Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and United States

For major cities in those countries you get more relevant data by specifying cities.

City in South Korea:
City in United States:

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in United States are 17.7% higher than in South Korea (without rent)
Consumer Prices Including Rent in United States are 47.3% higher than in South Korea
Rent Prices in United States are 170.6% higher than in South Korea
Restaurant Prices in United States are 113.6% higher than in South Korea
Groceries Prices in United States are 7.0% lower than in South Korea
Local Purchasing Power in United States is 30.4% higher than in South Korea

Currency: Sticky Currency Switch to metric measurement units

Restaurants	South Korea Edit	United States Edit	Difference
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	9,750.00 ₩ (7.09 $)	27,496.70 ₩ (20.00 $)	+182.0 %
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	50,150.00 ₩ (36.48 $)	103,112.63 ₩ (75.00 $)	+105.6 %
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	8,000.00 ₩ (5.82 $)	14,846.07 ₩ (10.80 $)	+85.6 %
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught)	4,500.00 ₩ (3.27 $)	8,249.01 ₩ (6.00 $)	+83.3 %
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	6,000.00 ₩ (4.36 $)	9,623.85 ₩ (7.00 $)	+60.4 %
Cappuccino (regular)	5,006.37 ₩ (3.64 $)	7,017.07 ₩ (5.10 $)	+40.2 %
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle)	1,999.79 ₩ (1.45 $)	3,419.65 ₩ (2.49 $)	+71.0 %
Water (12 oz small bottle)	1,031.96 ₩ (0.75 $)	2,837.53 ₩ (2.06 $)	+175.0 %
Markets	South Korea Edit	United States Edit
Milk (regular), (1 gallon)	10,686.59 ₩ (7.77 $)	5,511.69 ₩ (4.01 $)	-48.4 %
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb)	3,587.08 ₩ (2.61 $)	4,451.74 ₩ (3.24 $)	+24.1 %
Rice (white), (1 lb)	1,924.76 ₩ (1.40 $)	2,855.33 ₩ (2.08 $)	+48.3 %
Eggs (regular) (12)	4,296.52 ₩ (3.13 $)	5,128.78 ₩ (3.73 $)	+19.4 %
Local Cheese (1 lb)	7,215.45 ₩ (5.25 $)	8,024.63 ₩ (5.84 $)	+11.2 %
Chicken Fillets (1 lb)	5,234.97 ₩ (3.81 $)	7,588.73 ₩ (5.52 $)	+45.0 %
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)	19,475.55 ₩ (14.17 $)	10,023.46 ₩ (7.29 $)	-48.5 %
Apples (1 lb)	4,098.38 ₩ (2.98 $)	3,316.61 ₩ (2.41 $)	-19.1 %
Banana (1 lb)	2,088.91 ₩ (1.52 $)	1,048.02 ₩ (0.76 $)	-49.8 %
Oranges (1 lb)	3,547.41 ₩ (2.58 $)	2,807.78 ₩ (2.04 $)	-20.9 %
Tomato (1 lb)	3,353.89 ₩ (2.44 $)	3,062.52 ₩ (2.23 $)	-8.7 %
Potato (1 lb)	2,411.52 ₩ (1.75 $)	1,883.14 ₩ (1.37 $)	-21.9 %
Onion (1 lb)	1,786.30 ₩ (1.30 $)	1,896.62 ₩ (1.38 $)	+6.2 %
Lettuce (1 head)	3,148.80 ₩ (2.29 $)	2,967.52 ₩ (2.16 $)	-5.8 %
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	1,454.21 ₩ (1.06 $)	3,011.44 ₩ (2.19 $)	+107.1 %
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	20,000.00 ₩ (14.55 $)	20,622.53 ₩ (15.00 $)	+3.1 %
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	2,945.56 ₩ (2.14 $)	2,432.84 ₩ (1.77 $)	-17.4 %
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	3,615.07 ₩ (2.63 $)	4,882.90 ₩ (3.55 $)	+35.1 %
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro)	4,500.00 ₩ (3.27 $)	13,748.35 ₩ (10.00 $)	+205.5 %
Transportation	South Korea Edit	United States Edit
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	1,450.00 ₩ (1.05 $)	3,437.09 ₩ (2.50 $)	+137.0 %
Monthly Pass (Regular Price)	60,000.00 ₩ (43.64 $)	98,988.12 ₩ (72.00 $)	+65.0 %
