Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Iksan

For one person, living is cheaper in Iksan: $1,425 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Iksan
Learn more

Iksan Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Iksan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Iksan

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $1,425 in Iksan, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Iksan $1,425

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,209 in Iksan, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Iksan $2,209

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $2,994 in Iksan, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Iksan $2,994

Seoul costs about 30% more than Iksan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Iksan sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Iksan by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$5.97 ₩8,018

51.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.8K

$34.23 ₩46.0K

99.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,868

$6.81 ₩9,143

7.93%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,530

$3.66 ₩4,908

12.57%

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

$1.64 ₩2,207

$1.62 ₩2,173

1.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,083

$0.63 ₩845

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,980

$3.50 ₩4,700

6.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,236

$4.37 ₩5,870

40.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,742

$2.27 ₩3,050

-10.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,311

$3.18 ₩4,267

0.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,892

$2.35 ₩3,153

86.81%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,822

$3.26 ₩4,383

10.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.5K

$15.98 ₩21.5K

14.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$8.09 ₩10.9K

29.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.1K

$11.41 ₩15.3K

135.67%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$7.69 ₩10.3K

2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,739

$3.22 ₩4,326

9.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,660

$7.48 ₩10.0K

-23.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,296

$6.83 ₩9,168

-9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,053

$3.60 ₩4,831

4.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,373

$2.42 ₩3,252

3.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,780

$2.04 ₩2,737

38.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,490

$1.35 ₩1,807

-17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,432

$3.44 ₩4,621

-4.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$18.82 ₩25.3K

-0.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$2.24 ₩3,008

8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,509

$3.37 ₩4,525

-0.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,600

$1.11 ₩1,486

7.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,770

$3.61 ₩4,845

-1.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩810

$0.66 ₩890

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$9.02 ₩12.1K

0.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,931

$1.34 ₩1,800

7.46%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$29.0K ₩39.0M

4.20%

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

$28.9K ₩38.8M

$36.3K ₩48.7M

-20.35%

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

$213 ₩285.4K

$211 ₩283.4K

0.69%

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

$35.83 ₩48.1K

$43.19 ₩58.0K

-17.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$20.62 ₩27.7K

3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.8K

$53.5 ₩71.8K

15.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

$14.03 ₩18.8K

16.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$11.41 ₩15.3K

0.09%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$298 ₩400.5K

553.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.6M

$17.7K ₩23.8M

28.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.3K

$65.3 ₩87.7K

-8.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.9K

$63.5 ₩85.3K

-46.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.6K

$75.3 ₩101.1K

-12.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩110.0K

$99.0 ₩132.9K

-17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$496 ₩666.6K

86.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩885.1K

$362 ₩485.6K

82.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,153 ₩1.5M

161.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$762 ₩1.0M

88.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.5M

$7,047 ₩9.5M

285.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.2M

$5,569 ₩7.5M

102.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$1,734 ₩2.3M

105.83%

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 Iksan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Iksan

$362 25.4% 45.1% $298

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Iksan

$417 29.3% 13.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Iksan

$275 19.3% 1.9% $5.1

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Iksan

$147 10.3% 20.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Iksan

$136 9.6% 25.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Iksan

$76 5.4% 9.7% $8.2

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Iksan

$11 * 0.8% 80.2% $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 $496 in Iksan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seoul are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $34 in Iksan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $417 – making Iksan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Iksan

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

307,000

💱 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 Iksan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 30% more than Iksan, 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 $2,137 in Iksan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iksan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $496 there versus $924 in Seoul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul and $34 in Iksan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Seoul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,848 in Seoul and $1,425 in Iksan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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