Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Pangyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Pangyo: $1,468 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Pangyo
Learn more

Pangyo Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Pangyo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Pangyo

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $1,468 in Pangyo, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Pangyo $1,468

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $2,279 in Pangyo, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Pangyo $2,279

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $3,091 in Pangyo, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Pangyo $3,091

Seoul costs about 22% more than Pangyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Pangyo sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Pangyo by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$7.24 ₩9,624

21.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$35.02 ₩46.6K

95.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$6.73 ₩8,950

12.04%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.78 ₩5,025

11.90%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.59 ₩2,118

2.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.71 ₩940

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$3.42 ₩4,547

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$4.28 ₩5,685

43.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.25 ₩2,998

-10.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$3.02 ₩4,015

3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.67 ₩3,555

61.80%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.59 ₩3,450

39.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$11.09 ₩14.7K

60.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$7.98 ₩10.6K

30.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$20.67 ₩27.5K

24.82%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$7.73 ₩10.3K

-0.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$3.45 ₩4,583

-2.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$7.25 ₩9,642

-19.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$5.78 ₩7,685

10.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$3.60 ₩4,784

4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.58 ₩3,431

-1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.78 ₩3,691

2.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.28 ₩1,700

-13.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.30 ₩4,385

1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$18.39 ₩24.4K

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$2.29 ₩3,047

4.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.48 ₩4,627

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$1.15 ₩1,527

-0.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$48.37 ₩64.3K

-4.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.32 ₩4,412

5.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.66 ₩884

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$12.83 ₩17.1K

-30.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.35 ₩1,797

11.85%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$29.8K ₩39.6M

-1.75%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$34.2K ₩45.5M

-17.51%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$201 ₩267.4K

8.16%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$36.58 ₩48.6K

-3.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$21.78 ₩29.0K

-2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$51.9 ₩69.0K

11.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$12.07 ₩16.0K

33.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$11.39 ₩15.1K

-0.70%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$520 ₩691.0K

274.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$21.9K ₩29.1M

4.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$65.9 ₩87.6K

-13.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$62.8 ₩83.5K

-46.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$74.8 ₩99.4K

-4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$98.3 ₩130.7K

-16.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$478 ₩636.2K

88.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$356 ₩473.1K

71.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,171 ₩1.6M

115.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$739 ₩983.0K

71.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$7,085 ₩9.4M

315.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$5,485 ₩7.3M

117.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$5,307 ₩7.1M

-31.22%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pangyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Pangyo

$356 24.3% 41.8% $256

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Pangyo

$424 28.9% 11.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Pangyo

$259 17.7% 5.3% $14

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Pangyo

$158 10.8% 13.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Pangyo

$136 9.3% 23.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Pangyo

$75 5.1% 7.4% $6

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Pangyo

$60 4.1% 4% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $478 in Pangyo. 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 45% higher in Pangyo, 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $35.00 in Pangyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $424 – making Pangyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Pangyo

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Pangyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $2,201 in Pangyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 5% less in Pangyo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $520 in Pangyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pangyo, where all-in costs run around $1,468, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Pangyo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pangyo – 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 Pangyo. 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.