Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kone

For one person, living is cheaper in Kone: $463 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Kone

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$463

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Kone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $463 in Kone.

Seoul $1,822
Kone $463

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $688 in Kone.

Seoul $2,847
Kone $688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $913 in Kone.

Seoul $3,872
Kone $913

Living in Seoul is roughly 293% more expensive than in Kone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Kone is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$52.9 CFPF 5,636

26.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.45 CFPF 154

-20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$17.44 CFPF 1,858

-81.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$15.06 CFPF 1,604

22.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$172 CFPF 18.4K

21.17%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$95.5 CFPF 10.2K

-77.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$56.2 CFPF 5,989

1.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$115 CFPF 12.2K

-48.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$70.3 CFPF 7,484

-0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$583 CFPF 62.1K

51.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$1,500 CFPF 159.8K

66.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$2,926 CFPF 311.7K

24.69%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Kone: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Kone

–

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Kone

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Kone

–

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Kone

–

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Kone

–

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Kone

–

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Kone

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $583 in Kone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $53.0 in Kone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $47.00 per month, with Kone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇳🇨 Kone

🕒 Local time

15:07 3:07 PM

17:07 5:07 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

5,500

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Kone 7,630 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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 Kone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kone wins on cost – living expenses run 293% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $583 in Kone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,822 per month in Seoul versus $463 in Kone – a 293% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 909% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $463 in Kone versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kone but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Kone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Kone are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 293% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.