Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Yaren

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaren: $531 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 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
135

Cost of Living Index in Yaren
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Yaren Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Yaren

🇳🇷 Nauru

$531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Yaren

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $531 in Yaren, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Yaren $531

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $2,918 in Yaren, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Yaren $2,918

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $5,305 in Yaren, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Yaren $5,305

Seoul costs about 243% more than Yaren, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Yaren is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$10.72 A$15.40

-15.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$24.65 A$35.41

171.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$3.52 A$5.06

15.91%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$1.03 A$1.48

55.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$1.07 A$1.54

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$7.08 A$10.17

-48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$5.00 A$7.18

18.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$3.10 A$4.46

-33.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$1.74 A$2.50

77.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$3.41 A$4.89

9.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$3.45 A$4.95

-27.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$3.52 A$5.06

-17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$17.72 A$25.46

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$1.43 A$2.05

-20.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$87.2 A$125

-47.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$7.01 A$10.07

-50.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$3.55 A$5.10

-83.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$42.35 A$60.8

-79.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.70 A$2.44

-11.76%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$34.8K A$49.9K

-16.22%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$10.4K A$15.0K

170.64%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$7.00 A$10.05

401.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$27.63 A$39.69

-23.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$0.01 A$0.02

573200.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$13.90 A$19.97

14.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$7.17 A$10.29

58.02%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$347 A$499

447.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$10.6K A$15.2K

112.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$14.17 A$20.36

315.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$10.66 A$15.31

201.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$34.98 A$50.2

100.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$69.6 A$100.0

18.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$2,828 A$4,062

-68.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$5,101 A$7,327

-51.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$4,267 A$6,129

-70.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.00%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Yaren: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Yaren

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Yaren

$115 * 22.1% 76% $364

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Yaren

$35 * 6.6% 86.9% $231

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Yaren

$182 * 34.8% 1.1% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Yaren

$58 11.2% 46.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Yaren

$14 2.8% 82.1% $66

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Yaren

$118 22.6% 108% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $2,828 in Yaren. 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $25.00 in Yaren. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $115 – making Yaren the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇳🇷 Yaren

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

19:38 7:38 PM

3 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,100 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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 = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Yaren 5,890 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Yaren

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 Yaren: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 243% more than Yaren, 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 $796 in Yaren. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 92% less in Yaren. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $347 in Yaren. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yaren, where all-in costs run around $531, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Yaren it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yaren – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Yaren. 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.