Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwon and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwon: $1,372 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Suwon
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Suwon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Suwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,372

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suwon 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 Suwon and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Suwon vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Suwon $1,372
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,163 per month in Suwon vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Suwon $2,163
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $2,954 per month in Suwon vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Suwon $2,954
Seoul $4,125

Suwon is about 26% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.06 ₩8,132

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-33.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 ₩40.2K

$68.3 ₩91.8K

-56.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₩10.3K

$7.35 ₩9,868

4.08%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ₩4,580

$4.12 ₩5,530

-17.23%

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

$1.57 ₩2,104

$1.64 ₩2,207

-4.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₩792

$0.81 ₩1,083

-27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 ₩5,145

$3.71 ₩4,980

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 ₩6,401

$6.13 ₩8,236

-22.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 ₩3,498

$2.04 ₩2,742

27.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ₩3,488

$3.21 ₩4,311

-19.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 ₩4,518

$4.39 ₩5,892

-23.46%

Eggs

$3.17 ₩4,256

$3.59 ₩4,822

-11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 ₩15.0K

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-38.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 ₩15.6K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

10.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-57.64%

Apples (1kg)

$6.22 ₩8,353

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-20.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 ₩3,932

$3.53 ₩4,739

-17.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 ₩7,113

$5.70 ₩7,660

-7.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 ₩5,915

$6.18 ₩8,296

-28.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 ₩4,655

$3.76 ₩5,053

-7.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 ₩3,676

$2.51 ₩3,373

9.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.94 ₩6,631

$2.82 ₩3,780

75.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₩1,825

$1.11 ₩1,490

22.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 ₩5,009

$3.30 ₩4,432

13.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.45 ₩18.1K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

-27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₩3,399

$2.42 ₩3,248

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 ₩5,179

$3.36 ₩4,509

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 ₩1,661

$1.19 ₩1,600

4.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.67 ₩65.4K

$46.13 ₩61.9K

5.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 ₩3,868

$3.55 ₩4,770

-18.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩844

$0.60 ₩810

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.98 ₩12.1K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

-1.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,774

$1.44 ₩1,931

-8.33%

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

$28.7K ₩38.5M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-5.15%

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

$25.2K ₩33.9M

$28.9K ₩38.8M

-12.72%

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

$186 ₩249.3K

$213 ₩285.4K

-12.63%

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

$18.20 ₩24.4K

$35.83 ₩48.1K

-49.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.99 ₩24.2K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

-15.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.73 ₩58.7K

$61.6 ₩82.8K

-29.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₩15.9K

$16.41 ₩22.0K

-27.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 ₩15.0K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

-2.01%

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

$691 ₩928.2K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-64.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ₩24.5M

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-19.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.03 ₩49.7K

$59.8 ₩80.3K

-38.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$109 ₩146.7K

$34.19 ₩45.9K

219.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₩102.7K

$66.0 ₩88.6K

15.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 ₩80.6K

$81.9 ₩110.0K

-26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₩588.3K

$924 ₩1.2M

-52.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ₩472.6K

$659 ₩885.1K

-46.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-60.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₩1.1M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-43.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.6K ₩16.9M

$27.2K ₩36.5M

-53.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,074 ₩9.5M

$11.3K ₩15.2M

-37.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,638 ₩3.5M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-26.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.08

59.31%

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

Last update for Suwon: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Suwon

$395 28.8%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 22.4% $88

Accommodation & Living

Suwon

$352 25.7%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 87.3% $307

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suwon

$222 16.2%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 21.6% $48

Eating Out

Suwon

$150 10.9%

Seoul

$184 10% 23.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Suwon

$127 9.3%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 14.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Suwon

$66 4.8%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 27.8% $18

Getting Around

Suwon

$60 4.4%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 3.7% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Suwon versus $924 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 35% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Suwon versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $395 vs $483 – making Suwon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Suwon

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

Same time as Suwon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,203,000

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Suwon Seoul 34 km

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Suwon
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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

Suwon vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 35% more than Suwon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,057 per month in Suwon and $2,771 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suwon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $438 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $691 per month in Suwon and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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