Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in South Korea: $1,596 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 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
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Korea and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,596 per month in South Korea vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

South Korea $1,596
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $2,542 per month in South Korea vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

South Korea $2,542
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $3,487 per month in South Korea vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

South Korea $3,487
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in South Korea ($1,044–$1,848), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Korea is roughly 42% lower than in the United States on average.

Both South Korea and the United States are pricier than the global median – South Korea by 17%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,879

$20.03 $20.03

-62.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 ₩59.1K

$80.0 $80.0

-44.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,644

$11.80 $11.80

-44.83%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₩5,084

$5.55 $5.55

-30.99%

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

$1.59 ₩2,113

$2.66 $2.66

-40.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,033

$2.17 $2.17

-64.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,093

$6.12 $6.12

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₩5,872

$7.94 $7.94

-44.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,920

$1.04 $1.04

111.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 ₩3,931

$3.59 $3.59

-17.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,694

$4.52 $4.52

-21.68%

Eggs

$3.22 ₩4,271

$4.28 $4.28

-24.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 ₩17.7K

$13.22 $13.22

1.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 ₩11.8K

$12.60 $12.60

-29.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩34.7K

$17.60 $17.60

48.69%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩11.3K

$5.30 $5.30

60.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,495

$1.69 $1.69

100.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 ₩8,516

$4.44 $4.44

44.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,795

$4.77 $4.77

23.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,166

$2.97 $2.97

30.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩3,774

$3.15 $3.15

-9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,568

$2.20 $2.20

22.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,533

$2.35 $2.35

-51.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,544

$10.98 $10.98

-68.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩22.0K

$15.05 $15.05

10.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₩2,821

$2.06 $2.06

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,860

$3.79 $3.79

-23.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,457

$1.94 $1.94

-43.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 ₩64.2K

$59.4 $59.4

-18.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,667

$3.58 $3.58

-1.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩867

$1.88 $1.88

-65.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 ₩12.1K

$29.84 $29.84

-69.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₩1,833

$1.02 $1.02

35.29%

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

$30.3K ₩40.2M

$28.8K $28.8K

5.22%

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

$30.0K ₩39.8M

$26.2K $26.2K

14.44%

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

$210 ₩278.4K

$218 $218

-3.79%

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

$40.27 ₩53.5K

$62.5 $62.5

-35.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 ₩32.1K

$74.5 $74.5

-67.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 ₩71.4K

$41.86 $41.86

28.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ₩22.3K

$22.81 $22.81

-26.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.3K

$14.70 $14.70

-21.77%

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

$985 ₩1.3M

$1,489 $1,489

-33.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩31.4M

$25.3K $25.3K

-6.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.2K

$54.3 $54.3

8.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.48 ₩60.4K

$42.71 $42.71

6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩104.0K

$94.1 $94.1

-16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ₩129.7K

$114 $114

-13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₩856.2K

$1,659 $1,659

-61.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₩591.9K

$1,348 $1,348

-66.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 ₩2.3M

$2,682 $2,682

-36.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 ₩1.3M

$2,169 $2,169

-53.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K ₩20.9M

$3,283 $3,283

380.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,299 ₩11.0M

$2,482 $2,482

234.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,345 ₩3.1M

$4,296 $4,296

-45.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

6.55

-35.42%

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

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

South Korea

$451 28.3%

United States

$415 15.2% 7.9% $36

Accommodation & Living

South Korea

$446 27.9%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 202% $902

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Korea

$274 17.2%

United States

$355 13% 29.4% $81

Eating Out

South Korea

$163 10.2%

United States

$328 12% 102% $165

Clothing & Footwear

South Korea

$126 7.9%

United States

$137 5% 8.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

South Korea

$77 4.8%

United States

$71 2.6% 7.2% $5.5

Getting Around

South Korea

$60 3.7%

United States

$80 2.9% 34.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $493 in South Korea vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $924 in Seoul and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $2,148 in South Korea vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 229% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 79% more in the United States.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 2.1 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇰🇷 South Korea

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

17:49 5:49 PM

13 h behind South Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,466,201

340,110,988

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.53 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,480 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Korea United States 11,150 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

South Korea
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 42% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $493 in South Korea.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Korea, but in the United States 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.