Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tokyo: $1,635 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,635

/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 $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $1,635 in Tokyo, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Tokyo $1,635

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $2,608 in Tokyo, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Tokyo $2,608

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $3,581 in Tokyo, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Tokyo $3,581

Seoul costs about 11% more than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Tokyo sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Tokyo by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$7.64 ¥1,208

19.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$38.51 ¥6,094

74.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$5.05 ¥800

46.93%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$3.61 ¥571

13.02%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$1.62 ¥257

-1.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.86 ¥135

-6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$3.69 ¥584

-1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$5.27 ¥835

12.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.53 ¥243

33.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.76 ¥278

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$5.59 ¥884

-24.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$2.24 ¥354

59.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$10.65 ¥1,686

68.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$6.60 ¥1,045

61.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$16.74 ¥2,649

57.95%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$4.86 ¥769

52.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.35 ¥371

50.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$4.33 ¥685

35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$5.28 ¥836

20.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$3.41 ¥540

9.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$3.19 ¥505

-21.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$1.18 ¥187

147.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.83 ¥131

38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$3.84 ¥607

-14.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$9.27 ¥1,467

99.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$1.64 ¥260

39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$2.75 ¥434

19.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$1.29 ¥205

-11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$62.1 ¥9,830

-26.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$3.08 ¥488

12.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$3.21 ¥508

-81.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$18.41 ¥2,913

-52.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.07 ¥169

40.19%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

31.34%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

84.40%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$148 ¥23.4K

41.51%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$21.97 ¥3,476

59.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$30.43 ¥4,815

-30.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-11.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$25.55 ¥4,044

-37.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$12.87 ¥2,037

-11.97%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$1,360 ¥215.2K

39.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$18.3K ¥2.9M

23.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$56.5 ¥8,943

4.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$33.16 ¥5,248

-3.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$71.8 ¥11.4K

14.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,275 ¥201.8K

-30.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$702 ¥111.1K

-11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,565 ¥406.0K

-2.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,480 ¥234.3K

-13.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$9,152 ¥1.4M

226.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$4,191 ¥663.2K

182.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$2,998 ¥474.4K

21.72%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Tokyo

$702 42.2% 12.6% $79

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 32.1% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Tokyo

$200 12% 24.6% $65

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Tokyo

$158 9.5% 13.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Tokyo

$102 6.1% 7.3% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Tokyo

$91 5.5% 13.5% $11

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 53% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $1,275 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $39.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $325 – making Tokyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 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 = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 11% 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 $2,733 per month in Seoul and $2,453 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 37% less in Tokyo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $1,360 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 $1,635, than in Seoul at $1,822. 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 $1,635 versus $1,822 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.