Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Nalaikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Nalaikh: $908 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Nalaikh
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Nalaikh Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Nalaikh

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Nalaikh

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $908 in Nalaikh, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Nalaikh $908

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,425 in Nalaikh, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Nalaikh $1,425

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,941 in Nalaikh, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Nalaikh $1,941

Seoul costs about 98% more than Nalaikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Nalaikh is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.48 MNT 16.1K

96.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$26.21 MNT 94.3K

160.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.40 MNT 15.8K

71.36%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.18 MNT 7,856

94.04%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.72 MNT 2,602

126.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.40 MNT 1,449

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.42 MNT 5,089

156.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.17 MNT 7,792

183.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.21 MNT 4,363

66.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$0.80 MNT 2,885

291.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.59 MNT 5,728

171.70%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.05 MNT 7,373

76.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$12.43 MNT 44.7K

43.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.22 MNT 15.2K

147.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$5.64 MNT 20.3K

357.45%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

146.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.48 MNT 8,905

36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

59.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$2.84 MNT 10.2K

125.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.58 MNT 2,091

546.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.93 MNT 3,341

173.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.22 MNT 4,381

132.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.60 MNT 2,148

85.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$1.66 MNT 5,957

101.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.29 MNT 29.8K

123.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.96 MNT 3,444

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.59 MNT 5,720

111.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.15 MNT 528

660.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$6.04 MNT 21.7K

663.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.55 MNT 1,976

534.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.51 MNT 1,847

23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.48 MNT 8,914

257.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.01 MNT 3,625

49.50%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$26.5K MNT 95.4M

10.30%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$16.4K MNT 59.0M

71.84%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$70.2 MNT 252.5K

209.81%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$6.92 MNT 24.9K

407.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$10.94 MNT 39.4K

94.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$55.0 MNT 197.7K

5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$13.99 MNT 50.3K

15.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$2.72 MNT 9,791

315.81%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$123 MNT 441.5K

1486.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$5,604 MNT 20.2M

307.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$61.7 MNT 222.0K

-7.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$45.76 MNT 164.6K

-27.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$84.8 MNT 304.8K

-15.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$125 MNT 448.9K

-33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$418 MNT 1.5M

115.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$307 MNT 1.1M

99.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,256 MNT 4.5M

101.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$575 MNT 2.1M

120.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$1,362 MNT 4.9M

2060.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$848 MNT 3.0M

1303.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$523 MNT 1.9M

598.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-18.40%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nalaikh: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Nalaikh

$307 33.8% 49.9% $305

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Nalaikh

$209 23.1% 56.1% $267

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Nalaikh

$88 9.7% 67.9% $186

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Nalaikh

$91 10% 50.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Nalaikh

$143 15.7% 29.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Nalaikh

$60 6.7% 25.1% $20

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Nalaikh

$9.7 1.1% 83% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $418 in Nalaikh. 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 598% higher in Seoul, 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $26.00 in Nalaikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $209 – making Nalaikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇳 Nalaikh

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

30,049

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,596 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,043 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Nalaikh 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Nalaikh

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 Nalaikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 98% more than Nalaikh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,362 in Nalaikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nalaikh, 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 $1,794 in Seoul and $908 in Nalaikh. That's a gap of about 98%.

Public transport costs about 663% less in Nalaikh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nalaikh, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Nalaikh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nalaikh – 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 Nalaikh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.