Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wonju and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Wonju: $1,538 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Seoul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

74

Cost of Living Index in Wonju
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Wonju Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Wonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,538

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Wonju vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Wonju $1,538
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,443 per month in Wonju vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Wonju $2,443
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $3,348 per month in Wonju vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Wonju $3,348
Seoul $4,125

Wonju is about 17% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Wonju and Seoul sit above the global median – Wonju by 13%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 ₩9,915

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-18.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.04 ₩64.5K

$68.3 ₩91.8K

-29.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 ₩8,859

$7.35 ₩9,868

-10.20%

Cappuccino

$3.63 ₩4,871

$4.12 ₩5,530

-11.89%

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

$1.79 ₩2,407

$1.64 ₩2,207

9.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,952

$0.81 ₩1,083

79.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 ₩5,081

$3.71 ₩4,980

1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,873

$6.13 ₩8,236

-28.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 ₩3,130

$2.04 ₩2,742

14.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 ₩4,320

$3.21 ₩4,311

0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 ₩4,286

$4.39 ₩5,892

-27.33%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,647

$3.59 ₩4,822

-24.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 ₩14.6K

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-40.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 ₩13.9K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.57 ₩33.0K

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-8.63%

Apples (1kg)

$11.41 ₩15.3K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

45.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 ₩4,971

$3.53 ₩4,739

4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.22 ₩11.0K

$5.70 ₩7,660

44.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.00 ₩8,058

$6.18 ₩8,296

-2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$6.06 ₩8,142

$3.76 ₩5,053

61.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 ₩4,598

$2.51 ₩3,373

36.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 ₩3,684

$2.82 ₩3,780

-2.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,733

$1.11 ₩1,490

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 ₩4,666

$3.30 ₩4,432

5.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ₩25.0K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

-0.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₩3,211

$2.42 ₩3,248

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩4,688

$3.36 ₩4,509

3.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,494

$1.19 ₩1,600

-6.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩4,804

$3.55 ₩4,770

0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,053

$0.60 ₩810

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.10 ₩23.0K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

88.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,662

$1.44 ₩1,931

-13.89%

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

$39.2K ₩52.7M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

29.59%

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

$33.6K ₩45.1M

$28.9K ₩38.8M

16.35%

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

$200 ₩268.7K

$213 ₩285.4K

-5.84%

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

$36.97 ₩49.6K

$35.83 ₩48.1K

3.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.68 ₩35.8K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

24.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ₩71.9K

$61.6 ₩82.8K

-13.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.22 ₩19.1K

$16.41 ₩22.0K

-13.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.91 ₩16.0K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

4.29%

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

$488 ₩655.9K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-74.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K ₩28.9M

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-5.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.8K

$59.8 ₩80.3K

74.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.4K

$34.19 ₩45.9K

90.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 ₩126.5K

$66.0 ₩88.6K

42.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩170.8K

$81.9 ₩110.0K

55.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₩657.0K

$924 ₩1.2M

-47.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₩481.7K

$659 ₩885.1K

-45.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-60.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₩1.0M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-47.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,208 ₩9.7M

$27.2K ₩36.5M

-73.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,535 ₩7.4M

$11.3K ₩15.2M

-50.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.08

3.43%

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

Last update for Wonju: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wonju

$487 31.7%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 0.7% $3.6

Accommodation & Living

Wonju

$359 23.3%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 83.7% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wonju

$264 17.2%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 2.3% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Wonju

$176 11.4%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 38.1% $67

Eating Out

Wonju

$163 10.6%

Seoul

$184 10% 13.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Wonju

$77 5%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 9.1% $7.1

Getting Around

Wonju

$12 * 0.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 381% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Wonju 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Wonju versus $68 in Seoul. Groceries tell a different story – $487 in Wonju vs $483 in Seoul – so Seoul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Wonju

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

Same time as Wonju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,196

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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Between locations

Wonju Seoul 87 km

From you

Wonju
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

Wonju vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 20% more than Wonju, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Wonju 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 Wonju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $489 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,538 in Wonju and $1,848 in Seoul. That makes Wonju about 17% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Wonju and $68 in Seoul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Wonju – 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.