South Korea cost of living

Rent and everyday costs across the 5 priced South Korea cities we track, in USD.

Cheapest priced cityIncheon$870 essentials/mo
Priciest priced citySeoul$1,215 essentials/mo
Average 1-bed outside centre$356across 5 priced cities
Incheon vs the worldCheaper than 341 of the 535 priced cities we trackessentials, single person, USD
Tourist stay signalK-ETA (or a temporary exemption) for most visitors; 90 days for the US/UK/EU/Australia.as of 2026-07

City-by-city monthly costs

Essentials are sourced rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining, and local transport. They are not a full lifestyle budget.

Incheon$870108 city$331$555$185$140$189$25$2,225
Suwon$885110.5 city$317$396$196$142$187$43$2,255
Daegu$973112.1 city$247$381$189$183$286$68$2,225
Busan$982105.5 city$332$655$222$168$206$54$2,572
Seoul$1,21593.9 city$551$805$206$226$189$43$3,180

Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.

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Seoul, South Korea

Photo: Eunmi Park, CC BY-SA 4.0.