Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Gyeongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,227 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Gyeongju

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $1,227 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Gyeongju $1,227

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,008 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Gyeongju $2,008

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $2,788 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Gyeongju $2,788

Seoul costs about 51% more than Gyeongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Gyeongju is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$7.65 ₩10.2K

18.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.6K

$49.45 ₩66.3K

38.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,851

$6.60 ₩8,848

11.36%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,520

$3.05 ₩4,092

35.08%

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

$1.64 ₩2,203

$1.10 ₩1,477

49.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,081

$0.36 ₩485

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,971

$2.68 ₩3,592

38.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,221

$4.23 ₩5,663

44.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$2.25 ₩3,018

-9.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,303

$2.53 ₩3,392

26.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,881

$3.07 ₩4,114

43.00%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,814

$2.65 ₩3,554

35.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.4K

$11.17 ₩15.0K

63.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$10.46 ₩14.0K

0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.0K

$19.08 ₩25.6K

40.93%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$4.61 ₩6,185

70.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,730

$2.69 ₩3,604

31.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,646

$3.86 ₩5,168

47.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,281

$3.68 ₩4,933

67.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,044

$2.61 ₩3,504

44.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,367

$2.28 ₩3,057

10.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,773

$2.24 ₩3,002

25.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,487

$1.29 ₩1,726

-13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,424

$3.32 ₩4,444

-0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$15.13 ₩20.3K

23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,242

$1.16 ₩1,549

108.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,501

$2.29 ₩3,068

46.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,597

$1.02 ₩1,373

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$2.98 ₩3,994

19.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩809

$0.78 ₩1,042

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$16.95 ₩22.7K

-46.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,927

$1.07 ₩1,435

34.58%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$40.1K ₩53.7M

-24.44%

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

$28.9K ₩38.7M

$33.3K ₩44.7M

-13.29%

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

$213 ₩284.9K

$81.2 ₩108.8K

161.80%

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

$35.83 ₩48.0K

$35.92 ₩48.1K

-0.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$27.37 ₩36.7K

-21.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.6K

$55.1 ₩73.8K

11.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

$13.94 ₩18.7K

17.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$11.09 ₩14.9K

2.98%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$633 ₩848.8K

207.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.5M

$22.0K ₩29.6M

3.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.1K

$44.48 ₩59.6K

34.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.8K

$22.62 ₩30.3K

51.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.4K

$93.1 ₩124.8K

-29.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.8K

$130 ₩174.4K

-37.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$490 ₩657.0K

88.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩883.5K

$354 ₩475.0K

85.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,170 ₩1.6M

157.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$739 ₩991.0K

94.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.4M

$7,222 ₩9.7M

276.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

$5,555 ₩7.4M

103.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$1,898 ₩2.5M

88.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.22

-3.32%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gyeongju: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Gyeongju

$354 28.9% 46.2% $305

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Gyeongju

$364 29.7% 24.7% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Gyeongju

$144 11.8% 46.4% $125

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Gyeongju

$145 11.8% 21.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Gyeongju

$131 10.7% 20.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Gyeongju

$77 6.3% 8.5% $7.2

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Gyeongju

$11 * 0.9% 80.9% $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 $490 in Gyeongju. 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 88% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $49 in Gyeongju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $364 – making Gyeongju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

258,156

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Seoul vs Gyeongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 51%, 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 $1,841 in Gyeongju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gyeongju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $490 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,848 in Seoul and $1,227 in Gyeongju. That makes Gyeongju about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $633 in Gyeongju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gyeongju, where all-in costs run around $1,227, than in Seoul at $1,848. In Gyeongju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gyeongju – 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 Gyeongju. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.