Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Richland, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,804 a month against $3,182 in Richland, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Richland, WA
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Richland, WA Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Richland, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Richland, WA

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

A single person spends $1,804 per month in Seoul vs $3,182 in Richland, WA, rent included.

Seoul $1,804
Richland, WA $3,182

A couple spends around $2,877 per month in Seoul vs $4,400 in Richland, WA, rent included.

Seoul $2,877
Richland, WA $4,400

A family of three spends $3,950 per month in Seoul vs $5,618 in Richland, WA, rent included.

Seoul $3,950
Richland, WA $5,618

Seoul is about 43% cheaper than Richland, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and Richland, WA sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Richland, WA by 135%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$19.68 $19.68

-53.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$89.7 $89.7

-25.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$13.05 $13.05

-42.61%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$5.86 $5.86

-28.50%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$2.43 $2.43

-36.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$2.01 $2.01

-60.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$7.89 $7.89

-53.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$7.79 $7.79

-21.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$1.02 $1.02

106.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$4.84 $4.84

-36.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$4.93 $4.93

-14.60%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$4.94 $4.94

-28.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$18.70 $18.70

-3.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$19.34 $19.34

-46.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$28.51 $28.51

-7.16%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$6.59 $6.59

20.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$2.04 $2.04

68.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$5.99 $5.99

-5.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$8.89 $8.89

-27.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$2.91 $2.91

27.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$2.26 $2.26

11.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$3.15 $3.15

-8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$2.51 $2.51

-53.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$11.54 $11.54

-70.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$15.16 $15.16

23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$1.77 $1.77

28.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$5.19 $5.19

-36.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$4.99 $4.99

-29.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$1.93 $1.93

-66.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$24.15 $24.15

-63.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$1.24 $1.24

16.94%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$28.2K $28.2K

5.21%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$26.0K $26.0K

8.29%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$315 $315

-33.06%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$42.57 $42.57

-16.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$67.3 $67.3

-69.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$73.6 $73.6

-21.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$30.11 $30.11

-46.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$13.65 $13.65

-16.70%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$1,450 $1,450

35.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$24.2K $24.2K

-5.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$60.4 $60.4

-4.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$29.96 $29.96

10.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$101 $101

-30.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$132 $132

-36.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$1,871 $1,871

-53.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$1,601 $1,601

-61.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$1,782 $1,782

41.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$2,145 $2,145

-39.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$2,973 $2,973

921.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,685 $2,685

342.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$4,593 $4,593

-21.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.57

-37.90%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Last update for Richland, WA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Richland, WA

$1.6K 50.3% 157% $977

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Richland, WA

$555 17.5% 15.8% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Richland, WA

$425 13.4% 59.2% $158

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Richland, WA

$340 10.7% 83.2% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Richland, WA

$146 4.6% 32.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Richland, WA

$101 3.2% 25.4% $20

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Richland, WA

$15 * 0.5% 74.8% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Seoul versus $1,871 in Richland, WA. 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 28% higher in Richland, WA, 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $90.0 in Richland, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $555 – making Seoul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇺🇸 Richland, WA

🕒 Local time

20:40 8:40 PM

04:40 4:40 AM

16 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

60,560

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Richland, WA 8,590 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Richland, WA

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 Richland, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,804 in Seoul, $3,182 in Richland, WA – roughly 76% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,707 per month in Seoul and $4,774 in Richland, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, 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 $1,804 in Seoul and $3,182 in Richland, WA. That's a gap of about 76%.

Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Seoul and $1,450 in Richland, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,804, than in Richland, WA at $3,182. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Richland, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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