Seoul at a glance
- Seoul is the most expensive of South Korea's 5 priced cities: $1,215 a month in essentials, 40% above Incheon at $870.
- The average net salary of $3,180 covers that 2.6×.
- 93.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at city level.
- PM2.5 averages 26.4 µg/m³ a year, 5× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 South Korea cities we track, so every row says whether Seoul is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,215 | $973 | $242 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $551 | $331 | 1.66× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $805 | $555 | 1.45× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $206 | $196 | $10 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $226 | $168 | 1.35× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $189 | $189 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $43 | $43 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $3,180 | $2,255 | 1.41× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,153 | $647 | 1.78× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,358 | $1,172 | 2.01× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Seoul, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.82 | $6.78 | 1.30× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $62.74 | $33.91 | 1.85× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.78 | $6.10 | $0.68 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.80 | $3.40 | $0.40 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.39 | $3.39 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.43 | $4.41 | $1.02 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.52 | $1.47 | $0.05 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.76 | $0.76 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.93 | $2.13 | $0.20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.82 | $2.82 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.80 | $2.84 | 1.34× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.88 | $2.88 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $14.21 | $10.61 | 1.34× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $9.12 | $9.12 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $7.04 | $6.90 | $0.14 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $3.17 | $2.94 | $0.23 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $5.82 | $5.39 | $0.43 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.48 | $3.17 | $0.31 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.38 | $2.38 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.01 | $1.19 | $0.18 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.05 | $1.05 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $43.07 | $43.07 | same |
| Taxi start | $3.26 | $3.26 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.56 | $0.56 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.34 | $1.23 | $0.11 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $171.02 | $171.02 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $18.24 | $18.24 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $31.06 | $31.06 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $52.90 | $46.80 | $6.10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.17 | $10.17 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Seoul has 93.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (city level). That is the lowest of the 6 South Korea cities we track. South Korea's national figure is 111.9, so Seoul runs 18 below the country as a whole.
Every South Korea region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Seoul ranks against every city we track
Seoul sits ahead of 98% of the 534 cities we track on salary against local costs. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 83% of 892. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 10% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Seoul sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Need the full South Korea model?
Open the gated deep-dive for city shortlist, cost detail, weather, visa, tax, dating-market signals, and subregion rankings.
Unlock South Korea deep-dive
Photo: Eunmi Park, CC BY-SA 4.0.
