Compare the cost of your home country to the actual living costs in South Korea, simply select your home currency and see the difference!
All data is kept up to date by local members and actual students. Our latest update was on: 30th of May 2020
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| Food | Price in ₩ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 12 eggs dozen, large |
12.50 KRW | |||
 1 beer pint in local shops, markets |
7 KRW | |||
 1 kg of tomatoes |
8.50 KRW | |||
 Full chicken 2kg |
38.75 KRW | |||
 1litre 100% fruit juice |
8.50 KRW | |||
 1 package of cigarettes imported brands |
25 KRW | |||
 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples |
7.50 KRW | |||
 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality |
48.95 KRW | |||
| 2.5 liters of Coca-Cola |
0.95 KRW | |||
 1 Bread loaf standard |
9.50 KRW | |||
 Whole fat Yogurt. 500ml |
12 KRW | |||
 1x6 pack Dardanelle tuna |
18.50 KRW | |||
| Heinz baked beans 1 tin |
8 KRW | |||
 1.5 kg Sugar |
10 KRW | |||
| 2 liter cooking oil |
20 KRW | |||
 Yum-yum noodles per pack |
2.00 KRW | |||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes |
5.50 KRW | |||
 1 liter milk |
8.50 KRW | |||
 Fast food restaurant large serving/ take away |
25 KRW | |||
| Housing | ||||
 Utilities per month (water, electricity, gas) for 2 people in flat |
165 KRW | |||
 Wi-Fi monthly fee 8 Mbps (1 month) |
145 KRW | |||
 Laundry detergent (bleach, sunlight liquid, washing surf… altogether) |
58.50 KRW | |||
 House Cleaning fee per day |
105 KRW | |||
 Large Gas heater price range upwards. |
200 KRW | |||
 Original branded Electric Fans |
200 KRW | |||
 Original branded Electric kettle. |
120 KRW | |||
 40 inches Beko flat screen HD TV set |
2000 KRW | |||
 Single bed Blankets |
120 KRW | |||
| Personal Care | ||||
 Avon for women and men cologne |
100 KRW | |||
 Ladies hair plaiting. |
60 KRW | |||
 Ladies Sanitaryware (Pads and Tampoons) |
18 KRW | |||
 Men's haircut |
40 KRW | |||
 Ibuprofen, Panadol, Grandpa Pain killers box of 12 dosses |
24.50 KRW | |||
 Mobile package local network providers’ talk-time, data and messages |
65 KRW | |||
 1 month of gym subscription. |
105 KRW | |||
 Earphones original (Samsung. iPhone) |
90 KRW | |||
| Unisex Loris perfume |
30 KRW | |||
 Gadgets maintenance and repairs (cellphone, laptops, tablets...) starting price. |
100 KRW | |||
| Smart phones (Samsung, Xiaomi, HTC, IPhone) price range upwards |
1000 KRW | |||
 Laptops (Samsung, Lenovo, Hp, Monster, Dell etc.) price range upwards |
3000 KRW | |||
| Entertainment | ||||
 Boat cruise with refreshments and finger snacks |
120 KRW | |||
 Go carting 30mins |
120 KRW | |||
 Movie House 3d cinema |
30 KRW | |||
 Summer Festivals (jet, bumper cars, lucky deep ...(per ticket) |
15 KRW | |||
 Photo shoot |
120 KRW | |||
 Cappuccino / expresso/ coffee |
12.50 KRW | |||
 3 course dinner local restaurant two people |
96.50 KRW | |||
 3 course dinner classy, exotic restaurant two people |
150 KRW | |||
 Play station 4 console without games. |
2000 KRW | |||
 Spalding Basketball |
200 KRW | |||
 Original branded Racket and Wilson’s tennis balls |
500 KRW | |||
| Transportation | ||||
 Taxi fare on average 5-10km |
45 KRW | |||
 Public transport per trip one way maximum fare |
30 KRW | |||
 1 liter petrol/diesel |
6.50 KRW | |||
| 1 day rent a car cost |
140 KRW | |||
 Driver’s license |
2300 KRW | |||
| Clothes | ||||
 1 pair of jeans (Denim or similar) |
150 KRW | |||
 1 pair of men’s formal shoes |
215 KRW | |||
 1 pair original sport/casual shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) |
280 KRW | |||
 1 classy summer dress (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) |
135.79 KRW | |||
 Ladies formal shoes original and durable |
120 KRW | |||
 Back-pack, gym bag (Nike, Adidas, New balance) |
150 KRW | |||
One of the most important factors that many students consider when searching for a study-abroad destination for their higher studies. Living costs vary from country to country depending on the standard of living there, in South Korea the living costs include rent, transportation, food, and entertainment expenses.
