Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

For one person, living is cheaper in South Korea: $1,596 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
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South Korea Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
Learn more

Canada Living Index

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🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Korea and in Canada

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

A single person spends $1,596 per month in South Korea vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.

South Korea $1,596
Canada $2,310

A couple spends around $2,542 per month in South Korea vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.

South Korea $2,542
Canada $3,356

A family of three spends $3,487 per month in South Korea vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.

South Korea $3,487
Canada $4,403

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in South Korea ($1,044–$1,848), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Korea is roughly 31% lower than in Canada on average.

Both South Korea and Canada are pricier than the global median – South Korea by 17%, Canada by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,925

$18.16 CA$25.38

-59.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 ₩59.4K

$71.2 CA$99.5

-37.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,684

$10.81 CA$15.11

-39.78%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₩5,107

$3.78 CA$5.28

1.32%

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

$1.59 ₩2,122

$2.11 CA$2.95

-24.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,038

$1.66 CA$2.32

-53.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,116

$5.62 CA$7.85

-31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₩5,899

$5.72 CA$7.99

-22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,933

$2.17 CA$3.04

1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 ₩3,949

$2.60 CA$3.64

13.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,716

$3.65 CA$5.10

-3.01%

Eggs

$3.22 ₩4,291

$3.63 CA$5.07

-11.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 ₩17.8K

$10.76 CA$15.04

24.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 ₩11.9K

$11.90 CA$16.62

-25.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩34.9K

$15.42 CA$21.55

69.71%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩11.3K

$4.03 CA$5.63

110.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,515

$1.38 CA$1.93

145.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 ₩8,555

$3.88 CA$5.41

65.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,831

$4.08 CA$5.70

43.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,190

$2.57 CA$3.59

51.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩3,791

$2.48 CA$3.46

14.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,585

$2.65 CA$3.70

1.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,540

$1.71 CA$2.40

-32.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,565

$14.32 CA$20.01

-76.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩22.1K

$13.49 CA$18.84

22.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₩2,834

$2.84 CA$3.97

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,878

$3.30 CA$4.61

-11.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,463

$2.55 CA$3.57

-56.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 ₩64.5K

$71.9 CA$100

-32.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,688

$3.18 CA$4.44

10.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩871

$1.54 CA$2.15

-57.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 ₩12.2K

$26.69 CA$37.29

-65.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₩1,842

$1.24 CA$1.74

11.29%

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

$30.3K ₩40.3M

$27.9K CA$38.9K

8.54%

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

$30.0K ₩40.0M

$21.1K CA$29.4K

42.36%

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

$210 ₩279.7K

$147 CA$206

42.29%

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

$40.27 ₩53.7K

$41.80 CA$58.4

-3.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 ₩32.2K

$60.2 CA$84.1

-59.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 ₩71.7K

$39.01 CA$54.5

37.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ₩22.4K

$19.06 CA$26.63

-11.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.3K

$11.21 CA$15.66

2.59%

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

$985 ₩1.3M

$721 CA$1,007

36.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩31.5M

$14.8K CA$20.7K

59.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.6K

$55.3 CA$77.2

6.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.48 ₩60.6K

$38.95 CA$54.4

16.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩104.4K

$87.4 CA$122

-10.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ₩130.3K

$101 CA$142

-3.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₩860.1K

$1,290 CA$1,803

-50.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₩594.6K

$1,130 CA$1,579

-60.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 ₩2.3M

$2,036 CA$2,845

-15.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 ₩1.3M

$1,731 CA$2,418

-42.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K ₩21.0M

$4,769 CA$6,663

230.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,299 ₩11.1M

$3,730 CA$5,211

122.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,345 ₩3.1M

$3,070 CA$4,289

-23.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

4.87

-13.14%

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

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

South Korea

$451 28.3%

Canada

$371 16.1% 17.8% $80

Accommodation & Living

South Korea

$446 27.9%

Canada

$1.1K 48.9% 153% $684

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Korea

$274 17.2%

Canada

$249 10.8% 9% $25

Eating Out

South Korea

$163 10.2%

Canada

$278 12% 70.9% $115

Clothing & Footwear

South Korea

$126 7.9%

Canada

$127 5.5% 0.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

South Korea

$77 4.8%

Canada

$61 2.7% 20% $15

Getting Around

South Korea

$60 3.7%

Canada

$93 4% 56.3% $33

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $493 in South Korea vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $924 in Seoul and $1,434 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $2,148 in South Korea vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 154% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 52% more in Canada.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 38% higher in Canada.

Good to know

🇰🇷 South Korea

🇨🇦 Canada

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

22:18 10:18 PM

14 h behind South Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,466,201

36,991,981

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,489 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Korea Canada 10,510 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

South Korea
Canada

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

South Korea vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 31% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $493 in South Korea.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Korea, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

South Korea is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.