Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Yeosu

For one person, living is cheaper in Yeosu: $1,452 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Yeosu
Learn more

Yeosu Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Yeosu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Yeosu

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $1,452 in Yeosu, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Yeosu $1,452

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,269 in Yeosu, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Yeosu $2,269

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $3,086 in Yeosu, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Yeosu $3,086

Seoul costs about 27% more than Yeosu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Yeosu sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Yeosu by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$5.82 ₩7,819

55.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.8K

$36.80 ₩49.4K

85.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,868

$6.10 ₩8,193

20.49%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,530

$3.65 ₩4,898

12.88%

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

$1.64 ₩2,207

$1.39 ₩1,865

17.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,083

$0.78 ₩1,053

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,980

$3.65 ₩4,896

1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,236

$4.26 ₩5,719

43.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,742

$2.04 ₩2,745

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,311

$3.06 ₩4,115

4.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,892

$3.16 ₩4,248

38.92%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,822

$2.76 ₩3,700

30.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.5K

$11.22 ₩15.1K

62.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$10.66 ₩14.3K

-1.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.1K

$24.69 ₩33.2K

8.91%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$7.67 ₩10.3K

2.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,739

$3.64 ₩4,885

-3.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,660

$7.70 ₩10.3K

-25.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,296

$6.02 ₩8,090

2.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,053

$3.83 ₩5,146

-1.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,373

$3.35 ₩4,505

-25.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,780

$2.20 ₩2,954

28.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,490

$1.12 ₩1,499

-0.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,432

$3.33 ₩4,473

-0.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$14.92 ₩20.0K

24.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$2.22 ₩2,987

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,509

$2.28 ₩3,068

47.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,600

$1.12 ₩1,503

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

$40.83 ₩54.8K

12.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,770

$2.87 ₩3,854

23.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩810

$0.78 ₩1,044

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$10.03 ₩13.5K

-9.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,931

$1.20 ₩1,613

20.00%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$31.4K ₩42.1M

-3.49%

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

$28.9K ₩38.8M

$26.6K ₩35.7M

8.83%

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

$213 ₩285.4K

$190 ₩255.7K

11.62%

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

$35.83 ₩48.1K

$36.93 ₩49.6K

-2.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$22.12 ₩29.7K

-3.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.8K

$54.2 ₩72.7K

13.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

$14.30 ₩19.2K

14.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$10.40 ₩14.0K

9.81%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$372 ₩500.1K

423.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.6M

$18.6K ₩24.9M

22.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.3K

$57.0 ₩76.5K

4.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.9K

$38.09 ₩51.1K

-10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.6K

$75.9 ₩102.0K

-13.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩110.0K

$112 ₩150.1K

-26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$492 ₩661.2K

87.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩885.1K

$361 ₩485.2K

82.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,162 ₩1.6M

159.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$738 ₩990.5K

95.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.5M

$7,166 ₩9.6M

279.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.2M

$5,438 ₩7.3M

107.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$2,143 ₩2.9M

66.60%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Yeosu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Yeosu

$361 24.9% 45.2% $298

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Yeosu

$443 30.5% 8.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Yeosu

$249 17.2% 7.5% $20

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Yeosu

$144 9.9% 21.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Yeosu

$127 8.8% 16.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Yeosu

$75 5.2% 11.3% $9.5

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Yeosu

$52 3.6% 9.4% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $492 in Yeosu. 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 67% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $37 in Yeosu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $443 – making Yeosu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Yeosu

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

288,988

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Seoul vs Yeosu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 27% more than Yeosu, 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 $2,771 per month in Seoul and $2,178 in Yeosu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yeosu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $492 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Yeosu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $372 in Yeosu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Yeosu – 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 Yeosu. 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.