Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Osnabruck Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Osnabruck

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,742 per month in Seoul vs $1,739 in Osnabruck, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,892 per month in Seoul vs $2,801 in Osnabruck, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,043 per month in Seoul vs $3,863 in Osnabruck, rent included.

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

Both Seoul and Osnabruck sit above the global median – Seoul by 30%, Osnabruck by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.59 ₩13.2K

$12.01 €10.34

-28.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 ₩83.2K

$70.6 €60.8

-23.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 ₩9,657

$9.40 €8.09

-32.98%

Cappuccino

$3.88 ₩5,952

$3.50 €3.01

10.86%

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

$1.72 ₩2,643

$3.27 €2.82

-47.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₩1,311

$2.71 €2.33

-68.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₩5,509

$5.07 €4.37

-28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩9,098

$4.21 €3.63

41.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩3,409

$1.16 €1.00

91.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 ₩5,286

$2.40 €2.06

43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 ₩4,802

$3.70 €3.18

-15.41%

Eggs

$3.19 ₩4,884

$3.93 €3.38

-18.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.21 ₩21.8K

$14.85 €12.79

-4.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 ₩16.8K

$14.77 €12.72

-25.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.74 ₩53.2K

$18.86 €16.24

84.20%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 ₩12.2K

$3.25 €2.80

145.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 ₩5,305

$1.75 €1.50

97.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.43 ₩8,321

$2.25 €1.94

141.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.69 ₩10.2K

$4.95 €4.26

35.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₩5,828

$1.60 €1.38

137.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,514

$1.64 €1.41

79.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 ₩4,023

$1.88 €1.62

39.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₩1,946

$1.20 €1.03

5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ₩4,947

$9.97 €8.59

-67.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.49 ₩29.9K

$5.73 €4.94

240.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,709

$1.04 €0.90

132.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₩4,976

$1.59 €1.37

104.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,710

$3.48 €3.00

-67.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.88 ₩73.4K

$53.6 €46.15

-10.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ₩5,456

$4.94 €4.25

-27.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₩827

$2.08 €1.79

-74.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 ₩13.4K

$27.26 €23.47

-68.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,910

$2.02 €1.74

-38.12%

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

$28.3K ₩43.3M

$31.4K €27.1K

-10.14%

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

$25.3K ₩38.8M

$41.3K €35.5K

-38.60%

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

$161 ₩246.1K

$235 €202

-31.54%

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

$34.38 ₩52.7K

$46.86 €40.35

-26.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 ₩34.3K

$54.9 €47.30

-59.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 ₩87.3K

$34.65 €29.84

64.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.23 ₩35.6K

$27.38 €23.57

-15.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 ₩17.1K

$13.77 €11.86

-18.74%

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

$412 ₩631.5K

$259 €223

59.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩36.2M

$11.7K €10.1K

102.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 ₩89.9K

$96.2 €82.8

-38.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.80 ₩71.7K

$76.1 €65.5

-38.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩120.0K

$102 €87.7

-23.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₩175.0K

$137 €118

-16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 ₩1.5M

$702 €604

36.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 ₩924.7K

$530 €456

13.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 ₩4.0M

$1,536 €1,323

68.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₩2.0M

$1,179 €1,015

10.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K ₩27.8M

$3,768 €3,245

382.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,223 ₩14.1M

$3,427 €2,951

169.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,095 ₩4.7M

$2,273 €1,957

36.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.98

4.02%

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

Last update for Seoul: June 2, 2026

Last update for Osnabruck: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Seoul versus $702 in Osnabruck. 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 36% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Seoul versus $71.0 in Osnabruck. Groceries tell a different story – $500 in Seoul vs $351 in Osnabruck – so Osnabruck 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 Osnabruck: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,613 per month in Seoul and $2,608 in Osnabruck. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Seoul and $71.0 in Osnabruck. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Osnabruck. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Osnabruck, where all-in costs run around $1,739, than in Seoul at $1,742. In Osnabruck it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Osnabruck – 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 Osnabruck. 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.