Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and La Crosse, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,848 a month against $2,217 in La Crosse, WI, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
106

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
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La Crosse, WI Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in La Crosse, WI

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 La Crosse, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $2,217 in La Crosse, WI, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
La Crosse, WI $2,217

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $3,376 in La Crosse, WI, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
La Crosse, WI $3,376

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $4,535 in La Crosse, WI, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
La Crosse, WI $4,535

Seoul is about 17% cheaper than La Crosse, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and La Crosse, WI sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, La Crosse, WI by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$15.24 $15.24

-40.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.7K

$69.5 $69.5

-1.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,864

$10.83 $10.83

-32.13%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,527

$5.77 $5.77

-28.60%

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

$1.64 ₩2,206

$2.10 $2.10

-21.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,082

$1.18 $1.18

-31.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,978

$4.42 $4.42

-16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,232

$5.99 $5.99

2.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,741

$0.73 $0.73

179.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,309

$2.45 $2.45

31.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,889

$4.58 $4.58

-4.15%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,820

$2.48 $2.48

44.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.5K

$10.19 $10.19

78.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$11.09 $11.09

-5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.1K

$16.42 $16.42

63.76%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$4.93 $4.93

59.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,737

$1.11 $1.11

218.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,657

$3.21 $3.21

77.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,293

$5.22 $5.22

18.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,051

$1.96 $1.96

91.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,371

$2.35 $2.35

6.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,778

$2.01 $2.01

40.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,489

$1.72 $1.72

-35.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,430

$9.93 $9.93

-66.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$10.81 $10.81

72.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,246

$1.84 $1.84

31.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,507

$2.05 $2.05

63.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,599

$0.99 $0.99

20.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

$35.33 $35.33

30.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,768

$3.52 $3.52

0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩810

$1.82 $1.82

-67.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$45.84 $45.84

-80.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,930

$0.91 $0.91

58.24%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$33.0K $33.0K

-8.23%

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

$28.9K ₩38.8M

$24.4K $24.4K

18.22%

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

$213 ₩285.3K

$208 $208

2.21%

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

$35.83 ₩48.1K

$54.6 $54.6

-34.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$65.7 $65.7

-67.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.7K

$40.79 $40.79

51.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

$3.89 $3.89

321.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$11.96 $11.96

-4.52%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$888 $888

119.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.2K

$63.3 $63.3

-5.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.9K

$63.6 $63.6

-46.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.6K

$77.5 $77.5

-14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.9K

$118 $118

-30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$774 $774

19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩884.7K

$1,017 $1,017

-35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$2,196 $2,196

37.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$1,917 $1,917

-24.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.5M

$1,972 $1,972

1277.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.2M

$1,965 $1,965

474.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$4,185 $4,185

-14.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.63

-38.46%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for La Crosse, WI: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.9% 54.3% $358

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

La Crosse, WI

$340 15.3% 29.7% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

La Crosse, WI

$328 14.8% 21.7% $59

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

La Crosse, WI

$271 12.2% 46.9% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

La Crosse, WI

$145 6.5% 33.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

La Crosse, WI

$65 2.9% 23.4% $20

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.3% 9.7% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $774 in La Crosse, WI. 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 17% higher in La Crosse, WI, 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 in Seoul versus $69 in La Crosse, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $483 in Seoul vs $340 in La Crosse, WI – so La Crosse, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

16:58 4:58 PM

15 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

52,680

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,342 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,504 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul La Crosse, WI 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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Seoul
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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 La Crosse, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,848 in Seoul, $2,217 in La Crosse, WI – Seoul comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $3,326 in La Crosse, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Crosse, WI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $774 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Public transport costs about 23% less in La Crosse, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in La Crosse, WI – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. La Crosse, WI has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,848 in Seoul to $2,217 in La Crosse, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Seoul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Crosse, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.