Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Incheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Incheon: $1,373 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Incheon
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Incheon Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Incheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Incheon

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $1,373 in Incheon, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Incheon $1,373

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $2,106 in Incheon, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Incheon $2,106

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $2,839 in Incheon, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Incheon $2,839

Seoul costs about 31% more than Incheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Incheon sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Incheon by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$5.92 ₩7,874

48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$34.73 ₩46.2K

96.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$6.55 ₩8,703

15.11%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.75 ₩4,988

12.80%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.61 ₩2,147

1.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.64 ₩851

15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$3.42 ₩4,544

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$4.63 ₩6,162

32.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.04 ₩2,715

-1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$3.13 ₩4,160

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.34 ₩3,109

84.62%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$3.33 ₩4,427

8.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$15.51 ₩20.6K

14.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$7.88 ₩10.5K

32.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$11.06 ₩14.7K

133.27%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$7.84 ₩10.4K

-2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$3.16 ₩4,206

6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$5.66 ₩7,529

2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$6.38 ₩8,481

0.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$3.45 ₩4,585

8.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.42 ₩3,213

4.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.08 ₩2,768

36.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.15 ₩1,528

-3.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.47 ₩4,609

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$18.82 ₩25.0K

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$2.20 ₩2,931

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.24 ₩4,306

4.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$1.06 ₩1,412

7.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$24.53 ₩32.6K

87.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.57 ₩4,752

-2.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.64 ₩852

-1.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$9.24 ₩12.3K

-4.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.40 ₩1,860

7.86%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$29.0K ₩38.6M

0.91%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$28.6K ₩38.0M

-1.21%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$209 ₩277.2K

4.33%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$35.24 ₩46.9K

-0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$20.80 ₩27.7K

2.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$33.40 ₩44.4K

73.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$38.21 ₩50.8K

-57.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$11.26 ₩15.0K

0.44%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$295 ₩392.8K

559.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$18.2K ₩24.1M

25.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$57.1 ₩76.0K

-0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$32.82 ₩43.6K

1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$69.5 ₩92.4K

2.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$84.3 ₩112.1K

-2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$611 ₩812.1K

47.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$361 ₩480.1K

69.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,275 ₩1.7M

98.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$693 ₩921.3K

82.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$6,723 ₩8.9M

337.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$5,498 ₩7.3M

116.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,411 ₩3.2M

51.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Incheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Incheon

$361 26.3% 41% $251

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Incheon

$399 29% 16.4% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Incheon

$265 19.3% 3.4% $9.4

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Incheon

$147 10.7% 19.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Incheon

$110 8% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Incheon

$56 4.1% 30.7% $25

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Incheon

$36 2.6% 38% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $611 in Incheon. 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 51% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $35.00 in Incheon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $399 – making Incheon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Incheon

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,870,545

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Incheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $2,059 in Incheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Incheon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $35.00 in Incheon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $1,373 in Incheon. That's a gap of about 31%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Incheon, where all-in costs run around $1,373, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Incheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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