Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Magdeburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Magdeburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Seoul vs $1,894 in Magdeburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,852 per month in Seoul vs $2,964 in Magdeburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,920 per month in Seoul vs $4,033 in Magdeburg, rent included.

Seoul is about 6% cheaper than Magdeburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Seoul and Magdeburg sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Magdeburg by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.98 ₩13.3K

$14.07 €12.05

-36.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.4 ₩82.1K

$70.7 €60.5

-21.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 ₩9,588

$11.68 €10.00

-44.69%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ₩5,591

$3.38 €2.89

11.54%

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

$1.71 ₩2,537

$2.81 €2.41

-39.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,199

$2.49 €2.13

-67.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ₩5,322

$4.80 €4.11

-25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 ₩8,952

$4.32 €3.70

39.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₩3,208

$1.21 €1.03

78.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 ₩4,987

$2.21 €1.89

52.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 ₩4,699

$3.52 €3.01

-9.94%

Eggs

$3.15 ₩4,671

$3.78 €3.23

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.45 ₩21.4K

$14.65 €12.54

-1.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 ₩16.2K

$13.96 €11.95

-21.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.05 ₩50.5K

$21.20 €18.15

60.61%

Apples (1kg)

$7.88 ₩11.7K

$3.29 €2.82

139.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.63 ₩5,390

$1.71 €1.46

112.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.67 ₩8,407

$2.25 €1.93

152.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 ₩9,553

$4.79 €4.10

34.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,777

$1.56 €1.33

149.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 ₩4,257

$1.53 €1.31

87.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 ₩3,848

$1.83 €1.57

41.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,956

$1.53 €1.31

-13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,891

$9.91 €8.48

-66.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.80 ₩29.4K

$5.88 €5.03

236.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₩3,454

$1.05 €0.90

121.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₩4,793

$1.62 €1.38

99.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₩1,586

$3.01 €2.57

-64.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.51 ₩69.0K

$62.2 €53.3

-25.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩5,190

$11.47 €9.82

-69.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩843

$1.54 €1.32

-62.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 ₩12.7K

$11.35 €9.71

-24.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,793

$1.94 €1.66

-37.63%

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

$27.4K ₩40.6M

$31.9K €27.3K

-14.28%

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

$25.1K ₩37.2M

$38.0K €32.6K

-34.08%

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

$161 ₩239.2K

$438 €375

-63.16%

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

$34.79 ₩51.6K

$30.51 €26.11

14.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.48 ₩33.3K

$51.4 €44.02

-56.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 ₩87.2K

$35.50 €30.39

65.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.22 ₩34.4K

$18.41 €15.76

26.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 ₩16.5K

$11.97 €10.24

-7.27%

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

$413 ₩612.3K

$230 €196

79.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K ₩34.3M

$11.4K €9,716

103.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 ₩85.9K

$90.5 €77.5

-36.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.44 ₩70.4K

$35.16 €30.10

34.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 ₩116.7K

$98.0 €83.9

-19.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₩173.0K

$177 €152

-34.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 ₩1.4M

$622 €533

53.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₩877.1K

$431 €369

37.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 ₩3.8M

$1,560 €1,335

64.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 ₩2.0M

$1,055 €903

25.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K ₩27.4M

$5,063 €4,334

264.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,790 ₩14.5M

$1,609 €1,378

508.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,903 ₩4.3M

$2,921 €2,501

-0.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.96

4.55%

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

Last update for Seoul: April 27, 2026

Last update for Magdeburg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Seoul versus $622 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 1% higher in Magdeburg, 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 $55.0 in Seoul versus $71.0 in Magdeburg. Groceries tell a different story – $498 in Seoul vs $354 in Magdeburg – so Magdeburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,784 in Seoul, $1,894 in Magdeburg – roughly 6% apart. Magdeburg costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Seoul and $2,841 in Magdeburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $413 per month in Seoul and $230 in Magdeburg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 41% cheaper in Magdeburg – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,784, than in Magdeburg at $1,894. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Magdeburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seoul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Magdeburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.