Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Darkhan

For one person, living is cheaper in Darkhan: $655 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Darkhan
Learn more

Darkhan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Darkhan

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Darkhan

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 Darkhan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $655 in Darkhan.

Seoul $1,822
Darkhan $655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $1,075 in Darkhan.

Seoul $2,847
Darkhan $1,075

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $1,496 in Darkhan.

Seoul $3,872
Darkhan $1,496

Living in Seoul is roughly 178% more expensive than in Darkhan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Darkhan is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$5.46 MNT 19.6K

66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$31.74 MNT 114.0K

111.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

32.03%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$2.39 MNT 8,575

70.71%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.87 MNT 3,140

83.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.57 MNT 2,065

40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$2.35 MNT 8,427

55.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$3.41 MNT 12.3K

74.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.44 MNT 5,184

42.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.02 MNT 3,653

201.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$2.06 MNT 7,389

104.37%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$2.16 MNT 7,750

65.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$12.46 MNT 44.8K

44.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$4.87 MNT 17.5K

118.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$7.44 MNT 26.7K

255.38%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.21 MNT 11.5K

131.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.39 MNT 8,592

47.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$3.84 MNT 13.8K

52.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$3.07 MNT 11.0K

107.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$0.71 MNT 2,567

428.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$1.05 MNT 3,772

137.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$1.71 MNT 6,146

70.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.73 MNT 2,626

57.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$1.67 MNT 5,985

97.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$10.29 MNT 37.0K

79.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$1.43 MNT 5,126

59.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$1.80 MNT 6,455

82.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$0.55 MNT 1,967

532.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.54 MNT 1,950

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$6.48 MNT 23.3K

34.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.07 MNT 3,852

40.19%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$27.3K MNT 98.2M

6.53%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$35.4K MNT 127.4M

-20.46%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$70.6 MNT 253.8K

195.72%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$7.68 MNT 27.6K

357.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$13.82 MNT 49.7K

53.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

167.22%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$831 MNT 3.0M

128.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$8,568 MNT 30.8M

162.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$83.5 MNT 299.8K

-29.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$45.49 MNT 163.5K

-29.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$103 MNT 371.8K

-32.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$185 MNT 665.6K

-55.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

10.32

-60.47%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Darkhan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Darkhan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Darkhan

$238 37% 50.4% $241

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Darkhan

$92 14.3% 65.3% $173

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Darkhan

$114 17.7% 38.2% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Darkhan

$188 29.2% 71.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Darkhan

$8.5 * 1.3% 89.4% $72

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Darkhan

$3.3 * 0.5% 94.2% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $32.00 in Darkhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $238 per month, with Darkhan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇳 Darkhan

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

12:59 12:59 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

74,738

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, 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 = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Darkhan 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Darkhan

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 Darkhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Darkhan wins on cost – living expenses run 178% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Darkhan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,733 in Seoul and $983 in Darkhan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $1,902 in Seoul versus $831 in Darkhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Darkhan – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $67.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $655 in Darkhan versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Darkhan but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Darkhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Darkhan 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 Darkhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.