Cost of living in South Korea

Summary of cost of living in South Korea

  • Family of four estimated monthly costs: ₩5,239,495
  • Single person estimated monthly costs: ₩2,580,346
  • WARNING!  These estimates are based on data that may have some inconsistencies at the moment. They already provide a decent estimate but they are not currently bullet-proof.
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Food
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district ₩12,081
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) ₩7,849
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast ₩5,923
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk ₩2,942
12 eggs, large ₩5,102
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes ₩7,780
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese ₩8,958
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples ₩6,825
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes ₩4,178
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket ₩3,056
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality ₩21,973
2 liters of coca-cola ₩3,494
Bread for 2 people for 1 day ₩4,603
Housing
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area ₩1,500,120
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area ₩1,934,250
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat ₩240,148
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area ₩1,264,360
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area ₩725,161
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio ₩80,000
Internet 8 mbps (1 month) ₩28,380
40” flat screen tv ₩433,362
Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) ₩100,000
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) ₩16,029
Hourly rate for cleaning help ₩14,433
Clothes
1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) ₩85,819
1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) ₩66,260
1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) ₩96,399
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes ₩148,450
Transportation
Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new ₩39,273,000
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas ₩1,635
Monthly ticket public transport ₩58,441
Personal Care
Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) ₩7,985
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) ₩12,000
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) ₩39,691
1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) ₩20,000
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) ₩15,000
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) ₩9,644
4 rolls of toilet paper ₩3,593
Tube of toothpaste ₩6,320
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city ₩14,338
Entertainment
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub ₩37,219
2 tickets to the movies ₩27,364
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) ₩249,761
Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert ₩127,461
1 cocktail drink in downtown club ₩15,654
Cappuccino in expat area of the city ₩5,510
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) ₩6,631
Ipad wi-fi 128gb ₩924,016
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) ₩206
1 month of gym membership in business district ₩98,667
1 package of marlboro cigarettes ₩4,699

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International Schools in South Korea

Map of Cost of Living in South Korea

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This map shows only the top cities in South Korea. We also have on this page a list of all the cities available in Expatistan:
List of all the cities available in Expatistan

The color of each marker corresponds with the cost of living in the city red markers show more expensive cities green ones show cheaper cities
Moving the mouse on top of a city will show its name and the Cost of Living Index of that city.

What is the Cost of Living Index? To calculate each city's Price Index value, we start by assigning a value of 100 to a central reference city (that happens to be Prague). Once the reference point has been established, the Price Index value of every other city in the database is calculated by comparing their cost of living to the cost of living in Prague.
Therefore, if a city has a Price Index of 134, that means that living there is 34% more expensive than living in Prague.

Prices recently added

  • 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality in Seoul costs ₩20,000 (2 days ago)
  • Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district in Seoul costs ₩17,500 (2 days ago)
  • Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Jeju costs ₩800,000 (3 days ago)

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