Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bangalore Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bangalore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,752 in Seoul versus $562 in Bangalore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Seoul versus $943 in Bangalore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,850 in Seoul versus $1,323 in Bangalore.

Living in Seoul is roughly 212% more expensive than in Bangalore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 28% above, Bangalore is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 ₩13.3K

$3.08 ₹293

216.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 ₩89.2K

$18.75 ₹1,781

250.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 ₩9,710

$4.78 ₹454

49.37%

Cappuccino

$4.02 ₩5,467

$2.40 ₹228

67.50%

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

$1.64 ₩2,224

$0.42 ₹40.08

290.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₩1,122

$0.13 ₹12.48

538.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ₩4,877

$2.26 ₹215

58.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 ₩7,792

$4.04 ₹384

41.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,863

$0.59 ₹55.8

257.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 ₩4,228

$0.55 ₹51.8

465.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 ₩5,779

$0.80 ₹76.0

431.25%

Eggs

$3.38 ₩4,591

$1.05 ₹99.6

221.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.01 ₩23.1K

$6.25 ₹593

172.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.06 ₩13.7K

$3.62 ₹344

177.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.88 ₩33.8K

Apples (1kg)

$7.36 ₩10.0K

$2.83 ₹269

160.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.47 ₩4,718

$0.74 ₹70.6

368.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 ₩7,539

$1.18 ₹112

370.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.26 ₩8,503

$0.43 ₹40.46

1355.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 ₩4,955

$0.36 ₹33.81

913.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 ₩3,307

$0.36 ₹34.14

575.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₩3,707

$0.43 ₹40.37

534.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₩1,468

$0.33 ₹31.69

227.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ₩4,397

$4.66 ₹443

-30.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.34 ₩24.9K

$9.32 ₹885

96.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₩3,210

$2.01 ₹191

17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₩4,247

$2.83 ₹269

10.25%

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

$6.72 ₹638

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,581

$0.51 ₹48.54

127.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.79 ₩60.9K

$15.82 ₹1,503

183.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ₩4,833

$1.03 ₹98.1

245.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩795

$0.31 ₹28.99

87.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.88 ₩12.1K

$2.09 ₹198

324.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,969

$1.09 ₹103

33.03%

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

$29.1K ₩39.5M

$12.0K ₹1.1M

141.37%

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

$28.1K ₩38.2M

$19.2K ₹1.8M

46.09%

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

$196 ₩267.0K

$29.65 ₹2,816

562.53%

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

$34.49 ₩46.9K

$4.23 ₹402

715.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 ₩26.9K

$10.00 ₹950

98.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 ₩77.5K

$17.95 ₹1,705

217.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 ₩21.8K

$6.14 ₹583

161.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 ₩15.0K

$4.63 ₹440

138.44%

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

$1,891 ₩2.6M

$104 ₹9,912

1712.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩30.0M

$3,139 ₹298.1K

602.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩76.6K

$31.62 ₹3,002

78.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.45 ₩44.1K

$29.61 ₹2,812

9.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 ₩92.8K

$52.8 ₹5,010

29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 ₩107.9K

$39.98 ₹3,796

98.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 ₩1.2M

$322 ₹30.5K

168.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 ₩816.9K

$178 ₹16.9K

237.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 ₩3.4M

$823 ₹78.1K

203.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 ₩1.7M

$501 ₹47.6K

144.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K ₩38.3M

$1,863 ₹177.0K

1411.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.4M

$1,057 ₹100.4K

973.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,486 ₩4.7M

$854 ₹81.1K

308.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

8.52

-52.11%

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

Last update for Seoul: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bangalore: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $865 in Seoul and $322 in Bangalore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 308% 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: $66.0 in Seoul vs $19.00 in Bangalore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $464 vs $123 per month, with Bangalore cheaper across the board.

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 212% 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 308% 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: $865 in Seoul versus $322 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 183% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,891 in Seoul versus $104 in Bangalore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $562 in Bangalore versus $1,752 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 $562 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 212% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.