Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Magdeburg

For one person, living costs are similar in Seoul and in Magdeburg: $1,848 and $1,872 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Magdeburg
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Magdeburg Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Magdeburg

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Magdeburg

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $1,872 in Magdeburg, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Magdeburg $1,872

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,769 in Magdeburg, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Magdeburg $2,769

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $3,665 in Magdeburg, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Magdeburg $3,665

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

Both Seoul and Magdeburg sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Magdeburg by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$13.05 €11.64

-30.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.7K

$66.2 €59.1

3.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,864

$11.37 €10.14

-35.36%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,527

$3.12 €2.78

32.05%

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

$1.64 ₩2,206

$3.66 €3.27

-55.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,082

$2.99 €2.67

-72.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,978

$4.41 €3.94

-15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,232

$4.43 €3.95

38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,741

$1.40 €1.25

45.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,309

$2.06 €1.84

55.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,889

$3.96 €3.53

10.86%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,820

$3.85 €3.43

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.5K

$14.55 €12.98

25.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$10.88 €9.70

-3.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.1K

$23.84 €21.27

12.79%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$3.25 €2.90

141.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,737

$2.14 €1.91

64.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,657

$2.04 €1.82

179.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,293

$4.34 €3.88

42.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,051

$1.40 €1.25

168.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,371

$1.08 €0.96

132.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,778

$1.44 €1.28

95.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,489

$1.61 €1.44

-31.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,430

$9.76 €8.71

-66.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$5.64 €5.03

230.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,246

$1.22 €1.09

98.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,507

$1.71 €1.53

96.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,599

$3.36 €3.00

-64.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

$71.5 €63.8

-35.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,768

$11.38 €10.15

-68.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩810

$2.76 €2.47

-78.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$11.12 €9.92

-18.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,930

$2.09 €1.86

-31.10%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$33.3K €29.7K

-9.06%

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

$28.9K ₩38.8M

$38.5K €34.3K

-24.95%

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

$213 ₩285.3K

$431 €384

-50.65%

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

$35.83 ₩48.1K

$25.89 €23.10

38.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$38.07 €33.97

-43.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.7K

$38.13 €34.02

61.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

$31.92 €28.48

-48.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$13.82 €12.33

-17.37%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$226 €202

760.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.2K

$89.5 €79.9

-33.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.9K

$33.51 €29.90

2.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.6K

$107 €95.5

-38.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.9K

$166 €148

-50.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$607 €542

52.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩884.7K

$443 €396

48.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,160 €1,035

159.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$747 €667

92.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.5M

$3,878 €3,460

600.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.2M

$1,837 €1,639

514.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$2,733 €2,438

30.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.95

3.29%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Magdeburg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Magdeburg

$443 23.7% 32.7% $216

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Magdeburg

$347 18.5% 28.3% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Magdeburg

$495 26.4% 83.4% $225

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Magdeburg

$233 12.5% 26.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Magdeburg

$178 9.5% 63.8% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Magdeburg

$66 3.5% 22.1% $19

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Magdeburg

$110 5.9% 91.6% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $607 in Magdeburg. 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 31% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $66 in Magdeburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $347 – making Magdeburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇩🇪 Magdeburg

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

20:09 8:09 PM

8 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

231,021

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.68 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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 = 1,498 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.68 EUR).

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

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Magdeburg 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Magdeburg

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 Magdeburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $2,808 in Magdeburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Magdeburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Magdeburg – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $226 in Magdeburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Magdeburg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,848 in Seoul to $1,872 in Magdeburg. 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.