Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kortrijk

For one person, living costs are similar in Seoul and in Kortrijk: $1,848 and $1,833 a month, rent and utilities included.

Seoul, South Korea
Kortrijk, Belgium
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,848
/mo nomad
Kortrijk
🇧🇪 Belgium
$1,833
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Kortrijk

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $1,833 in Kortrijk, rent included.

  • Seoul $1,848
  • Kortrijk $1,833

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,655 in Kortrijk, rent included.

  • Seoul $2,986
  • Kortrijk $2,655

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $3,478 in Kortrijk, rent included.

  • Seoul $4,125
  • Kortrijk $3,478

Seoul and Kortrijk have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Seoul and Kortrijk sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Kortrijk by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seoul
Kortrijk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.05 ₩12.1K
$22.46 €20.13
-59.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.3 ₩91.6K
$71.2 €63.8
-4.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.35 ₩9,851
$11.06 €9.91
-33.54%
Cappuccino
$4.12 ₩5,520
$3.00 €2.69
37.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 ₩2,203
$2.96 €2.66
-44.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 ₩1,081
$2.64 €2.37
-69.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 ₩4,971
$4.56 €4.09
-18.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 ₩8,221
$3.32 €2.97
84.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seoul
Kortrijk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.04 ₩2,737
$1.19 €1.07
71.43%
White Bread (500g)
$3.21 ₩4,303
$1.74 €1.56
84.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.39 ₩5,881
$1.43 €1.28
206.99%
Eggs
$3.59 ₩4,814
$3.00 €2.69
19.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.23 ₩24.4K
$11.72 €10.50
55.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.51 ₩14.1K
$8.29 €7.43
26.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.89 ₩36.0K
$14.35 €12.86
87.39%
Apples (1kg)
$7.86 ₩10.5K
$2.18 €1.95
260.55%
Banana (1kg)
$3.53 ₩4,730
$1.91 €1.71
84.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.70 ₩7,646
$1.99 €1.78
186.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.18 ₩8,281
$2.01 €1.80
207.46%
Potato (1kg)
$3.76 ₩5,044
$1.97 €1.77
90.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.51 ₩3,367
$1.66 €1.49
51.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.82 ₩3,773
$1.48 €1.32
90.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 ₩1,487
$0.81 €0.73
37.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30 ₩4,424
$12.71 €11.39
-74.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.64 ₩25.0K
$7.35 €6.59
153.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 ₩3,242
$2.07 €1.86
16.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 ₩4,501
$1.79 €1.60
87.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Seoul
Kortrijk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₩1,597
$2.73 €2.45
-56.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.13 ₩61.8K
$54.2 €48.54
-14.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.55 ₩4,761
$2.27 €2.03
56.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ₩809
$2.21 €1.98
-72.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.08 ₩12.2K
$24.72 €22.16
-63.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ₩1,927
$1.84 €1.65
-21.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K ₩40.6M
$33.9K €30.4K
-10.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.9K ₩38.7M
$33.6K €30.1K
-13.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
Kortrijk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 ₩284.9K
$202 €181
5.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.83 ₩48.0K
$17.48 €15.66
104.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.39 ₩28.7K
$53.0 €47.46
-59.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
Kortrijk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.6 ₩82.6K
$52.1 €46.65
18.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.41 ₩22.0K
$13.44 €12.04
22.10%
Cinema Ticket
$11.42 ₩15.3K
$14.61 €13.09
-21.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seoul
Kortrijk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,948 ₩2.6M
$657 €589
196.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.8K ₩30.5M
$16.2K €14.5K
40.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
Kortrijk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ₩80.1K
$55.8 €49.98
7.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.19 ₩45.8K
$25.79 €23.11
32.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.0 ₩88.4K
$87.5 €78.5
-24.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.9 ₩109.8K
$102 €91.5
-19.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seoul
Kortrijk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$924 ₩1.2M
$834 €748
10.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ₩883.5K
$717 €643
-8.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,012 ₩4.0M
$1,224 €1,097
146.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,440 ₩1.9M
$999 €895
44.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$27.2K ₩36.4M
$4,237 €3,797
541.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.3K ₩15.1M
$2,263 €2,028
399.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seoul
Kortrijk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,570 ₩4.8M
$2,814 €2,522
26.85%
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 Kortrijk: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seoul
$659
Kortrijk
$717 8.8% $58
Groceries & Markets
Seoul
$483
Kortrijk
$261 46.1% $223
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
$270
Kortrijk
$272 1% $2.6
Eating Out
Seoul
$184
Kortrijk
$301 63% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
$109
Kortrijk
$122 12.1% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
$84
Kortrijk
$81 3.8% $3.2
Getting Around
Seoul
$57
Kortrijk
$78 36.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $834 in Kortrijk. 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 27% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $71 in Kortrijk. Groceries tell a different story – $483 in Seoul vs $261 in Kortrijk – so Kortrijk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Seoul
🇧🇪 Kortrijk
🕒 Local time
10:22 10:22 AM
02:22 2:22 AM
8 h behind Seoul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,509,458 Capital
76,700
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seoul Kortrijk 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seoul
  • Kortrijk

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 Kortrijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Seoul and in Kortrijk?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $2,749 in Kortrijk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Seoul or Kortrijk?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kortrijk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $834 there versus $924 in Seoul.
How do dining costs compare in Seoul and in Kortrijk?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul and $71 in Kortrijk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How expensive is transport in Seoul compared to Kortrijk?
Public transport costs about 15% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Kortrijk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Seoul compared to Kortrijk?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Seoul or to Kortrijk?
If budget matters most, go with Kortrijk. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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