Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Gimcheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Gimcheon: $1,437 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Gimcheon
Learn more

Gimcheon Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Gimcheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Gimcheon

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $1,437 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Gimcheon $1,437

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,340 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Gimcheon $2,340

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $3,242 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Gimcheon $3,242

Seoul costs about 29% more than Gimcheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Gimcheon sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Gimcheon by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$5.90 ₩7,917

53.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.8K

$34.08 ₩45.8K

100.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,868

$6.62 ₩8,895

11.03%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,530

$3.59 ₩4,817

14.76%

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

$1.64 ₩2,207

$1.60 ₩2,142

2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,083

$0.63 ₩846

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,980

$3.40 ₩4,565

9.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,236

$4.61 ₩6,186

32.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,742

$2.32 ₩3,109

-12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,311

$3.21 ₩4,309

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,892

$2.24 ₩3,011

95.98%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,822

$3.39 ₩4,549

5.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.5K

$15.60 ₩21.0K

16.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$7.82 ₩10.5K

34.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.1K

$11.25 ₩15.1K

139.02%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$7.61 ₩10.2K

3.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,739

$3.34 ₩4,491

5.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,660

$7.73 ₩10.4K

-26.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,296

$6.84 ₩9,182

-9.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,053

$3.43 ₩4,603

9.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,373

$2.38 ₩3,192

5.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,780

$2.12 ₩2,845

33.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,490

$1.35 ₩1,807

-17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,432

$3.42 ₩4,586

-3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$18.52 ₩24.9K

0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$2.23 ₩2,989

8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,509

$3.86 ₩5,183

-12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,600

$1.12 ₩1,498

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,770

$3.04 ₩4,082

16.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩810

$0.65 ₩878

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$8.92 ₩12.0K

1.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,931

$1.11 ₩1,492

29.73%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$29.3K ₩39.4M

3.26%

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

$28.9K ₩38.8M

$35.5K ₩47.7M

-18.67%

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

$213 ₩285.4K

$209 ₩281.1K

1.53%

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

$35.83 ₩48.1K

$42.72 ₩57.4K

-16.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$20.99 ₩28.2K

1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.8K

$52.9 ₩71.0K

16.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

$13.50 ₩18.1K

21.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$11.21 ₩15.1K

1.87%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$304 ₩407.8K

541.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.6M

$18.1K ₩24.4M

25.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.3K

$66.4 ₩89.2K

-10.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.9K

$63.2 ₩84.9K

-45.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.6K

$74.4 ₩99.9K

-11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩110.0K

$100 ₩134.9K

-18.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$499 ₩670.5K

85.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩885.1K

$379 ₩509.3K

73.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,349 ₩1.8M

123.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$1,020 ₩1.4M

41.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.5M

$8,129 ₩10.9M

234.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.2M

$5,412 ₩7.3M

108.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$1,915 ₩2.6M

86.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.1

-0.49%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gimcheon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Gimcheon

$379 26.4% 42.5% $280

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Gimcheon

$416 29% 13.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Gimcheon

$273 19% 1.2% $3.3

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Gimcheon

$145 10.1% 21.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Gimcheon

$137 9.5% 25.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Gimcheon

$75 5.2% 10.8% $9.1

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Gimcheon

$11 * 0.8% 81.3% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $499 in Gimcheon. 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 86% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $34 in Gimcheon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $416 – making Gimcheon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Gimcheon

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

143,056

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Gimcheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $2,155 in Gimcheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gimcheon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $499 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,848 in Seoul and $1,437 in Gimcheon. That makes Gimcheon about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $304 in Gimcheon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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