Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Squamish, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,848 a month against $2,633 in Squamish, BC, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
Learn more

Squamish, BC Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Squamish, BC

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $2,633 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Squamish, BC $2,633

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $3,977 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Squamish, BC $3,977

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $5,322 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Squamish, BC $5,322

Seoul is about 30% cheaper than Squamish, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and Squamish, BC sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Squamish, BC by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$16.13 CA$22.54

-43.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.2K

$50.9 CA$71.1

34.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,812

$10.35 CA$14.47

-28.99%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,498

$3.87 CA$5.40

6.46%

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

$1.64 ₩2,195

$1.83 CA$2.56

-10.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,077

$1.56 CA$2.17

-48.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,952

$5.76 CA$8.05

-35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,188

$5.77 CA$8.06

6.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,726

$1.72 CA$2.41

18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,286

$2.16 CA$3.01

48.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,858

$3.51 CA$4.91

25.07%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,795

$3.13 CA$4.37

14.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.3K

$12.63 CA$17.65

44.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.0K

$15.42 CA$21.55

-31.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩35.9K

$19.49 CA$27.23

37.97%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$5.33 CA$7.45

47.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,712

$1.18 CA$1.65

199.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,616

$4.85 CA$6.77

17.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,249

$3.69 CA$5.15

67.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,024

$4.22 CA$5.90

-10.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,354

$2.56 CA$3.57

-1.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,758

$2.61 CA$3.65

8.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,482

$1.82 CA$2.54

-39.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,406

$14.69 CA$20.53

-77.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩24.9K

$10.85 CA$15.16

71.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,229

$2.89 CA$4.04

-16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,483

$3.60 CA$5.04

-6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,591

$1.46 CA$2.04

-18.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.6K

$31.22 CA$43.62

47.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,742

$3.62 CA$5.05

-1.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩806

$1.44 CA$2.02

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.1K

$24.78 CA$34.63

-63.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,920

$1.20 CA$1.67

20.00%

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

$30.3K ₩40.4M

$26.6K CA$37.1K

13.95%

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

$28.9K ₩38.6M

$19.0K CA$26.5K

52.30%

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

$213 ₩283.7K

$116 CA$162

83.39%

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

$35.83 ₩47.8K

$44.40 CA$62.0

-19.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.6K

$64.0 CA$89.5

-66.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.3K

$51.5 CA$71.9

19.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩21.9K

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.2K

$11.29 CA$15.77

1.15%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$1,088 CA$1,521

78.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.4M

$8,575 CA$12.0K

165.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩79.8K

$52.3 CA$73.0

14.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.7K

$42.74 CA$59.7

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.1K

$79.4 CA$111

-16.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.3K

$99.4 CA$139

-17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$1,639 CA$2,291

-43.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩880.0K

$1,499 CA$2,095

-56.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$3,153 CA$4,406

-4.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$2,821 CA$3,941

-48.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.3M

$5,834 CA$8,153

365.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$3,121 CA$4,360

14.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.72

-13.56%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Squamish, BC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 56.9% 127% $840

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Squamish, BC

$404 15.3% 16.5% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Squamish, BC

$224 8.5% 16.8% $45

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Squamish, BC

$260 9.9% 41.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Squamish, BC

$123 4.7% 13.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8% 12.3% $10

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Squamish, BC

$48 1.8% 16.7% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $1,639 in Squamish, BC. 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 14% higher in Seoul, 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 in Seoul versus $51 in Squamish, BC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $404 – making Squamish, BC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

22:03 10:03 PM

16 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

19,512

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Squamish, BC 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Squamish, BC

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 Squamish, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Squamish, BC costs about 42% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $3,949 in Squamish, BC. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $924 there versus $1,639 in Squamish, BC.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Squamish, BC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $1,088 in Squamish, BC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.