Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Seogwipo

For one person, living is cheaper in Seogwipo: $1,435 a month against $1,829 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Seogwipo
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Seogwipo Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,829

/mo nomad

Seogwipo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Seogwipo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,829 in Seoul versus $1,435 in Seogwipo.

Seoul $1,829
Seogwipo $1,435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,973 in Seoul versus $2,282 in Seogwipo.

Seoul $2,973
Seogwipo $2,282

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,116 in Seoul versus $3,129 in Seogwipo.

Seoul $4,116
Seogwipo $3,129

Living in Seoul is roughly 28% more expensive than in Seogwipo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 35% above, Seogwipo 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 ₩12.0K

$7.30 ₩9,900

21.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 ₩94.2K

$37.72 ₩51.2K

84.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ₩10.2K

$6.69 ₩9,078

12.11%

Cappuccino

$4.04 ₩5,485

$3.67 ₩4,980

10.08%

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

$1.56 ₩2,113

$1.54 ₩2,091

1.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₩995

$0.74 ₩997

-1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ₩4,960

$3.49 ₩4,739

4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 ₩7,975

$4.28 ₩5,804

37.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₩2,824

$2.18 ₩2,953

-4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 ₩4,083

$3.02 ₩4,100

-0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 ₩5,677

$2.67 ₩3,628

56.55%

Eggs

$3.63 ₩4,930

$2.32 ₩3,153

56.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.87 ₩24.2K

$10.23 ₩13.9K

74.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₩14.0K

$9.65 ₩13.1K

6.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩35.5K

$22.92 ₩31.1K

14.18%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩10.1K

$7.58 ₩10.3K

-2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,684

$3.23 ₩4,386

6.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 ₩7,594

$5.71 ₩7,754

-1.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 ₩8,532

$5.76 ₩7,810

9.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,888

$3.80 ₩5,157

-5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,401

$2.42 ₩3,286

3.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,763

$2.96 ₩4,023

-6.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,548

$1.20 ₩1,623

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,644

$2.93 ₩3,977

16.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ₩25.2K

$13.48 ₩18.3K

37.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₩3,128

$2.39 ₩3,239

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ₩4,535

$3.67 ₩4,984

-8.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,519

$1.24 ₩1,687

-9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 ₩63.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,884

$3.95 ₩5,366

-8.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩816

$0.57 ₩775

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₩12.0K

$8.93 ₩12.1K

-0.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₩2,023

$1.37 ₩1,865

8.76%

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

$29.7K ₩40.3M

$29.6K ₩40.2M

0.31%

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

$28.0K ₩38.0M

$30.2K ₩41.0M

-7.40%

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

$216 ₩292.9K

$185 ₩250.9K

16.74%

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

$34.52 ₩46.8K

$38.67 ₩52.5K

-10.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.34 ₩27.6K

$18.90 ₩25.6K

7.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 ₩80.3K

$47.13 ₩64.0K

25.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 ₩21.6K

$12.06 ₩16.4K

32.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 ₩14.9K

$11.65 ₩15.8K

-5.49%

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

$1,962 ₩2.7M

$456 ₩618.9K

330.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.3K ₩35.6M

$21.5K ₩29.2M

22.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ₩84.5K

$53.1 ₩72.0K

17.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.82 ₩45.9K

$65.1 ₩88.3K

-48.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 ₩92.1K

$84.8 ₩115.1K

-19.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 ₩112.5K

$91.5 ₩124.2K

-9.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 ₩1.2M

$524 ₩711.6K

75.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₩887.0K

$402 ₩546.1K

62.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 ₩4.2M

$1,397 ₩1.9M

121.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 ₩2.0M

$899 ₩1.2M

61.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.4K ₩38.5M

$7,846 ₩10.6M

261.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.4K ₩15.4M

$5,101 ₩6.9M

123.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,496 ₩4.7M

$1,134 ₩1.5M

208.43%

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 Seogwipo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$654 35.7%

Seogwipo

$402 28.1% 38.4% $251

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$474 25.9%

Seogwipo

$417 29.1% 11.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$271 14.8%

Seogwipo

$242 16.9% 10.4% $28

Eating Out

Seoul

$181 9.9%

Seogwipo

$158 11% 13% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$111 6.1%

Seogwipo

$133 9.2% 19.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.4%

Seogwipo

$70 4.9% 13.3% $11

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Seogwipo

$12 * 0.8% 79.6% $46

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 $918 in Seoul and $524 in Seogwipo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Seoul vs $38 in Seogwipo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $474 vs $417 per month, with Seogwipo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Seogwipo

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

155,641

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.37 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.56 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.37 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.56 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 Seogwipo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,829 in Seoul and $1,435 in Seogwipo, so Seogwipo is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Seoul is about 3.1 times higher, 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: $918 in Seoul versus $524 in Seogwipo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,962 in Seoul versus $456 in Seogwipo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Seogwipo – a meal for two runs $38 versus $69 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Seogwipo 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 Seogwipo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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