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New York vs Seoul cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ New York
๐ฐ๐ท Seoul
At a glance
- Where Seoul is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (98%โ), Entry ticket (93%โ), Studio rent (month) (78%โ)
- Where New York is clearly cheaper: Laundry (31%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Seoul is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: language โ New York 1 vs Seoul 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | New York | Seoul | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | Seoul โ64% |
| Street food1 item | $ 10$10 | โฉ 4,000$2.9 | Seoul โ71% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | Seoul โ60% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | โฉ 5,500$3.99 | Seoul โ34% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | โฉ 5,500$3.99 | Seoul โ56% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 19$19 | โฉ 15,000$10.9 | Seoul โ43% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | โฉ 1,000$0.72 | Seoul โ64% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | Seoul โ52% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 23$23 | โฉ 8,500$6.16 | Seoul โ73% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 14$14 | โฉ 5,500$3.99 | Seoul โ72% |
| Transitone ride | $ 3$3 | โฉ 1,550$1.12 | Seoul โ63% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 68$68 | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | Seoul โ98% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 270$270 | โฉ 110,000$79.7 | Seoul โ70% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | โฉ 1,000,000$725 | Seoul โ78% |
| Laundry | $ 4.5$4.5 | โฉ 9,000$6.52 | New York โ31% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | Seoul โ28% |
| Haircutcut | $ 42$42 | โฉ 18,000$13 | Seoul โ69% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | โฉ 70,000$50.7 | Seoul โ49% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 80$80 | โฉ 70,000$50.7 | Seoul โ37% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 30$30 | โฉ 3,000$2.17 | Seoul โ93% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, New York or Seoul?
Seoul is 71% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $467 vs $150; a month $10,297 vs $2,762.
Which is easier to travel, New York or Seoul?
Seoul is easier: Seoul 1.4/5 vs New York 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between New York and Seoul?
With a short-term studio and living costs, New York is about $10,297 and Seoul about $2,762 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.