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	4,300.00 ₩ (3.13 $)	5,155.63 ₩ (3.75 $)	+19.9 %
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff)	1,609.34 ₩ (1.17 $)	3,849.54 ₩ (2.80 $)	+139.2 %
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)	12,000.00 ₩ (8.73 $)	41,245.05 ₩ (30.00 $)	+243.7 %
Gasoline (1 gallon)	6,299.62 ₩ (4.58 $)	5,023.40 ₩ (3.65 $)	-20.3 %
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	37,731,000.00 ₩ (27,444.02 $)	45,369,555.40 ₩ (33,000.00 $)	+20.2 %
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car)	32,621,958.68 ₩ (23,727.91 $)	35,860,725.53 ₩ (26,083.66 $)	+9.9 %
Utilities (Monthly)	South Korea Edit	United States Edit
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment	223,293.23 ₩ (162.41 $)	284,005.79 ₩ (206.57 $)	+27.2 %
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data	63,767.86 ₩ (46.38 $)	72,170.81 ₩ (52.49 $)	+13.2 %
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	29,378.02 ₩ (21.37 $)	97,933.68 ₩ (71.23 $)	+233.4 %
Sports And Leisure	South Korea Edit	United States Edit
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	62,860.80 ₩ (45.72 $)	66,141.60 ₩ (48.11 $)	+5.2 %
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	22,712.00 ₩ (16.52 $)	31,341.64 ₩ (22.80 $)	+38.0 %
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	14,750.00 ₩ (10.73 $)	19,247.69 ₩ (14.00 $)	+30.5 %
Childcare	South Korea Edit	United States Edit
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child	470,720.00 ₩ (342.38 $)	1,896,474.83 ₩ (1,379.42 $)	+302.9 %
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child	28,068,166.70 ₩ (20,415.66 $)	31,671,551.98 ₩ (23,036.62 $)	+12.8 %
Clothing And Shoes	South Korea Edit	United States Edit
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)	77,792.06 ₩ (56.58 $)	72,342.39 ₩ (52.62 $)	-7.0 %
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	57,119.03 ₩ (41.55 $)	60,326.57 ₩ (43.88 $)	+5.6 %
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	109,500.00 ₩ (79.65 $)	122,585.36 ₩ (89.16 $)	+12.0 %
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes	151,575.39 ₩ (110.25 $)	159,192.54 ₩ (115.79 $)	+5.0 %
Rent Per Month	South Korea Edit	United States Edit
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	668,750.00 ₩ (486.42 $)	2,446,751.31 ₩ (1,779.67 $)	+265.9 %
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	490,034.73 ₩ (356.43 $)	2,013,903.84 ₩ (1,464.83 $)	+311.0 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	2,020,909.09 ₩ (1,469.93 $)	4,102,992.80 ₩ (2,984.35 $)	+103.0 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	1,216,160.34 ₩ (884.59 $)	3,331,337.95 ₩ (2,423.08 $)	+173.9 %
Buy Apartment Price	South Korea Edit	United States Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre	1,453,069.35 ₩ (1,056.90 $)	476,262.02 ₩ (346.41 $)	-67.2 %
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	984,771.50 ₩ (716.28 $)	374,362.35 ₩ (272.30 $)	-62.0 %
Salaries And Financing	South Korea Edit	United States Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)	3,269,682.99 ₩ (2,378.24 $)	6,281,538.74 ₩ (4,568.94 $)	+92.1 %
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate	4.65	6.57	+41.2 %
Last update:	April 2024	April 2024
Contributors in the past 12 months:	324	11154

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