Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Hildesheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,848 a month against $2,339 in Hildesheim, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Hildesheim
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Hildesheim Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Hildesheim

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Hildesheim

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $2,339 in Hildesheim, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Hildesheim $2,339

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $3,523 in Hildesheim, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Hildesheim $3,523

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $4,707 in Hildesheim, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Hildesheim $4,707

Seoul is about 21% cheaper than Hildesheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and Hildesheim sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Hildesheim by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$16.64 €14.95

-45.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.8K

$72.0 €64.7

-5.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,868

$11.11 €9.98

-33.84%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,530

$3.88 €3.49

6.19%

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

$1.64 ₩2,207

$1.85 €1.66

-11.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,083

$2.71 €2.43

-70.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,980

$5.39 €4.84

-31.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,236

$4.34 €3.90

41.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,742

$1.34 €1.20

52.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,311

$2.08 €1.87

54.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,892

$3.36 €3.02

30.65%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,822

$4.04 €3.63

-11.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.5K

$13.69 €12.30

33.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$13.32 €11.96

-21.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.1K

$18.72 €16.82

43.64%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$3.45 €3.09

127.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,739

$1.75 €1.57

101.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,660

$2.20 €1.98

159.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,296

$3.79 €3.40

63.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,053

$1.51 €1.36

149.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,373

$1.41 €1.27

78.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,780

$1.86 €1.67

51.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,490

$1.19 €1.07

-6.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,432

$9.09 €8.16

-63.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$5.74 €5.16

224.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$0.99 €0.89

144.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,509

$1.69 €1.52

98.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,600

$3.28 €2.95

-63.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

$67.7 €60.8

-31.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,770

$6.88 €6.18

-48.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩810

$3.56 €3.20

-83.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$51.6 €46.36

-82.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,931

$2.07 €1.86

-30.43%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$30.2K €27.2K

0.13%

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

$28.9K ₩38.8M

$37.2K €33.4K

-22.32%

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

$213 ₩285.4K

$595 €535

-64.30%

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

$35.83 ₩48.1K

$18.61 €16.72

92.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$52.4 €47.10

-59.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.8K

$53.1 €47.67

16.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

$33.34 €29.95

-50.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$13.14 €11.81

-13.09%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$669 €601

191.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.6M

$8,101 €7,277

181.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.3K

$81.7 €73.4

-26.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.9K

$51.4 €46.19

-33.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.6K

$103 €92.1

-35.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩110.0K

$86.4 €77.6

-5.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$882 €792

4.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩885.1K

$744 €668

-11.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,430 €1,285

110.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$1,608 €1,444

-10.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$2,145 €1,927

66.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.95

3.29%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hildesheim: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Hildesheim

$744 31.8% 12.9% $85

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Hildesheim

$332 14.2% 31.3% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Hildesheim

$666 28.5% 147% $397

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Hildesheim

$267 11.4% 44.7% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Hildesheim

$145 6.2% 33.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Hildesheim

$79 3.4% 6.1% $5.1

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Hildesheim

$105 4.5% 83.5% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $882 in Hildesheim. 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 66% higher in Seoul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $72 in Hildesheim. Groceries tell a different story – $483 in Seoul vs $332 in Hildesheim – so Hildesheim wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇩🇪 Hildesheim

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

00:46 12:46 AM

8 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

101,744

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Hildesheim 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Hildesheim

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 Hildesheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hildesheim is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $3,508 in Hildesheim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $924 in Seoul and $882 in Hildesheim. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $669 in Hildesheim. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 31% cheaper in Hildesheim – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. Hildesheim has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,848 in Seoul to $2,339 in Hildesheim. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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