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: $1,428 in South Korea versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in South Korea versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,070 in South Korea versus $846 in India.

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

South Korea (7% above) and India (71% below) straddle the global median.

South Korea ($1,225–$1,765) and India ($265–$913) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.43 ₩11.1K

$2.53 ₹244

193.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₩64.6K

$13.73 ₹1,322

216.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.98 ₩8,901

$4.00 ₹385

49.50%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ₩5,490

$1.91 ₹184

93.19%

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

$1.63 ₩2,430

$0.43 ₹41.85

279.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₩1,138

$0.17 ₹16.11

347.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩5,415

$1.93 ₹186

88.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 ₩7,026

$3.54 ₹341

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩3,279

$0.73 ₹69.9

201.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 ₩4,457

$0.52 ₹50.1

476.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 ₩4,410

$0.73 ₹69.9

305.48%

Eggs

$2.95 ₩4,390

$0.95 ₹91.4

210.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 ₩20.7K

$5.32 ₹512

161.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 ₩14.0K

$3.10 ₹299

202.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.25 ₩45.0K

Apples (1kg)

$7.70 ₩11.4K

$2.16 ₹208

256.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.51 ₩5,225

$0.70 ₹67.7

401.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.01 ₩8,944

$1.05 ₹101

472.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.27 ₩9,324

$0.53 ₹50.8

1083.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₩5,654

$0.39 ₹37.66

874.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩4,220

$0.48 ₹46.64

491.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 ₩3,721

$0.52 ₹49.78

380.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,711

$0.36 ₹34.33

219.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₩4,997

$4.02 ₹387

-16.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.37 ₩21.4K

$7.28 ₹701

97.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₩3,066

$1.90 ₹183

8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 ₩4,408

$3.03 ₹292

-2.31%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,667

$0.36 ₹34.66

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.25 ₩70.3K

$9.84 ₹948

380.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 ₩4,900

$0.95 ₹91.8

246.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩843

$0.30 ₹29.03

90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ₩13.0K

$1.79 ₹172

388.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,854

$1.21 ₹117

3.31%

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

$28.3K ₩42.1M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

104.10%

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

$23.8K ₩35.4M

$22.4K ₹2.2M

6.08%

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

$167 ₩248.1K

$40.16 ₹3,867

315.39%

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

$41.04 ₩61.0K

$3.76 ₹362

991.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.20 ₩33.0K

$8.04 ₹774

176.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₩77.3K

$16.25 ₹1,565

219.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.05 ₩29.8K

$7.56 ₹728

165.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 ₩16.7K

$3.43 ₹330

227.11%

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

$389 ₩578.1K

$69.7 ₹6,713

457.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₩34.2M

$1,852 ₹178.3K

1142.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 ₩86.3K

$25.59 ₹2,463

126.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.39 ₩72.0K

$26.30 ₹2,532

83.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 ₩117.8K

$44.89 ₹4,322

76.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₩162.9K

$33.20 ₹3,197

229.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩927.5K

$174 ₹16.8K

257.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₩620.2K

$112 ₹10.8K

270.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 ₩2.3M

$405 ₹39.0K

286.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 ₩1.4M

$258 ₹24.8K

276.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.1K ₩21.0M

$1,263 ₹121.6K

1019.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,361 ₩10.9M

$653 ₹62.8K

1027.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,066 ₩3.1M

$424 ₹40.8K

387.09%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $456 in South Korea, $127 in India. Capital cities: $944 in Seoul vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $1,908 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 379% 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 $589 per month in India and $1,495 in South Korea, there's a 154% 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.