Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Pyeongtaek

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyeongtaek: $1,452 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Pyeongtaek
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Pyeongtaek Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Pyeongtaek

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Pyeongtaek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Seoul versus $1,452 in Pyeongtaek.

Seoul $1,848
Pyeongtaek $1,452

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,986 in Seoul versus $2,876 in Pyeongtaek.

Seoul $2,986
Pyeongtaek $2,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,125 in Seoul versus $4,300 in Pyeongtaek.

Seoul $4,125
Pyeongtaek $4,300

Living in Seoul is roughly 27% more expensive than in Pyeongtaek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 36% above, Pyeongtaek 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$7.49 ₩10.0K

20.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.6K

$22.56 ₩30.2K

202.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,851

$4.83 ₩6,467

52.17%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,520

$3.62 ₩4,853

13.81%

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

$1.64 ₩2,203

$1.28 ₩1,722

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,081

$0.88 ₩1,180

-7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,971

$3.68 ₩4,926

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,221

$4.36 ₩5,839

40.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$2.29 ₩3,073

-10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,303

$3.29 ₩4,415

-2.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,881

$3.18 ₩4,266

38.05%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,814

$2.62 ₩3,514

37.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.4K

$11.32 ₩15.2K

61.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$10.41 ₩13.9K

0.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.0K

$25.15 ₩33.7K

6.92%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$11.18 ₩15.0K

-29.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,730

$3.72 ₩4,984

-5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,646

$8.24 ₩11.0K

-30.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,281

$6.09 ₩8,161

1.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,044

$6.03 ₩8,081

-37.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,367

$3.27 ₩4,388

-23.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,773

$2.75 ₩3,684

2.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,487

$1.36 ₩1,822

-18.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,424

$3.47 ₩4,654

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$19.22 ₩25.8K

-3.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,242

$2.50 ₩3,355

-3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,501

$3.41 ₩4,577

-1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,597

$1.26 ₩1,690

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.8K

$46.32 ₩62.1K

-0.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$3.64 ₩4,880

-2.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩809

$0.59 ₩796

1.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$9.26 ₩12.4K

-1.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,927

$1.42 ₩1,899

1.41%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$15.1K ₩20.3M

100.11%

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

$28.9K ₩38.7M

$15.3K ₩20.6M

88.38%

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

$213 ₩284.9K

$201 ₩269.9K

5.56%

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

$35.83 ₩48.0K

$17.22 ₩23.1K

108.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$27.39 ₩36.7K

-21.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$11.92 ₩16.0K

-4.19%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$634 ₩849.7K

207.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.5M

$21.7K ₩29.1M

4.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.1K

$107 ₩143.6K

-44.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.8K

$64.8 ₩86.8K

-47.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.4K

$96.1 ₩128.7K

-31.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.8K

$130 ₩173.6K

-36.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$524 ₩702.2K

76.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩883.5K

$300 ₩402.7K

119.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,905 ₩2.6M

58.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$1,905 ₩2.6M

-24.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$1,912 ₩2.6M

86.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.22

-3.32%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pyeongtaek: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Pyeongtaek

$300 20.7% 54.4% $359

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Pyeongtaek

$492 33.9% 1.7% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Pyeongtaek

$246 16.9% 8.8% $24

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Pyeongtaek

$154 10.6% 16.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Pyeongtaek

$179 12.3% 64.4% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Pyeongtaek

$24 * 1.6% 71.8% $61

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Pyeongtaek

$58 4% 0.9% $0.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $924 in Seoul and $524 in Pyeongtaek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 87% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Seoul vs $23 in Pyeongtaek. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $492, with Seoul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Pyeongtaek

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

489,081

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Pyeongtaek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,848 in Seoul and $1,452 in Pyeongtaek, so Pyeongtaek is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $924 in Seoul versus $524 in Pyeongtaek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $634 in Pyeongtaek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,848 per month in Seoul versus $1,452 in Pyeongtaek – Pyeongtaek is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Pyeongtaek is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Pyeongtaek are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Pyeongtaek wins on affordability, Seoul on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.