The currency of exchange used in South Korea is the won (₩) and this is used all over the country, all expenses are in this currency and you can convert based on the present rates. Also please note that certain costs might change progressively, however, these figures are what you can expect to pay while living in South Korea.
Rent Prices in South Korea
The price of rent depends on the city you reside in, larger cities like Seoul and Busan or main districts within the city cost more than other areas. If you are willing to live outside of the main district, rent will be cheaper. Finding an apartment in South Korea would mean that you might need to contact the services of a real estate agent or your university campus services for both campus and off-campus accommodations. These agents are the safest and easiest way to find housing as a student in South Korea, they speak to the house owners and help with the contracts which are most favorable for students.
Some rental prices include utilities such as water, heating, and electricity which can the negotiated by an agent. There is also the option of using apps and not dealing with real estate agents at all, popular rental apps include dabangapp, zigbang, and peterpanz.
RocApply Tips: Here are some important Korean words when renting in the country
“ wolse” – monthly rent “gwallibi” – maintenance fee “sudoyogeum” – water bill
“jeongiyogeum” – electricity bill “gyeyakseo” – contract
Food Prices in South Korea
Food is cheap in South Korea, and shopping for groceries as a student is very cost-effective as you can stock-up for extended periods and not break the bank in doing so. In a supermarket, a carton of milk costs around ₩2,500, and the price of snacks and sweets usually starts at ₩1,000. Many supermarkets in South Korea have special deals, discounts, and coupon events too so you can shop even cheaper. Some major supermarkets such as E-Mart or Homeplus, offer free home delivery for groceries.
Eating out in South Korea is reasonably priced as well, at cheap restaurants meals usually start from around ₩7,000, Fast food chains start from around ₩6,000, and the price of beer costs around ₩3,000 and upwards.
If you are not confident in your knowledge of the Korean language, you need not worry because wait-staff in Korean main districts understand English and can assist you accordingly. If you are outside of these areas you will need to order in Korea, so try to learn a few phrases especially the basic ones, the Korean people around you will be very appreciative of your efforts.
RocApply Tip: Some vocabulary for food and drink items in Korean
“dak gaseumsal” – chicken breast “sagwa” – apple “banana” – banana
“gamja” – potato “soju” – Korean locally distilled beverage
Entertainment Prices in South Korea
There are many entertainment options in Korea and one popular entertainment activity amongst students is going to the cinema. Cinema tickets usually cost around ₩12,000 and that's for regular screening, this might be a lot for some students but do not worry we have some tips to help reduce the cost.
RocApply Tips
Transportation in South Korea
Public transport is very convenient, effective and, cheap in South Korea. The first thing you will need to do is buy a ‘T-Money Card’, there are many types and the cheapest T-money cards can be purchased for ₩2,500 and can be used to pay for transport fares. These cards can be charged up with money before you ride and it is really easy to use. You can buy it at the nearest ticket stations in the subway.
Trips on the subway usually cost ₩1,250 for an adult and ₩720 for young people and students. Bus fares can vary depending on the company and the time of the day you want to travel. They can be from ₩1,200 to ₩2,500. You can also get discounts on these fares if you have a credit card, as some credit cards give transport discounts.
If you need to catch a taxi, “iiban” which are regular taxis start from ₩3,000 and ‘mobeom” which are deluxe taxis start from ₩5,000, you can spot deluxe taxis easily as they are black with a yellow top. If you catch a taxi late at night then there is an extra charge.
RocApply Tips: Here are some words that can help you with getting around in South Korea.
“daejung-gyotong” – public transport “beoseu” – buses “jihacheol” – subways
“taegsi” – taxis
