Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tokyo: $1,663 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Seoul despite lower rent and utilities.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
Learn more

Tokyo Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Tokyo

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $1,663 in Tokyo, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Tokyo $1,663

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $2,592 in Tokyo, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Tokyo $2,592

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $3,521 in Tokyo, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Tokyo $3,521

Seoul costs about 8% more than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Tokyo sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Tokyo by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$7.47 ¥1,180

17.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$37.48 ¥5,921

82.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.90 ¥774

53.88%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.62 ¥571

16.85%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.66 ¥262

-1.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.84 ¥133

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$3.69 ¥582

-1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$5.24 ¥829

17.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.49 ¥236

34.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.75 ¥276

78.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$5.63 ¥889

-23.27%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.20 ¥348

64.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$11.19 ¥1,767

59.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$6.84 ¥1,081

52.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$16.61 ¥2,624

55.33%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$4.80 ¥759

59.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.24 ¥354

50.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$4.22 ¥666

37.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$5.20 ¥821

23.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$3.29 ¥520

13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$3.05 ¥481

-16.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.19 ¥188

138.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.81 ¥129

37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.92 ¥619

-14.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$9.65 ¥1,524

91.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.63 ¥258

47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.70 ¥426

24.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$1.25 ¥197

-8.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$63.9 ¥10.1K

-27.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.13 ¥494

11.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$3.21 ¥507

-80.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$18.55 ¥2,931

-52.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.05 ¥166

43.81%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

35.85%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

86.06%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$149 ¥23.5K

46.47%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$21.59 ¥3,412

62.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$30.62 ¥4,837

-30.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$66.7 ¥10.5K

-12.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$25.58 ¥4,042

-37.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$12.68 ¥2,004

-10.80%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$1,350 ¥213.3K

44.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

27.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$56.0 ¥8,853

1.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$33.14 ¥5,236

0.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$64.3 ¥10.2K

11.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$70.2 ¥11.1K

17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,253 ¥197.9K

-28.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$700 ¥110.6K

-12.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,502 ¥395.3K

0.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,430 ¥225.9K

-11.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$9,428 ¥1.5M

212.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$4,236 ¥669.3K

180.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,998 ¥473.7K

21.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.25

81.33%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Tokyo

$700 42.1% 14.4% $88

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 31.8% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Tokyo

$201 12.1% 26.7% $73

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Tokyo

$157 9.4% 14.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Tokyo

$101 6.1% 8.5% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Tokyo

$92 5.5% 14.1% $11

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Tokyo

$88 5.3% 53.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,253 in Tokyo. 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 22% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $37.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $325 – making Tokyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Tokyo 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Tokyo

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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 8% more than Tokyo, 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 $2,692 per month in Seoul and $2,495 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tokyo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Tokyo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $1,350 in Tokyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Tokyo, where all-in costs run around $1,663, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tokyo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tokyo costs $1,663 versus $1,794 in Seoul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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