Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Majuro

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,127 in Majuro, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Majuro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Majuro
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Majuro Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Majuro

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $2,127 in Majuro, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Majuro $2,127

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $2,970 in Majuro, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Majuro $2,970

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $3,812 in Majuro, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Majuro $3,812

Seoul is about 14% cheaper than Majuro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Seoul and Majuro sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Majuro by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$9.92 $9.92

-8.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$29.92 $29.92

124.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$10.56 $10.56

-29.73%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$4.35 $4.35

-6.21%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$1.79 $1.79

-10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$2.02 $2.02

-60.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$4.48 $4.48

-18.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$5.14 $5.14

15.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$2.23 $2.23

-8.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$3.44 $3.44

-10.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$1.77 $1.77

137.85%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$5.14 $5.14

-30.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$30.83 $30.83

-41.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$11.07 $11.07

-3.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$18.03 $18.03

46.64%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$4.28 $4.28

73.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$7.14 $7.14

-50.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$8.93 $8.93

-34.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$12.84 $12.84

-50.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$5.16 $5.16

-27.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$5.60 $5.60

-55.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$3.79 $3.79

-22.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$1.88 $1.88

-38.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$5.98 $5.98

-44.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$9.99 $9.99

85.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

$2.50 $2.50

31.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$2.91 $2.91

-60.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$2.68 $2.68

29.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$5.11 $5.11

70.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.77 $1.77

-15.25%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$25.1K $25.1K

15.95%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$34.8K $34.8K

-18.98%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$252 $252

-17.14%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$37.28 $37.28

-5.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$80.2 $80.2

-73.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$37.80 $37.80

51.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$148 $148

1183.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$2,635 $2,635

754.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$70.8 $70.8

-16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$40.02 $40.02

-19.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$30.23 $30.23

132.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$50.1 $50.1

64.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$790 $790

12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$883 $883

-29.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$1,334 $1,334

86.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,262 $1,262

1.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$1,007 $1,007

262.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Majuro: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Majuro

$883 41.2% 41.6% $260

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Majuro

$540 * 25.2% 12.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Majuro

$370 17.3% 39.4% $104

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Majuro

$211 9.9% 14.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Majuro

$86 4% 21.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Majuro

$38 * 1.8% 52.7% $42

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Majuro

$14 * 0.7% 74.6% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $790 in Majuro. 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 262% higher in Seoul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Seoul versus $30.00 in Majuro. Groceries tell a different story – $479 in Seoul vs $540 in Majuro – so Seoul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇭 Majuro

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

20:16 8:16 PM

3 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

26,000 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Majuro 5,610 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Majuro

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 Majuro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Majuro is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $3,190 in Majuro. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,822 in Seoul and $2,127 in Majuro. That's a gap of about 17%.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $148 in Majuro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,822, than in Majuro at $2,127. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Majuro 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, Majuro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.