Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Karlskrona Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Karlskrona

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Seoul vs $1,750 in Karlskrona, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,852 per month in Seoul vs $2,668 in Karlskrona, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,920 per month in Seoul vs $3,587 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Seoul costs about 2% more than Karlskrona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Seoul and Karlskrona sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Karlskrona by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.98 ₩13.3K

$13.34 SEK 124

-32.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.4 ₩82.1K

$68.7 SEK 639

-19.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 ₩9,588

$9.26 SEK 86.2

-30.24%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ₩5,591

$3.78 SEK 35.16

-0.26%

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

$1.71 ₩2,537

$1.44 SEK 13.39

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,199

$2.42 SEK 22.47

-66.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ₩5,322

$7.27 SEK 67.7

-50.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 ₩8,952

$5.18 SEK 48.18

16.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₩3,208

$1.57 SEK 14.61

37.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 ₩4,987

$2.82 SEK 26.23

19.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 ₩4,699

$3.93 SEK 36.51

-19.34%

Eggs

$3.15 ₩4,671

$4.03 SEK 37.45

-21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.45 ₩21.4K

$11.28 SEK 105

28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 ₩16.2K

$11.98 SEK 111

-8.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.05 ₩50.5K

$15.55 SEK 145

118.97%

Apples (1kg)

$7.88 ₩11.7K

$3.12 SEK 29.01

152.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.63 ₩5,390

$2.46 SEK 22.91

47.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.67 ₩8,407

$3.15 SEK 29.29

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 ₩9,553

$4.54 SEK 42.18

41.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,777

$1.52 SEK 14.13

155.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 ₩4,257

$1.62 SEK 15.09

77.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 ₩3,848

$2.25 SEK 20.96

15.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,956

$1.50 SEK 13.91

-12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,891

$7.50 SEK 69.7

-56.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.80 ₩29.4K

$12.79 SEK 119

54.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₩3,454

$2.13 SEK 19.77

9.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₩4,793

$1.81 SEK 16.81

78.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₩1,586

$2.99 SEK 27.84

-64.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.51 ₩69.0K

$64.5 SEK 600

-27.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩5,190

$14.66 SEK 136

-76.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩843

$1.64 SEK 15.24

-65.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 ₩12.7K

$20.97 SEK 195

-59.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,793

$1.85 SEK 17.16

-34.59%

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

$27.4K ₩40.6M

$32.5K SEK 302.6K

-15.86%

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

$25.1K ₩37.2M

$34.4K SEK 319.9K

-27.11%

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

$161 ₩239.2K

$53.1 SEK 494

203.73%

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

$34.79 ₩51.6K

$28.28 SEK 263

23.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.48 ₩33.3K

$37.28 SEK 347

-39.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 ₩87.2K

$43.09 SEK 401

36.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.22 ₩34.4K

$23.56 SEK 219

-1.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 ₩16.5K

$16.60 SEK 154

-33.13%

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

$413 ₩612.3K

$145 SEK 1,352

183.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K ₩34.3M

$731 SEK 6,801

3057.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 ₩85.9K

$104 SEK 965

-44.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.44 ₩70.4K

$21.33 SEK 198

122.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 ₩116.7K

$83.4 SEK 776

-5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₩173.0K

$155 SEK 1,437

-24.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 ₩1.4M

$715 SEK 6,649

33.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₩877.1K

$683 SEK 6,353

-13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 ₩3.8M

$1,151 SEK 10.7K

123.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 ₩2.0M

$1,008 SEK 9,374

30.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K ₩27.4M

$3,139 SEK 29.2K

488.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,790 ₩14.5M

$2,673 SEK 24.9K

266.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,903 ₩4.3M

$2,646 SEK 24.6K

9.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

4.7

-11.91%

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

Last update for Seoul: April 27, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Seoul versus $715 in Karlskrona. 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 10% 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 $55.0 in Seoul versus $69.0 in Karlskrona. Groceries tell a different story – $498 in Seoul vs $356 in Karlskrona – so Karlskrona wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Karlskrona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Seoul and $2,625 in Karlskrona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlskrona, 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 $55.0 in Seoul and $69.0 in Karlskrona. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,784 in Seoul and $1,750 in Karlskrona. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Karlskrona, where all-in costs run around $1,750, than in Seoul at $1,784. In Karlskrona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karlskrona – 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 Karlskrona. 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.