Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and South Korea

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

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.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
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South Korea Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 the United States is about 71% higher than in South Korea on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$7.44 ₩9,879

169.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$44.54 ₩59.1K

79.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$6.51 ₩8,644

81.26%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.83 ₩5,084

44.91%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.59 ₩2,113

67.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.78 ₩1,033

178.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.84 ₩5,093

59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$4.42 ₩5,872

79.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.20 ₩2,920

-52.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.96 ₩3,931

21.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.54 ₩4,694

27.68%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.22 ₩4,271

32.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$13.36 ₩17.7K

-1.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$8.89 ₩11.8K

41.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$26.17 ₩34.7K

-32.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$8.49 ₩11.3K

-37.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.39 ₩4,495

-50.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$6.42 ₩8,516

-30.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$5.87 ₩7,795

-18.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.89 ₩5,166

-23.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.84 ₩3,774

10.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.69 ₩3,568

-18.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.15 ₩1,533

104.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$3.42 ₩4,544

221.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.56 ₩22.0K

-9.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.13 ₩2,821

-3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.91 ₩3,860

30.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.10 ₩1,457

76.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$48.35 ₩64.2K

22.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.52 ₩4,667

1.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.65 ₩867

189.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$9.13 ₩12.1K

226.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.38 ₩1,833

-26.09%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$30.3K ₩40.2M

-4.96%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$30.0K ₩39.8M

-12.62%

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

$218 $218

$210 ₩278.4K

3.93%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$40.27 ₩53.5K

55.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$24.18 ₩32.1K

207.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$53.8 ₩71.4K

-22.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$16.81 ₩22.3K

35.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$11.50 ₩15.3K

27.83%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$985 ₩1.3M

51.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$23.7K ₩31.4M

6.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$58.9 ₩78.2K

-7.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$45.48 ₩60.4K

-6.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$78.3 ₩104.0K

20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$97.7 ₩129.7K

16.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$645 ₩856.2K

157.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$446 ₩591.9K

202.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,711 ₩2.3M

56.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$999 ₩1.3M

117.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$15.8K ₩20.9M

-79.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$8,299 ₩11.0M

-70.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$2,345 ₩3.1M

83.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.23

54.85%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

South Korea

$446 27.9% 66.9% $902

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

South Korea

$451 28.3% 8.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

South Korea

$274 17.2% 22.7% $81

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

South Korea

$163 10.2% 50.4% $165

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

South Korea

$126 7.9% 8% $11

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

South Korea

$60 3.7% 25.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

South Korea

$77 4.8% 7.7% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $2,148 in South Korea. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇰🇷 South Korea

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

13:26 1:26 PM

13 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

51,466,201

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.53 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.76 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,480 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.76 EUR).

KRW to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

United States
South Korea

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

United States vs South Korea: 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.