,530 €3,092

205.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,143 ₩4.6M

$3,467 €3,038

-9.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.97

4.28%

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

Last update for Seoul: July 22, 2026

Last update for Aachen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $969 in Seoul versus $821 in Aachen. 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 10% higher in Aachen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Seoul versus $80.0 in Aachen. Groceries tell a different story – $491 in Seoul vs $342 in Aachen – so Aachen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Seoul vs Aachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,761 in Seoul, $2,003 in Aachen – roughly 14% apart. Aachen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,642 per month in Seoul and $3,005 in Aachen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Seoul and $80.0 in Aachen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,761 in Seoul and $2,003 in Aachen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,761, than in Aachen at $2,003. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aachen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seoul – 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 Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aachen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.