Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,765 in Seoul versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,881 in Seoul versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,997 in Seoul versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Seoul costs roughly 23% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 32% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.73 ₩12.9K

$16.19 €14.18

-46.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 ₩80.2K

$63.3 €55.5

-14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 ₩9,546

$10.32 €9.04

-37.31%

Cappuccino

$3.88 ₩5,717

$2.83 €2.48

37.10%

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

$1.65 ₩2,435

$2.29 €2.01

-27.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₩1,263

$1.58 €1.38

-45.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,562

$3.40 €2.98

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 ₩8,444

$4.03 €3.53

41.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,340

$1.09 €0.96

107.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 ₩5,051

$1.75 €1.53

95.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,565

$1.76 €1.54

75.57%

Eggs

$3.06 ₩4,509

$3.17 €2.77

-3.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.51 ₩21.4K

$13.19 €11.56

10.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 ₩15.9K

$7.97 €6.98

35.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.54 ₩51.0K

$15.53 €13.60

122.41%

Apples (1kg)

$7.65 ₩11.3K

$2.37 €2.07

222.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 ₩5,227

$1.71 €1.49

107.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.42 ₩7,995

$2.01 €1.76

169.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 ₩9,575

$2.43 €2.13

167.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 ₩5,705

$1.76 €1.54

119.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 ₩4,236

$2.03 €1.78

41.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 ₩3,856

$1.92 €1.68

35.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,943

$0.85 €0.74

55.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,905

$6.58 €5.76

-49.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.50 ₩24.3K

$5.58 €4.89

195.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,517

$1.33 €1.17

78.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,973

$2.97 €2.60

13.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,587

$2.28 €1.99

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.87 ₩69.1K

$45.79 €40.10

2.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ₩5,109

$4.23 €3.70

-18.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩840

$0.81 €0.71

-29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.00 ₩13.3K

$18.44 €16.15

-51.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,846

$2.08 €1.82

-39.90%

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

$27.9K ₩41.2M

$34.7K €30.4K

-19.42%

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

$25.4K ₩37.4M

$39.2K €34.3K

-35.23%

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

$160 ₩236.5K

$148 €130

8.25%

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

$34.41 ₩50.8K

$20.46 €17.92

68.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.05 ₩32.5K

$39.56 €34.64

-44.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 ₩85.5K

$47.99 €42.03

20.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.44 ₩34.6K

$18.60 €16.29

26.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 ₩16.1K

$9.22 €8.08

18.55%

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

$417 ₩615.5K

$616 €540

-32.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K ₩34.8M

$16.4K €14.4K

43.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ₩87.3K

$103 €90.0

-42.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.41 ₩71.4K

$41.74 €36.55

15.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 ₩117.8K

$94.8 €83.0

-15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ₩169.4K

$122 €107

-5.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 ₩1.4M

$1,633 €1,430

-42.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₩867.2K

$1,232 €1,079

-52.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 ₩3.8M

$3,098 €2,713

-16.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 ₩1.9M

$2,031 €1,779

-35.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$26.0K ₩38.4M

$7,831 €6,858

232.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.7K ₩15.8M

$4,389 €3,844

143.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,149 ₩4.6M

$1,607 €1,408

95.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.81

8.66%

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

Last update for Seoul: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Seoul and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Seoul vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $491 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Lisbon differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,765 vs $2,291 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 96% 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: $944 in Seoul versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $417 in Seoul versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 84% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,765 in Seoul versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul 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 Lisbon 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 Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.