Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Sangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Sangju: $1,377 a month against $1,829 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Sangju
Learn more

Sangju Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,829

/mo nomad

Sangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,377

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Sangju

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

A single person spends $1,829 per month in Seoul vs $1,377 in Sangju, rent included.

Seoul $1,829
Sangju $1,377

A couple spends around $2,973 per month in Seoul vs $2,181 in Sangju, rent included.

Seoul $2,973
Sangju $2,181

A family of three spends $4,116 per month in Seoul vs $2,984 in Sangju, rent included.

Seoul $4,116
Sangju $2,984

Seoul costs about 33% more than Sangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Sangju sit above the global median – Seoul by 35%, Sangju by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$6.13 ₩8,211

44.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 ₩93.0K

$34.02 ₩45.5K

104.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ₩10.0K

$6.72 ₩8,994

11.61%

Cappuccino

$4.04 ₩5,412

$3.56 ₩4,765

13.48%

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

$1.56 ₩2,084

$1.52 ₩2,035

2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₩981

$0.62 ₩826

17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ₩4,894

$3.48 ₩4,659

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 ₩7,869

$4.40 ₩5,895

33.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₩2,787

$2.18 ₩2,914

-4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 ₩4,029

$3.05 ₩4,086

-1.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 ₩5,601

$2.69 ₩3,596

55.39%

Eggs

$3.63 ₩4,865

$3.24 ₩4,337

12.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.87 ₩23.9K

$15.65 ₩21.0K

14.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₩13.8K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩35.0K

$10.97 ₩14.7K

138.56%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,930

$6.91 ₩9,252

7.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,622

$2.54 ₩3,395

35.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 ₩7,493

$4.37 ₩5,856

28.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 ₩8,419

$7.13 ₩9,553

-11.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,823

$3.28 ₩4,388

9.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,356

$2.68 ₩3,584

-6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,713

$2.01 ₩2,685

37.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,527

$1.26 ₩1,689

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,582

$3.25 ₩4,349

5.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ₩24.9K

$13.72 ₩18.4K

35.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₩3,086

$2.34 ₩3,138

-1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ₩4,475

$3.66 ₩4,905

-8.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,499

$1.02 ₩1,361

9.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 ₩62.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,819

$3.60 ₩4,817

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩806

$0.61 ₩814

-1.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$8.78 ₩11.8K

1.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₩1,996

$1.35 ₩1,808

10.37%

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

$29.7K ₩39.7M

$29.0K ₩38.8M

2.49%

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

$28.0K ₩37.5M

$35.8K ₩47.9M

-21.81%

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

$216 ₩289.0K

$210 ₩281.8K

2.56%

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

$34.52 ₩46.2K

$42.49 ₩56.9K

-18.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.34 ₩27.2K

$20.41 ₩27.3K

-0.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 ₩79.3K

$48.18 ₩64.5K

22.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 ₩21.3K

$12.82 ₩17.2K

24.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 ₩14.7K

$11.07 ₩14.8K

-0.54%

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

$1,962 ₩2.6M

$303 ₩405.7K

547.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.3K ₩35.2M

$17.4K ₩23.3M

50.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ₩83.4K

$64.1 ₩85.9K

-2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.82 ₩45.3K

$63.0 ₩84.3K

-46.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 ₩90.9K

$75.4 ₩101.0K

-9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 ₩111.0K

$99.3 ₩133.0K

-16.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 ₩1.2M

$476 ₩637.6K

92.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₩875.2K

$344 ₩460.4K

90.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 ₩4.1M

$1,325 ₩1.8M

133.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 ₩2.0M

$816 ₩1.1M

78.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.4K ₩38.0M

$6,815 ₩9.1M

316.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.4K ₩15.2M

$5,434 ₩7.3M

109.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,496 ₩4.7M

$1,470 ₩2.0M

137.81%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sangju: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$654 35.7%

Sangju

$344 25% 47.4% $310

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$474 25.9%

Sangju

$396 28.8% 16.3% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$271 14.8%

Sangju

$273 19.9% 1% $2.6

Eating Out

Seoul

$181 9.9%

Sangju

$147 10.7% 19% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$111 6.1%

Sangju

$136 9.9% 22.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.4%

Sangju

$70 5.1% 13.4% $11

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Sangju

$11 * 0.8% 81.5% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Seoul versus $476 in Sangju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seoul are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Seoul versus $34 in Sangju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $474 vs $396 – making Sangju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Sangju

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

100,947

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Sangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,744 per month in Seoul and $2,065 in Sangju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sangju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $476 there versus $918 in Seoul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Seoul and $34 in Sangju. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Seoul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Sangju – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sangju. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.