Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tokyo Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tokyo

😐 Solo nomad: Seoul is 7.5% more expensive than Tokyo without rent, and 4.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Seoul is 9% more expensive than Tokyo without rent, and 7.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seoul
Tokyo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.87 ₩13.1K
$8.43 ¥1,337
5.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.8 ₩82.1K
$47.99 ¥7,614
16.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.39 ₩9,407
$5.64 ¥895
13.30%
Cappuccino
$3.80 ₩5,596
$3.59 ¥570
5.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 ₩2,457
$1.26 ¥200
32.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 ₩1,191
$0.92 ¥146
-11.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.61 ₩5,320
$4.21 ¥668
-14.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₩8,704
$5.34 ¥847
10.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seoul
Tokyo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 ₩3,180
$1.56 ¥247
38.46%
White Bread (500g)
$3.43 ₩5,054
$1.53 ¥242
124.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.27 ₩4,809
$5.39 ¥855
-39.33%
Eggs
$3.19 ₩4,693
$2.40 ¥381
32.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.41 ₩21.2K
$16.04 ¥2,545
-10.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.69 ₩15.7K
$7.84 ¥1,244
36.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$34.03 ₩50.1K
$23.04 ¥3,656
47.70%
Apples (1kg)
$7.87 ₩11.6K
$5.32 ¥844
47.93%
Banana (1kg)
$3.55 ₩5,227
$2.65 ¥421
33.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.53 ₩8,133
$5.98 ¥948
-7.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.63 ₩9,761
$5.90 ¥937
12.37%
Potato (1kg)
$3.86 ₩5,680
$3.18 ¥504
21.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.95 ₩4,341
$3.40 ¥539
-13.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.63 ₩3,877
$1.48 ¥235
77.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 ₩1,937
$0.94 ¥150
40.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.39 ₩4,994
$4.06 ¥644
-16.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.46 ₩28.6K
$9.23 ¥1,464
110.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 ₩3,611
$2.12 ¥337
15.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 ₩4,782
$2.91 ¥461
11.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Seoul
Tokyo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₩1,642
$1.41 ¥224
-20.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.79 ₩68.9K
$84.1 ¥13.3K
-44.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.50 ₩5,152
$3.37 ¥534
3.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ₩835
$3.03 ¥480
-81.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.01 ₩13.3K
$25.85 ¥4,102
-65.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 ₩1,773
$1.20 ¥190
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K ₩40.7M
$23.6K ¥3.7M
16.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K ₩37.3M
$17.4K ¥2.8M
45.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
Tokyo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 ₩240.8K
$166 ¥26.3K
-1.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.58 ₩50.9K
$25.89 ¥4,107
33.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.01 ₩32.4K
$33.20 ¥5,268
-33.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
Tokyo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.1 ₩85.5K
$69.7 ¥11.1K
-16.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.08 ₩34.0K
$20.71 ¥3,287
11.44%
Cinema Ticket
$10.89 ₩16.0K
$13.42 ¥2,129
-18.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seoul
Tokyo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$410 ₩603.0K
$502 ¥79.7K
-18.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.9K ₩35.1M
$15.6K ¥2.5M
53.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
Tokyo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.6 ₩87.7K
$61.9 ¥9,818
-3.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.19 ₩69.5K
$40.38 ¥6,407
16.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 ₩117.5K
$66.3 ¥10.5K
20.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 ₩172.0K
$90.5 ¥14.4K
29.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seoul
Tokyo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$952 ₩1.4M
$1,124 ¥178.3K
-15.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$598 ₩879.7K
$595 ¥94.4K
0.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,515 ₩3.7M
$2,599 ¥412.3K
-3.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,296 ₩1.9M
$1,335 ¥211.8K
-2.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K ₩26.9M
$13.2K ¥2.1M
38.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$9,948 ₩14.6M
$5,548 ¥880.3K
79.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seoul
Tokyo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,041 ₩4.5M
$2,666 ¥422.9K
14.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.14
1.72
140.70%

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

Last update for Seoul: April 12, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: April 11, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities