Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Songdo-dong and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Songdo-dong: $1,449 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Songdo-dong
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Songdo-dong Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,449

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Songdo-dong and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Songdo-dong and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,449 per month in Songdo-dong vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Songdo-dong $1,449
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,306 per month in Songdo-dong vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Songdo-dong $2,306
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $3,163 per month in Songdo-dong vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Songdo-dong $3,163
Seoul $4,125

Songdo-dong is about 22% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Songdo-dong and Seoul sit above the global median – Songdo-dong by 6%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.94 ₩7,971

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-34.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.30 ₩47.4K

$68.3 ₩91.8K

-48.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 ₩9,212

$7.35 ₩9,868

-6.67%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₩5,009

$4.12 ₩5,530

-9.47%

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

$1.61 ₩2,157

$1.64 ₩2,207

-1.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₩801

$0.81 ₩1,083

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₩4,035

$3.71 ₩4,980

-18.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₩6,066

$6.13 ₩8,236

-26.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ₩2,946

$2.04 ₩2,742

7.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,108

$3.21 ₩4,311

-4.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₩3,060

$4.39 ₩5,892

-48.06%

Eggs

$3.26 ₩4,384

$3.59 ₩4,822

-9.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.03 ₩21.5K

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-12.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.5K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-25.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-57.64%

Apples (1kg)

$7.58 ₩10.2K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-3.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,308

$3.53 ₩4,739

-9.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.53 ₩10.1K

$5.70 ₩7,660

32.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 ₩9,576

$6.18 ₩8,296

15.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₩4,666

$3.76 ₩5,053

-7.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 ₩3,322

$2.51 ₩3,373

-1.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₩2,824

$2.82 ₩3,780

-25.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₩1,989

$1.11 ₩1,490

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩4,491

$3.30 ₩4,432

1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ₩25.2K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,063

$2.42 ₩3,248

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,509

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,600

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 ₩5,037

$3.55 ₩4,770

5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩824

$0.60 ₩810

1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,918

$1.44 ₩1,931

-0.69%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-3.29%

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

$35.9K ₩48.2M

$28.9K ₩38.8M

24.15%

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

$215 ₩288.5K

$213 ₩285.4K

1.11%

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

$44.58 ₩59.9K

$35.83 ₩48.1K

24.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.85 ₩28.0K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

-2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.4K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

0.70%

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

$375 ₩503.5K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-80.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₩24.3M

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-20.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 ₩87.9K

$59.8 ₩80.3K

9.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 ₩85.6K

$34.19 ₩45.9K

86.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 ₩100.4K

$66.0 ₩88.6K

13.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₩135.1K

$81.9 ₩110.0K

22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₩599.6K

$659 ₩885.1K

-32.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 ₩2.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-35.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ₩1.4M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-25.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,493 ₩4.7M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-2.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

4.08

0.49%

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

Last update for Songdo-dong: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Songdo-dong

$447 30.8%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 47.6% $213

Groceries & Markets

Songdo-dong

$409 * 28.3%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 18.1% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Songdo-dong

$280 19.4%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 3.8% $11

Eating Out

Songdo-dong

$146 10.1%

Seoul

$184 10% 26.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Songdo-dong

$137 9.5%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 20.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Songdo-dong

$23 * 1.6%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 267% $61

Getting Around

Songdo-dong

$6.8 * 0.5%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 743% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Songdo-dong versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $483 – making Songdo-dong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

Same time as Songdo-dong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

💱 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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Songdo-dong Seoul 38 km

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Songdo-dong
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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

Songdo-dong vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 28% more than Songdo-dong, 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 $2,173 per month in Songdo-dong and $2,771 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,449 in Songdo-dong and $1,848 in Seoul. That’s a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Songdo-dong and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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.