Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Suwon

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwon: $1,361 a month against $1,829 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Suwon
Learn more

Suwon Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,829

/mo nomad

Suwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Suwon

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

A single person spends $1,829 per month in Seoul vs $1,361 in Suwon, rent included.

Seoul $1,829
Suwon $1,361

A couple spends around $2,973 per month in Seoul vs $2,147 in Suwon, rent included.

Seoul $2,973
Suwon $2,147

A family of three spends $4,116 per month in Seoul vs $2,933 in Suwon, rent included.

Seoul $4,116
Suwon $2,933

Seoul costs about 34% more than Suwon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$5.86 ₩7,881

51.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 ₩93.3K

$33.48 ₩45.0K

107.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ₩10.1K

$6.66 ₩8,944

12.61%

Cappuccino

$4.04 ₩5,431

$3.21 ₩4,309

25.86%

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

$1.56 ₩2,092

$1.58 ₩2,128

-1.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₩985

$0.58 ₩780

25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ₩4,912

$3.40 ₩4,570

7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 ₩7,898

$4.44 ₩5,971

32.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₩2,797

$2.56 ₩3,442

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 ₩4,043

$2.62 ₩3,516

14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 ₩5,621

$3.20 ₩4,295

30.62%

Eggs

$3.63 ₩4,882

$3.12 ₩4,193

16.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.87 ₩24.0K

$10.96 ₩14.7K

63.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₩13.9K

$11.30 ₩15.2K

-8.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩35.2K

$12.20 ₩16.4K

114.51%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,966

$6.02 ₩8,083

23.26%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,638

$2.87 ₩3,857

20.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 ₩7,520

$5.42 ₩7,277

3.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 ₩8,449

$4.37 ₩5,877

43.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,840

$6.07 ₩8,158

-40.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,368

$2.69 ₩3,620

-6.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,727

$4.72 ₩6,348

-41.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,533

$1.34 ₩1,803

-14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,599

$3.76 ₩5,055

-9.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ₩25.0K

$13.33 ₩17.9K

39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₩3,097

$2.60 ₩3,493

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ₩4,491

$3.66 ₩4,922

-8.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,505

$1.25 ₩1,684

-10.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 ₩62.9K

$47.98 ₩64.5K

-2.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,836

$2.78 ₩3,730

29.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩808

$0.61 ₩813

-1.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$8.86 ₩11.9K

0.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₩2,003

$1.38 ₩1,848

7.97%

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

$29.7K ₩39.9M

$27.6K ₩37.1M

7.46%

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

$28.0K ₩37.6M

$25.3K ₩34.0M

10.46%

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

$216 ₩290.0K

$183 ₩246.1K

17.86%

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

$34.52 ₩46.4K

$17.87 ₩24.0K

93.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.34 ₩27.3K

$18.18 ₩24.4K

11.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 ₩79.6K

$44.43 ₩59.7K

33.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 ₩21.4K

$11.64 ₩15.6K

36.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 ₩14.8K

$11.13 ₩15.0K

-1.08%

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

$1,962 ₩2.6M

$683 ₩917.3K

187.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.3K ₩35.3M

$17.4K ₩23.4M

50.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ₩83.7K

$37.14 ₩49.9K

67.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.82 ₩45.4K

$106 ₩143.1K

-68.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 ₩91.2K

$74.4 ₩100.0K

-8.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 ₩111.4K

$59.2 ₩79.6K

39.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 ₩1.2M

$437 ₩586.7K

110.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₩878.3K

$353 ₩473.9K

85.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 ₩4.2M

$1,177 ₩1.6M

162.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 ₩2.0M

$796 ₩1.1M

83.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.4K ₩38.2M

$12.5K ₩16.8M

126.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.4K ₩15.3M

$7,165 ₩9.6M

58.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,496 ₩4.7M

$2,527 ₩3.4M

38.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.5

-37.23%

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

Last update for Seoul: November 1, 2026

Last update for Suwon: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$654 35.7%

Suwon

$353 25.9% 46% $301

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$474 25.9%

Suwon

$399 29.3% 15.6% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$271 14.8%

Suwon

$219 16.1% 19% $52

Eating Out

Seoul

$181 9.9%

Suwon

$140 10.3% 22.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$111 6.1%

Suwon

$125 9.2% 12.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.4%

Suwon

$67 4.9% 17.9% $15

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Suwon

$59 4.3% 1.6% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Seoul versus $437 in Suwon. 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 38% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Seoul versus $33 in Suwon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $474 vs $399 – making Suwon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Suwon

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,203,000

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.61 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.61 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 Suwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 34% more than Suwon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,744 per month in Seoul and $2,042 in Suwon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suwon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $437 there versus $918 in Seoul.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,962 per month in Seoul and $683 in Suwon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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