Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bangalore

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangalore: $552 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
Learn more

Bangalore Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$552

/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: $1,794 in Seoul versus $552 in Bangalore.

Seoul $1,794
Bangalore $552

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $936 in Bangalore.

Seoul $2,863
Bangalore $936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,320 in Bangalore.

Seoul $3,931
Bangalore $1,320

Living in Seoul is roughly 225% more expensive than in Bangalore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Bangalore is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.20 ₹304

175.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$17.72 ₹1,683

285.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.74 ₹451

59.07%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.24 ₹213

88.84%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.38 ₹36.16

328.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.13 ₹11.88

469.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$2.29 ₹217

58.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$3.69 ₹351

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$0.63 ₹60.1

219.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$0.59 ₹55.6

430.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.81 ₹77.2

433.33%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.12 ₹106

222.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.97 ₹567

198.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.75 ₹356

178.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.80 ₹266

173.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$0.76 ₹72.6

344.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.18 ₹112

392.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$0.38 ₹36.11

1586.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.38 ₹35.71

886.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.36 ₹34.08

605.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.42 ₹40.06

576.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.32 ₹30.82

246.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$4.80 ₹456

-30.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$9.31 ₹884

98.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.95 ₹185

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.00 ₹285

12.33%

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

$6.37 ₹605

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.54 ₹50.9

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$15.55 ₹1,477

196.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.02 ₹97.2

242.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.30 ₹28.63

110.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.04 ₹194

334.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.10 ₹105

37.27%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$12.5K ₹1.2M

133.49%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$18.7K ₹1.8M

50.64%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$30.94 ₹2,938

603.04%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$4.10 ₹389

757.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$10.39 ₹987

104.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$18.87 ₹1,792

207.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$5.79 ₹550

178.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.82 ₹457

134.65%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$102 ₹9,658

1814.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$3,257 ₹309.3K

601.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$33.54 ₹3,185

70.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$30.76 ₹2,921

8.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$52.7 ₹5,002

35.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$40.37 ₹3,834

104.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$307 ₹29.1K

193.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$176 ₹16.7K

247.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$782 ₹74.2K

223.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$482 ₹45.8K

162.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$1,857 ₹176.3K

1484.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,074 ₹102.0K

1008.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$940 ₹89.2K

288.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

8.46

-51.77%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bangalore: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Bangalore

$176 31.9% 71.2% $436

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Bangalore

$124 22.4% 74.1% $353

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Bangalore

$45 8.2% 83.4% $229

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Bangalore

$88 15.9% 52.3% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Bangalore

$71 12.8% 35.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Bangalore

$29 5.2% 64.7% $52

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Bangalore

$20 3.7% 64.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $307 in Bangalore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 288% 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: $68.0 in Seoul vs $18.00 in Bangalore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $124 per month, with Bangalore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

17:06 5:06 PM

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 = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 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 225% 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 288% 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: $901 in Seoul versus $307 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 197% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $102 in Bangalore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $552 in Bangalore versus $1,794 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 $552 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 225% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.