Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Mokpo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mokpo: $1,406 a month against $1,829 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Mokpo
Learn more

Mokpo Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,829

/mo nomad

Mokpo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Mokpo

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

A single person spends $1,829 per month in Seoul vs $1,406 in Mokpo, rent included.

Seoul $1,829
Mokpo $1,406

A couple spends around $2,973 per month in Seoul vs $2,304 in Mokpo, rent included.

Seoul $2,973
Mokpo $2,304

A family of three spends $4,116 per month in Seoul vs $3,202 in Mokpo, rent included.

Seoul $4,116
Mokpo $3,202

Seoul costs about 30% more than Mokpo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Mokpo sit above the global median – Seoul by 35%, Mokpo by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$7.40 ₩9,949

19.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 ₩93.3K

$37.40 ₩50.3K

85.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ₩10.1K

$6.67 ₩8,969

12.44%

Cappuccino

$4.04 ₩5,431

$3.55 ₩4,775

13.80%

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

$1.56 ₩2,092

$1.58 ₩2,128

-1.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₩985

$0.69 ₩921

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ₩4,912

$3.38 ₩4,544

8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 ₩7,898

$4.16 ₩5,594

41.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₩2,797

$2.14 ₩2,882

-2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 ₩4,043

$3.15 ₩4,231

-4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 ₩5,621

$2.73 ₩3,674

53.11%

Eggs

$3.63 ₩4,882

$2.62 ₩3,525

38.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.87 ₩24.0K

$10.55 ₩14.2K

69.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₩13.9K

$10.58 ₩14.2K

-2.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩35.2K

$21.61 ₩29.0K

21.10%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,966

$7.48 ₩10.1K

-0.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,638

$3.03 ₩4,068

13.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 ₩7,520

$5.30 ₩7,120

5.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 ₩8,449

$5.35 ₩7,184

17.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,840

$3.75 ₩5,042

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,368

$2.71 ₩3,639

-7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,727

$2.75 ₩3,700

0.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,533

$1.25 ₩1,677

-8.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,599

$3.25 ₩4,364

5.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ₩25.0K

$13.48 ₩18.1K

37.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₩3,097

$2.35 ₩3,159

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ₩4,491

$3.62 ₩4,861

-7.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,505

$1.00 ₩1,341

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 ₩62.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,836

$4.09 ₩5,490

-11.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩808

$0.59 ₩794

1.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$9.80 ₩13.2K

-9.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₩2,003

$1.41 ₩1,901

5.67%

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

$29.7K ₩39.9M

$30.2K ₩40.6M

-1.80%

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

$28.0K ₩37.6M

$30.1K ₩40.5M

-7.11%

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

$216 ₩290.0K

$207 ₩277.8K

4.41%

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

$34.52 ₩46.4K

$35.80 ₩48.1K

-3.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.34 ₩27.3K

$22.26 ₩29.9K

-8.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 ₩79.6K

$50.6 ₩68.0K

16.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 ₩21.4K

$12.38 ₩16.6K

28.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 ₩14.8K

$11.94 ₩16.0K

-7.79%

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

$1,962 ₩2.6M

$416 ₩559.3K

371.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.3K ₩35.3M

$22.6K ₩30.4M

15.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ₩83.7K

$62.6 ₩84.1K

-0.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.82 ₩45.4K

$62.0 ₩83.3K

-45.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 ₩91.2K

$74.6 ₩100.2K

-8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 ₩111.4K

$109 ₩147.0K

-24.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 ₩1.2M

$533 ₩716.0K

72.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₩878.3K

$344 ₩462.9K

89.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 ₩4.2M

$1,118 ₩1.5M

176.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 ₩2.0M

$940 ₩1.3M

54.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.4K ₩38.2M

$6,862 ₩9.2M

313.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.4K ₩15.3M

$5,612 ₩7.5M

102.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,496 ₩4.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.1

-0.49%

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

Last update for Seoul: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mokpo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$654 35.7%

Mokpo

$344 24.5% 47.3% $309

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$474 25.9%

Mokpo

$416 29.6% 12.2% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$271 14.8%

Mokpo

$265 18.8% 2.2% $5.9

Eating Out

Seoul

$181 9.9%

Mokpo

$156 11.1% 13.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$111 6.1%

Mokpo

$139 9.9% 25% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.4%

Mokpo

$74 5.3% 8.3% $6.7

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Mokpo

$11 * 0.8% 80.9% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Seoul versus $533 in Mokpo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Seoul versus $37 in Mokpo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $474 vs $416 – making Mokpo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Mokpo

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

237,739

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Mokpo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,744 per month in Seoul and $2,109 in Mokpo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mokpo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $533 there versus $918 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,829 in Seoul and $1,406 in Mokpo. That makes Mokpo about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,962 per month in Seoul and $416 in Mokpo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.