Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springfield, IL and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,641 in Springfield, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, IL
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Springfield, IL Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Springfield, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Springfield, IL and in Seoul

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

A single person spends $2,641 per month in Springfield, IL vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Springfield, IL $2,641
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $3,964 per month in Springfield, IL vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Springfield, IL $3,964
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $5,286 per month in Springfield, IL vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Springfield, IL $5,286
Seoul $3,931

Springfield, IL costs about 47% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Springfield, IL and Seoul sit above the global median – Springfield, IL by 96%, Seoul by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.61 $14.61

$8.80 ₩11.7K

66.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.89 $42.89

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-37.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 $10.13

$7.54 ₩10.0K

34.35%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$4.23 ₩5,624

22.93%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$1.63 ₩2,167

19.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.74 ₩985

113.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.64 ₩4,843

-19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$6.15 ₩8,175

-33.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$2.01 ₩2,679

-62.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.13 ₩4,164

6.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$4.32 ₩5,744

106.25%

Eggs

$3.09 $3.09

$3.61 ₩4,794

-14.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.08 $19.08

$17.83 ₩23.7K

7.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.06 $17.06

$10.45 ₩13.9K

63.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.40 $32.40

$25.80 ₩34.3K

25.58%

Apples (1kg)

$8.62 $8.62

$7.66 ₩10.2K

12.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$3.38 ₩4,499

-63.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.64 $8.64

$5.81 ₩7,723

48.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$6.41 ₩8,520

-13.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.75 ₩4,983

-13.60%

Onion (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.54 ₩3,375

76.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.84 ₩3,782

-30.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.11 ₩1,472

46.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$3.35 ₩4,455

195.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 $11.03

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.40 ₩3,185

-48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$3.37 ₩4,480

-51.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.14 ₩1,521

8.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.50 $39.50

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-14.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.49 ₩4,643

62.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.63 ₩840

73.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.14 $18.14

$8.86 ₩11.8K

104.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.51 ₩2,005

-37.09%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

24.37%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-5.33%

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

$233 $233

$218 ₩289.2K

6.96%

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

$93.2 $93.2

$35.15 ₩46.7K

165.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 $64.9

$21.29 ₩28.3K

204.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.49 $49.49

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-14.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$16.10 ₩21.4K

22.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 $12.57

$11.31 ₩15.0K

11.14%

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

$931 $931

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-52.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 $105

$57.0 ₩75.8K

84.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$33.39 ₩44.4K

64.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$71.5 ₩95.0K

75.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$82.5 ₩109.7K

67.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 $915

$901 ₩1.2M

1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 $1,164

$612 ₩813.5K

90.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 $1,889

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 $2,158

$1,266 ₩1.7M

70.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,133 $3,133

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-89.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,184 $1,184

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-90.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,882 $3,882

$3,650 ₩4.9M

6.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.08

60.54%

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

Last update for Springfield, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springfield, IL

$1.2K 44.1%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 47.5% $552

Groceries & Markets

Springfield, IL

$519 19.6%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 8.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springfield, IL

$391 14.8%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 29.9% $117

Eating Out

Springfield, IL

$247 9.3%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 25.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Springfield, IL

$191 7.2%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 42.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Springfield, IL

$75 2.8%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 8.1% $6

Getting Around

Springfield, IL

$56 2.1%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 3.2% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $915 in Springfield, IL versus $901 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Springfield, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Springfield, IL versus $68.0 in Seoul. Groceries tell a different story – $519 in Springfield, IL vs $477 in Seoul – so Seoul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Springfield, IL

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

05:33 5:33 AM

14 h ahead of Springfield, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,482

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

KRW to USD in detail →

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Springfield, IL Seoul 10,640 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Springfield, IL
Seoul

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

Springfield, IL vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Springfield, IL costs about 47% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,962 per month in Springfield, IL and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $931 per month in Springfield, IL and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Springfield, IL at $2,641. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Springfield, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seoul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Springfield, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.