Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Icheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Icheon: $1,599 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Icheon

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $1,599 in Icheon, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Icheon $1,599

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,052 in Icheon, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Icheon $2,052

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $2,506 in Icheon, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Icheon $2,506

Seoul costs about 16% more than Icheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seoul and Icheon sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Icheon by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$6.24 ₩8,328

45.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.1K

$49.61 ₩66.2K

37.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,800

$6.65 ₩8,863

10.53%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,491

$3.67 ₩4,888

12.26%

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

$1.64 ₩2,192

$1.33 ₩1,776

23.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,075

$1.18 ₩1,569

-31.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,946

$3.86 ₩5,145

-3.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,179

$4.24 ₩5,648

44.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,723

$2.29 ₩3,059

-10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,281

$3.19 ₩4,254

0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,851

$3.12 ₩4,157

40.71%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,789

$2.65 ₩3,539

35.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.3K

$11.29 ₩15.1K

61.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.0K

$10.73 ₩14.3K

-2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩35.9K

$25.00 ₩33.3K

7.56%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$11.46 ₩15.3K

-31.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,706

$3.59 ₩4,794

-1.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,607

$7.97 ₩10.6K

-28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,239

$6.08 ₩8,111

1.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,018

$5.89 ₩7,855

-36.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,350

$3.31 ₩4,408

-24.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,754

$2.84 ₩3,789

-0.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,480

$1.34 ₩1,792

-17.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,401

$3.42 ₩4,563

-3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩24.9K

$18.77 ₩25.0K

-0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,225

$2.43 ₩3,239

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,478

$3.45 ₩4,599

-2.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,589

$1.10 ₩1,472

8.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,737

$3.52 ₩4,693

0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$0.74 ₩983

-18.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.1K

$17.15 ₩22.9K

-47.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,917

$1.42 ₩1,895

1.41%

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

$30.3K ₩40.4M

$40.4K ₩53.8M

-25.04%

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

$28.9K ₩38.5M

$33.6K ₩44.8M

-14.03%

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

$213 ₩283.4K

$205 ₩274.0K

3.43%

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

$35.83 ₩47.8K

$36.50 ₩48.7K

-1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.5K

$27.50 ₩36.7K

-22.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.2K

$22.67 ₩30.2K

171.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩21.9K

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.2K

$11.46 ₩15.3K

-0.35%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$631 ₩841.0K

208.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.4M

$22.3K ₩29.8M

2.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩79.7K

$107 ₩142.1K

-43.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.6K

$64.9 ₩86.5K

-47.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.0K

$94.2 ₩125.6K

-29.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.2K

$127 ₩169.1K

-35.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$763 ₩1.0M

21.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩879.0K

$454 ₩605.3K

45.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$2,314 ₩3.1M

54.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.9

4.62%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Icheon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Icheon

$454 28.4% 31.1% $205

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Icheon

$490 30.6% 1.3% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Icheon

$269 16.9% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Icheon

$152 9.5% 17.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Icheon

$177 11% 62.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Icheon

$46 2.9% 46% $39

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Icheon

$12 * 0.7% 79.8% $46

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 $763 in Icheon. 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 54% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $50 in Icheon. Groceries tell a different story – $483 in Seoul vs $490 in Icheon – so Seoul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Icheon

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

213,059

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 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 Icheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $2,398 in Icheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Icheon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $763 there versus $924 in Seoul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul and $50 in Icheon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $631 in Icheon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,848 in Seoul and $1,599 in Icheon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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