Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and India Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,427 in South Korea versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,251 in South Korea versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,075 in South Korea versus $846 in India.

Living in South Korea is roughly 268% more expensive than India on average.

South Korea (6% above) and India (71% below) straddle the global median.

South Korea ($1,229–$1,742) and India ($264–$888) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.25 ₩11.0K

$2.49 ₹237

191.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.44 ₩67.3K

$14.20 ₹1,353

212.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₩8,813

$3.98 ₹379

46.23%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩5,580

$1.88 ₹179

95.74%

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

$1.64 ₩2,483

$0.44 ₹41.98

272.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₩1,238

$0.19 ₹18.57

331.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 ₩5,414

$2.02 ₹192

76.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 ₩7,312

$3.45 ₹329

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩3,368

$0.72 ₹68.3

208.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,644

$0.52 ₹49.26

488.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 ₩4,696

$0.72 ₹68.7

330.56%

Eggs

$3.05 ₩4,627

$0.93 ₹88.8

227.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.09 ₩21.3K

$5.24 ₹499

168.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₩14.1K

$3.07 ₹292

203.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.86 ₩45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$8.05 ₩12.2K

$2.17 ₹207

270.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩5,219

$0.76 ₹72.2

352.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 ₩9,199

$1.05 ₹100

478.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 ₩9,128

$0.53 ₹50.7

1035.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 ₩5,577

$0.39 ₹37.53

843.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 ₩4,325

$0.49 ₹46.81

481.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 ₩3,858

$0.52 ₹49.35

390.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,768

$0.33 ₹31.13

254.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ₩4,882

$4.05 ₹386

-20.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 ₩25.3K

$7.39 ₹704

126.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₩3,207

$1.84 ₹175

15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₩4,317

$2.90 ₹277

-1.72%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,641

$0.36 ₹34.59

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.10 ₩69.8K

$9.74 ₹928

373.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 ₩4,952

$0.95 ₹90.6

244.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ₩805

$0.30 ₹28.64

76.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩13.2K

$1.73 ₹165

402.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,870

$1.23 ₹117

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

$27.2K ₩41.3M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

96.66%

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

$23.6K ₩35.8M

$22.6K ₹2.2M

4.58%

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

$167 ₩252.5K

$40.88 ₹3,894

307.58%

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

$41.34 ₩62.6K

$3.91 ₹372

957.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.43 ₩34.0K

$7.81 ₹744

187.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 ₩77.9K

$16.15 ₹1,538

218.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 ₩29.8K

$7.49 ₹713

162.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 ₩16.5K

$3.42 ₹326

217.84%

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

$380 ₩576.0K

$69.9 ₹6,660

443.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ₩34.5M

$1,793 ₹170.8K

1168.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₩90.3K

$25.83 ₹2,460

130.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.44 ₩73.4K

$26.61 ₹2,535

82.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 ₩120.4K

$45.24 ₹4,309

75.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₩163.7K

$33.68 ₹3,208

220.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₩931.2K

$178 ₹17.0K

244.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 ₩622.1K

$115 ₹10.9K

258.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 ₩2.4M

$407 ₹38.8K

282.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 ₩1.5M

$264 ₹25.1K

270.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ₩20.5M

$1,240 ₹118.1K

991.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,411 ₩11.2M

$631 ₹60.1K

1074.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,077 ₩3.1M

$432 ₹41.2K

380.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

9.02

-53.44%

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

Last update for South Korea: May 30, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $456 in South Korea, $127 in India. Capital cities: $957 in Seoul vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $1,954 in South Korea, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 259% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 264% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in South Korea.

Salaries are 391% higher in South Korea, giving South Korea stronger purchasing power.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $576 per month in India and $1,486 in South Korea, there's a 158% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

India is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Korea beats India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In South Korea, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. India wins on affordability; South Korea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.