Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bangalore

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangalore: $535 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
Learn more

Bangalore Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Bangalore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seoul and in Bangalore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $535 in Bangalore.

Seoul $1,822
Bangalore $535

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $927 in Bangalore.

Seoul $2,847
Bangalore $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $1,318 in Bangalore.

Seoul $3,872
Bangalore $1,318

Living in Seoul is roughly 240% more expensive than in Bangalore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Bangalore is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$3.04 ₹294

199.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$17.83 ₹1,725

275.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$4.78 ₹463

55.23%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$2.24 ₹217

82.14%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$0.39 ₹37.49

310.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$0.14 ₹13.64

471.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$2.34 ₹226

55.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$3.91 ₹379

51.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$0.61 ₹58.6

236.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$0.57 ₹55.2

440.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$0.81 ₹77.9

419.75%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$1.12 ₹109

218.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$5.93 ₹574

202.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$3.85 ₹373

176.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$2.78 ₹269

166.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$0.75 ₹72.2

370.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$1.22 ₹118

381.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$0.40 ₹39.19

1492.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$0.38 ₹36.40

886.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$0.36 ₹34.72

591.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$0.42 ₹40.31

595.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$0.32 ₹31.21

259.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$4.61 ₹446

-28.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$9.01 ₹872

105.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

$1.86 ₹180

22.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

$2.92 ₹283

12.33%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.35 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$0.51 ₹48.89

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$15.71 ₹1,520

189.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$1.01 ₹97.8

244.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$0.30 ₹29.43

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$2.10 ₹203

314.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.08 ₹104

38.89%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

131.62%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$19.1K ₹1.8M

47.94%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$30.32 ₹2,934

588.89%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$4.11 ₹398

754.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$10.23 ₹990

107.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$18.61 ₹1,801

208.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$5.95 ₹576

167.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$4.60 ₹446

146.30%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$104 ₹10.1K

1727.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$3,176 ₹307.3K

609.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$32.29 ₹3,125

82.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$29.85 ₹2,889

7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$53.3 ₹5,160

31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$39.66 ₹3,838

107.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$309 ₹29.9K

186.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$175 ₹16.9K

256.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$788 ₹76.3K

216.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$481 ₹46.6K

164.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$1,889 ₹182.8K

1479.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$1,067 ₹103.3K

1010.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$919 ₹89.0K

296.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

8.5

-52.00%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bangalore: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Bangalore

$175 32% 71.9% $449

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Bangalore

$122 22.4% 74.5% $357

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Bangalore

$45 8.2% 83.2% $221

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Bangalore

$87 15.9% 52.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Bangalore

$70 12.8% 36.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Bangalore

$28 5.1% 65.2% $52

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Bangalore

$20 3.7% 64.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $309 in Bangalore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 297% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $18.00 in Bangalore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $122 per month, with Bangalore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

3 h 30 min behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

8,495,492

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Bangalore 5,580 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Bangalore

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

Seoul vs Bangalore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangalore wins on cost – living expenses run 240% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bangalore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 297% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $309 in Bangalore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bangalore runs roughly 189% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,902 in Seoul versus $104 in Bangalore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $535 in Bangalore versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bangalore but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Bangalore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bangalore delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $535 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bangalore hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Bangalore are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bangalore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 240% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.