Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Genoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Genoa: $1,775 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Genoa
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Genoa Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Genoa

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Genoa

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $1,775 in Genoa, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Genoa $1,775

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,716 in Genoa, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Genoa $2,716

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $3,658 in Genoa, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Genoa $3,658

Seoul costs about 4% more than Genoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Genoa sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Genoa by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$16.81 €15.06

-46.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.1K

$85.4 €76.6

-20.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,800

$13.35 €11.97

-44.94%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,491

$2.01 €1.80

104.98%

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

$1.64 ₩2,192

$2.97 €2.66

-44.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,075

$1.49 €1.34

-45.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,946

$6.83 €6.12

-45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,179

$5.44 €4.88

12.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,723

$1.85 €1.66

10.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,281

$2.39 €2.14

34.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,851

$3.22 €2.89

36.34%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,789

$4.79 €4.29

-25.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.3K

$18.04 €16.16

1.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.0K

$12.70 €11.38

-17.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩35.9K

$20.57 €18.44

30.72%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$2.75 €2.47

185.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,706

$2.15 €1.92

64.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,607

$2.83 €2.53

101.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,239

$3.34 €2.99

85.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,018

$2.15 €1.92

74.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,350

$1.87 €1.68

34.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,754

$1.63 €1.46

73.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,480

$0.53 €0.47

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,401

$7.16 €6.41

-53.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩24.9K

$7.66 €6.87

143.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,225

$2.33 €2.09

3.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,478

$2.88 €2.58

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,589

$2.19 €1.96

-45.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.5K

$54.0 €48.42

-14.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,737

$6.63 €5.94

-46.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$1.31 €1.18

-54.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.1K

$33.30 €29.84

-72.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,917

$2.09 €1.87

-31.10%

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

$30.3K ₩40.4M

$35.6K €31.9K

-14.98%

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

$28.9K ₩38.5M

$37.0K €33.2K

-21.91%

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

$213 ₩283.4K

$243 €218

-12.54%

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

$35.83 ₩47.8K

$10.28 €9.21

248.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.5K

$31.56 €28.28

-32.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.2K

$49.23 €44.11

25.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩21.9K

$15.35 €13.75

6.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.2K

$8.72 €7.81

30.96%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$364 €327

434.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.4M

$12.4K €11.1K

84.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩79.7K

$72.6 €65.1

-17.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.6K

$37.83 €33.90

-9.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.0K

$90.9 €81.4

-27.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.2K

$122 €109

-32.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$825 €740

11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩879.0K

$576 €516

14.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,399 €1,254

115.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$926 €830

55.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.2M

$3,700 €3,316

634.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

$1,360 €1,218

730.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$2,067 €1,852

72.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.38

20.71%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Genoa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Genoa

$576 32.5% 12.6% $83

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Genoa

$364 20.5% 24.7% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Genoa

$285 16.1% 5.6% $15

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Genoa

$262 14.7% 41.8% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Genoa

$146 8.2% 33.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Genoa

$67 3.8% 21.1% $18

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Genoa

$76 4.3% 32.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $825 in Genoa. 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 73% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $85 in Genoa. Groceries tell a different story – $483 in Seoul vs $364 in Genoa – so Genoa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇮🇹 Genoa

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

06:25 6:25 AM

8 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

586,655

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,489 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Genoa 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Genoa

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 Genoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 4% more than Genoa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $2,662 in Genoa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Genoa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $825 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $364 in Genoa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Genoa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Genoa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.