Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Venlo

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,848 a month against $2,433 in Venlo, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seoul, South Korea
Venlo, Netherlands
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,848
/mo nomad
Venlo
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,433
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Venlo

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $2,433 in Venlo, rent included.

  • Seoul $1,848
  • Venlo $2,433

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $3,469 in Venlo, rent included.

  • Seoul $2,986
  • Venlo $3,469

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $4,506 in Venlo, rent included.

  • Seoul $4,125
  • Venlo $4,506

Seoul is about 24% cheaper than Venlo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and Venlo sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Venlo by 79%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seoul
Venlo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.05 ₩12.1K
$22.60 €20.16
-59.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.3 ₩91.7K
$88.3 €78.8
-22.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.35 ₩9,864
$13.04 €11.63
-43.63%
Cappuccino
$4.12 ₩5,527
$3.46 €3.08
19.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 ₩2,206
$3.33 €2.97
-50.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 ₩1,082
$2.72 €2.43
-70.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 ₩4,978
$6.80 €6.07
-45.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 ₩8,232
$5.72 €5.10
7.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seoul
Venlo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.04 ₩2,741
$1.33 €1.18
53.38%
White Bread (500g)
$3.21 ₩4,309
$1.73 €1.55
85.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.39 ₩5,889
$2.53 €2.25
73.52%
Eggs
$3.59 ₩4,820
$5.12 €4.57
-29.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.23 ₩24.5K
$13.50 €12.05
35.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.51 ₩14.1K
$15.17 €13.53
-30.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.89 ₩36.1K
$15.43 €13.77
74.27%
Apples (1kg)
$7.86 ₩10.5K
$2.08 €1.85
277.88%
Banana (1kg)
$3.53 ₩4,737
$2.18 €1.94
61.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.70 ₩7,657
$1.87 €1.67
204.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.18 ₩8,293
$4.48 €4.00
37.95%
Potato (1kg)
$3.76 ₩5,051
$1.68 €1.50
123.81%
Onion (1kg)
$2.51 ₩3,371
$1.84 €1.64
36.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.82 ₩3,778
$1.27 €1.13
122.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 ₩1,489
$0.75 €0.67
48.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30 ₩4,430
$13.83 €12.34
-76.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.64 ₩25.0K
$6.89 €6.15
170.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 ₩3,246
$1.44 €1.28
68.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 ₩4,507
$2.61 €2.33
28.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Seoul
Venlo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₩1,599
$1.54 €1.37
-22.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.13 ₩61.9K
$136 €122
-66.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.55 ₩4,768
$4.08 €3.64
-12.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ₩810
$2.36 €2.10
-74.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.08 ₩12.2K
$32.73 €29.20
-72.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ₩1,930
$2.34 €2.09
-38.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K ₩40.6M
$40.8K €36.4K
-25.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.9K ₩38.8M
$39.4K €35.1K
-26.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
Venlo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 ₩285.3K
$181 €161
17.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.83 ₩48.1K
$14.86 €13.26
141.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.39 ₩28.7K
$55.6 €49.63
-61.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
Venlo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.6 ₩82.7K
$21.84 €19.49
182.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.41 ₩22.0K
$31.45 €28.06
-47.82%
Cinema Ticket
$11.42 ₩15.3K
$11.10 €9.90
2.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seoul
Venlo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,948 ₩2.6M
$2,254 €2,011
-13.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.8K ₩30.6M
$12.1K €10.8K
88.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
Venlo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ₩80.2K
$88.1 €78.6
-32.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.19 ₩45.9K
$28.50 €25.42
19.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.0 ₩88.6K
$113 €101
-41.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.9 ₩109.9K
$157 €140
-47.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seoul
Venlo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$924 ₩1.2M
$1,118 €997
-17.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ₩884.7K
$1,148 €1,024
-42.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,012 ₩4.0M
$1,324 €1,181
127.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,440 ₩1.9M
$1,530 €1,365
-5.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$27.2K ₩36.5M
$3,163 €2,822
758.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.3K ₩15.2M
$2,837 €2,531
298.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seoul
Venlo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,570 ₩4.8M
$3,661 €3,266
-2.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.08
3.83
6.53%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Venlo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seoul
$659
Venlo
$1.1K 74.2% $489
Groceries & Markets
Seoul
$483
Venlo
$326 32.5% $157
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
$270
Venlo
$251 6.8% $18
Eating Out
Seoul
$184
Venlo
$331 79.5% $147
Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
$109
Venlo
$174 59.8% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
$84
Venlo
$44 47.9% $40
Getting Around
Seoul
$57
Venlo
$158 175% $101

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $1,118 in Venlo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $88 in Venlo. Groceries tell a different story – $483 in Seoul vs $326 in Venlo – so Venlo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Seoul
🇳🇱 Venlo
🕒 Local time
07:38 7:38 AM
23:38 11:38 PM
8 h behind Seoul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,509,458 Capital
103,328
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,342 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,504 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seoul Venlo 8,570 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seoul
  • Venlo

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 Venlo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Seoul or Venlo?
Venlo costs about 32% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Seoul and in Venlo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $3,649 in Venlo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Seoul or Venlo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $924 there versus $1,118 in Venlo.
How expensive is transport in Seoul compared to Venlo?
Public transport costs about 66% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Seoul and in Venlo?
Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $2,254 in Venlo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Seoul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Seoul compared to Venlo?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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