Cost of living in Seoul
World-leading transit and connectivity with punishing work culture and a jeonse-distorted housing market.
Build your own budget
Monthly spending by category: Housing $900, Food $881, Transport $100, Utilities $165, Healthcare $16, Lifestyle $193, Other $108.
1-bed, city centre Median advertised rent for this unit type Estimated $900
Salary and tax in Seoul
| Gross salary (USD/yr) | Income tax | Social contributions | Take-home / month | Effective rate | Left after costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $5,479 | $3,760 | $2,563 | 23.1% | $200 |
| $75,000 | $15,619 | $7,050 | $4,361 | 30.2% | $1,997 |
| $120,000 | $33,131 | $11,280 | $6,299 | 37.0% | $3,936 |
| $200,000 | $66,571 | $18,800 | $9,552 | 42.7% | $7,189 |
- A 10% local income surtax is applied on top of the national tax.
People who actually live in Seoul
Quality of life
A year of weather in Seoul
Average monthly temperature in Seoul: January -2.6 degrees, February -0.2 degrees, March 6 degrees, April 12.5 degrees, May 16.9 degrees, June 22.6 degrees, July 26.1 degrees, August 26.6 degrees, September 22.5 degrees, October 14.5 degrees, November 6.4 degrees, December -0.8 degrees. The shaded band is the average daily high and low.
Where these numbers come from
Share of this budget, weighted by money rather than by field count, that rests on a published source rather than our model.
- Measured0%
- Taken directly from a published source. No modelling in between.
- Derived50%
- Anchored to a measured source, then adjusted. The adjustment is stated.
- Estimated50%
- Modelled from regional relationships. Nobody measured this one.
Prices in Seoul
| Item | USD | KRW |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (monthly rent) | ||
| One-bedroom, city centre | $900 | ₩1,192,339 |
| One-bedroom, outside the centre | $650 | ₩861,134 |
| Three-bedroom, city centre | $2,000 | ₩2,649,642 |
| Three-bedroom, outside the centre | $1,400 | ₩1,854,749 |
| Buy price per m², city centre | $13,000 | ₩17,222,674 |
| Bills | ||
| Utilities, 85m² apartment | $160 | ₩211,971 |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps+ | $26 | ₩34,445 |
| Mobile plan | $35 | ₩46,369 |
| Food | ||
| Groceries, one adult per month | $611 | ₩809,466 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | $12 | ₩15,898 |
| Three-course dinner for two | $90 | ₩119,234 |
| Coffee | $6.02 | ₩7,975 |
| Beer in a bar | $6.02 | ₩7,975 |
| Transport | ||
| Monthly transit pass | $33 | ₩43,719 |
| Taxi, per km | $1.86 | ₩2,464 |
| Petrol, per litre | $1.25 | ₩1,656 |
| Health, family & lifestyle | ||
| Health insurance, per adult | $130 | ₩172,227 |
| Doctor visit, out of pocket | $15 | ₩19,872 |
| Full-time childcare, one child | $700 | ₩927,375 |
| International school, per year | $26,000 | ₩34,445,347 |
| Gym membership | $55 | ₩72,865 |
| Cinema ticket | $10 | ₩13,248 |
Prices are held in USD and converted at the August 2026 snapshot rate. Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Every figure carries its own provenance — see where these numbers come from.
Living and working here
The Workation (F-1-D) visa allows up to two years for qualifying remote workers.
1 USD ≈ ₩1,324.82
Asia/Seoul
continental climate
Compare Seoul with…
Getting set up in Seoul
The things people end up arranging in the first month in Seoul — usually in roughly this order. We have picked services that work before you have local residency, which is the constraint that catches most people out.
- AiraloesimData eSIM for the first weeks before you get a local number.
- SafetyWinginsuranceHealth and travel cover written for people living outside their home country.
- WisetransferMoving money between currencies without the bank spread.
- RevolutbankingA multi-currency account that works before you have local residency.
- Kiwi.comflightsOne-way and multi-city routing for a move rather than a return trip.
- Booking.comstaysSomewhere to land for the first month while you look at flats.
These are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may be paid a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what any of them costs, and it has no bearing on the numbers anywhere else on this page — those come from the model, not from anyone paying us.
Know what things really cost here?
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We publish the median, not the mean — one mis-keyed rent should not move the number.
Frequently asked
How much money do you need per month to live in Seoul?
A single adult renting a one-bedroom in the centre and living moderately needs roughly $2,363 a month, of which $900 is rent. A couple sharing that flat needs about $3,507, and a family of four in a three-bedroom outside the centre with childcare needs about $6,917.
Is Seoul expensive?
On our index Seoul scores 37 where New York is 100 — about 63% below New York for the same household. The average local net salary of $2,500 a month covers 1.1× that budget.
What salary do you need in Seoul?
To cover the single-adult budget of $2,363 a month after tax, you need roughly $36,500 gross a year — before any saving. Add 30–40% on top if you want to save meaningfully.
How much is rent in Seoul?
A one-bedroom in the centre averages $900 a month, $650 outside the centre. A three-bedroom runs $2,000 central and $1,400 further out.
Can you work remotely from Seoul?
The Workation (F-1-D) visa allows up to two years for qualifying remote workers.
Sources
- World Bank – ICP price level & PPP indicators— price levels, purchasing power normalisation
- OECD – Prices and purchasing power parities— price levels, household consumption
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive— climate
- exchangerate.host / ECB reference rates— currency conversion
Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Read the full methodology.