Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yeosu and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Yeosu: $1,452 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Yeosu
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Yeosu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Yeosu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,452

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,452 per month in Yeosu vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Yeosu $1,452
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,269 per month in Yeosu vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Yeosu $2,269
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $3,086 per month in Yeosu vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Yeosu $3,086
Seoul $4,125

Yeosu is about 21% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Yeosu and Seoul sit above the global median – Yeosu by 7%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 ₩7,726

$9.05 ₩12.0K

-35.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 ₩48.8K

$68.3 ₩90.7K

-46.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 ₩8,096

$7.35 ₩9,751

-17.01%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₩4,840

$4.12 ₩5,464

-11.41%

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

$1.39 ₩1,843

$1.64 ₩2,181

-15.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,040

$0.81 ₩1,070

-3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,838

$3.71 ₩4,921

-1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 ₩5,651

$6.13 ₩8,138

-30.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,712

$2.04 ₩2,709

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,066

$3.21 ₩4,260

-4.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,198

$4.39 ₩5,822

-28.02%

Eggs

$2.76 ₩3,656

$3.59 ₩4,765

-23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 ₩14.9K

$18.23 ₩24.2K

-38.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.66 ₩14.1K

$10.51 ₩13.9K

1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 ₩32.8K

$26.89 ₩35.7K

-8.18%

Apples (1kg)

$7.67 ₩10.2K

$7.86 ₩10.4K

-2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 ₩4,827

$3.53 ₩4,683

3.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.70 ₩10.2K

$5.70 ₩7,569

35.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 ₩7,994

$6.18 ₩8,198

-2.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.83 ₩5,085

$3.76 ₩4,993

1.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ₩4,452

$2.51 ₩3,333

33.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 ₩2,919

$2.82 ₩3,735

-21.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₩1,481

$1.11 ₩1,472

0.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,420

$3.30 ₩4,379

0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 ₩19.8K

$18.64 ₩24.7K

-19.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,952

$2.42 ₩3,209

-8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,032

$3.36 ₩4,456

-32.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,485

$1.19 ₩1,581

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 ₩54.2K

$46.13 ₩61.2K

-11.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 ₩3,808

$3.55 ₩4,713

-19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,032

$0.60 ₩801

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 ₩13.3K

$9.08 ₩12.0K

10.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,594

$1.44 ₩1,908

-16.67%

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

$31.4K ₩41.6M

$30.3K ₩40.2M

3.62%

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

$26.6K ₩35.2M

$28.9K ₩38.3M

-8.12%

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

$190 ₩252.6K

$213 ₩282.0K

-10.41%

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

$36.93 ₩49.0K

$35.83 ₩47.5K

3.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.12 ₩29.4K

$21.39 ₩28.4K

3.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ₩71.8K

$61.6 ₩81.8K

-12.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.30 ₩19.0K

$16.41 ₩21.8K

-12.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 ₩13.8K

$11.42 ₩15.1K

-8.93%

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

$372 ₩494.2K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-80.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ₩24.6M

$22.8K ₩30.2M

-18.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.6K

$59.8 ₩79.3K

-4.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ₩50.5K

$34.19 ₩45.4K

11.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 ₩100.8K

$66.0 ₩87.6K

15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₩148.4K

$81.9 ₩108.7K

36.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₩653.4K

$924 ₩1.2M

-46.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩479.4K

$659 ₩874.6K

-45.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 ₩1.5M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-61.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ₩978.8K

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-48.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,166 ₩9.5M

$27.2K ₩36.0M

-73.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 ₩7.2M

$11.3K ₩15.0M

-51.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,143 ₩2.8M

$3,570 ₩4.7M

-39.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-1.96%

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

Last update for Yeosu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yeosu

$443 30.5%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 9.2% $41

Accommodation & Living

Yeosu

$361 24.9%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 82.4% $298

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yeosu

$249 17.2%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 8.1% $20

Eating Out

Yeosu

$144 9.9%

Seoul

$184 10% 28% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Yeosu

$127 8.8%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 14.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Yeosu

$75 5.2%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 12.7% $9.5

Getting Around

Yeosu

$52 3.6%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 10.4% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $492 in Yeosu 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 67% higher in Seoul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Yeosu versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $443 vs $483 – making Yeosu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Yeosu

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Yeosu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

288,988

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Yeosu vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 27% more than Yeosu, 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 $2,178 per month in Yeosu 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 Yeosu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $492 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Yeosu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $372 per month in Yeosu 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 Yeosu – 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 Yeosu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.