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: $1,391 in South Korea versus $366 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,185 in South Korea versus $581 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,978 in South Korea versus $795 in India.

Living in South Korea is roughly 280% more expensive than in India on average.

South Korea (1% above) and India (73% below) straddle the global median.

South Korea ($1,043–$1,783) and India ($228–$810) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.51 ₩10.1K

$2.15 ₹205

249.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.70 ₩59.9K

$10.42 ₹996

328.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 ₩8,926

$3.59 ₹343

85.52%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ₩5,343

$1.67 ₹160

138.32%

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

$1.64 ₩2,195

$0.39 ₹37.26

320.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,047

$0.17 ₹15.92

358.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ₩4,946

$1.87 ₹179

97.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₩5,962

$3.18 ₹304

39.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,927

$0.64 ₹61.1

240.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 ₩3,857

$0.45 ₹42.66

540.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 ₩4,506

$0.63 ₹59.9

433.33%

Eggs

$3.21 ₩4,308

$0.87 ₹83.5

268.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.62 ₩19.6K

$4.62 ₹442

216.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 ₩11.9K

$2.86 ₹273

210.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.65 ₩33.1K

Apples (1kg)

$8.27 ₩11.1K

$1.95 ₹186

324.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,616

$0.67 ₹64.3

413.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 ₩8,478

$0.99 ₹94.3

538.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$0.51 ₹48.45

1050.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ₩5,264

$0.35 ₹33.23

1022.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 ₩3,751

$0.42 ₹39.69

566.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,610

$0.44 ₹41.87

511.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,571

$0.31 ₹29.80

277.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ₩4,384

$5.14 ₹491

-36.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 ₩19.7K

$7.58 ₹724

94.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,870

$1.67 ₹160

28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₩4,011

$2.79 ₹266

7.17%

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

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,450

$0.25 ₹23.64

332.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.55 ₩61.1K

$8.53 ₹815

434.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 ₩4,588

$0.94 ₹89.4

263.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩867

$0.27 ₹25.96

140.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 ₩11.7K

$1.60 ₹153

443.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,774

$1.12 ₹107

17.86%

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

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

139.51%

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

$30.2K ₩40.4M

$20.2K ₹1.9M

49.51%

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

$200 ₩268.7K

$37.28 ₹3,562

437.45%

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

$39.60 ₩53.1K

$3.49 ₹334

1034.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.91 ₩30.7K

$7.20 ₹688

218.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ₩75.4K

$14.69 ₹1,403

282.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 ₩21.5K

$7.31 ₹698

119.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 ₩14.9K

$3.08 ₹294

260.39%

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

$912 ₩1.2M

$59.1 ₹5,646

1444.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₩30.8M

$1,693 ₹161.8K

1255.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 ₩75.8K

$23.25 ₹2,221

143.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.05 ₩57.7K

$24.03 ₹2,296

79.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 ₩104.2K

$40.99 ₹3,917

89.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 ₩128.4K

$30.46 ₹2,911

214.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₩786.7K

$143 ₹13.7K

309.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 ₩544.2K

$93.2 ₹8,902

335.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 ₩2.1M

$332 ₹31.7K

362.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 ₩1.2M

$214 ₹20.4K

321.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K ₩21.4M

$1,203 ₹115.0K

1226.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,144 ₩10.9M

$643 ₹61.5K

1165.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,365 ₩3.2M

$441 ₹42.1K

436.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

8.93

-52.86%

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

Last update for South Korea: September 6, 2026

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $430 in South Korea, $121 in India. Capital cities: $891 in Seoul vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $2,116 in South Korea, $410 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 255% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 310% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 71% more expensive in South Korea.

Salaries are 416% higher in South Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

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 $519 per month in India and $1,413 in South Korea, there's a 172% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.