Seoul vs Thimphu - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Seoul Thimphu
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1461
$387
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4186
$1009
🏠 One person rent
$677
$122
🏘️ Family rent
$1788
$227
🍽️ Food expenses
$526
$177
🚐 Transport expenses
$155
$32.7
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$2981
$570
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Bad
✈️ Airport proximity
18 km
22 km
🎓 Higher education
100
5
😀 Quality of life
94
50
🏙️ Population
9.67M
115K

The cost of living in Seoul is 278% more expensive than in Thimphu. Cities ranked 3861st and 9013th ($1461 vs $387) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 2nd in South Korea and Bhutan, respectively. Check South Korea vs Bhutan comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2 months in Seoul compared to 1.5 months in Thimphu. Seoul ranked 2nd best city to live in South Korea vs Thimphu ranked 1st in Bhutan, while ranked 43rd and 6232nd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Seoul vs Thimphu infographic

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Prices in Seoul vs Thimphu

Prices for goods and services in Seoul and Thimphu are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Seoul Thimphu
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$7.68
$2.99
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$40.5
$16.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.99
$3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.79
$6.45
 Cappuccino
$3.91
$1.54
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.63
$0.56
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$827
$119
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$460
$65.3
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2513
$222
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1348
$161
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$120
$13.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$184
$21.3
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$23.4
$32.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.14%
9.56%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$21201
$625
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11781
$869
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.14
$1.52
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$47.5
$4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$9.05
$15.4
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.27
$1.04
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.29
$0.85
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.23
$0.97
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.3
$0.74
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.68
$2.25
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.3
$3.43
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.23
$3.93
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$38.3
$4.33
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.91
$2.39
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.75
$1.47
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.86
$1.82
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.13
$0.82
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.03
$0.51
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.25
$0.57
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.9
$0.22
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.43
$1.07
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$22.4
$3.55
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.76
$0.73
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.42
$3.92
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.05
$1.64
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.98
$3.7
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.35
$1.27
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.13
$0.66
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$54.1
$49.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$11.5
$3.6
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$25.1
$29.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$10.4
$3.33
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.6
$33.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$91
$32.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$410
$251
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$21834
$691

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Seoul

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 7.9 mi Guri
$1085
17 km or 10 mi Goyang
$1008
17 km or 10 mi Gwangmyeong
$1038
17 km or 11 mi Gwacheon
$1005
19 km or 12 mi Uijeongbu
$936
20 km or 12 mi Hanam
$1074
20 km or 12 mi Namyangju
$1084
20 km or 13 mi Seongnam
$1127
21 km or 13 mi Siheung
$1087
21 km or 13 mi Bucheon
$1068
22 km or 14 mi Anyang
$1025
23 km or 14 mi Yangju
$941
24 km or 15 mi Gunpo
$1003
26 km or 16 mi Gimpo
$966
27 km or 17 mi Uiwang
$988
30 km or 19 mi Gwangju
$1057
32 km or 20 mi Paju
$1020
33 km or 20 mi Ansan
$990
33 km or 21 mi Suwon
$970
34 km or 21 mi Incheon
$1067
37 km or 23 mi Dongducheon
$968
39 km or 24 mi Pocheon
$989
42 km or 26 mi Yongin
$1142
47 km or 29 mi Hwaseong
$1049
49 km or 31 mi Osan
$1025
52 km or 32 mi Icheon
$1077
58 km or 36 mi Kaesong
$1567
65 km or 40 mi Yeoju
$1036
66 km or 41 mi Pyeongtaek
$1053
69 km or 43 mi Anseong
$1041
72 km or 45 mi Chuncheon
$839
83 km or 52 mi Dangjin
$1025
86 km or 53 mi Wonju
$1140
87 km or 54 mi Cheonan
$1222
101 km or 63 mi Seosan
$1027
107 km or 66 mi Chungju
$1098
114 km or 71 mi Cheongju
$997
118 km or 73 mi Jecheon
$1111
123 km or 77 mi Haeju
$1562
124 km or 77 mi Sejong
$1043

Cities near Thimphu

Distance City Cost of living
22 km or 14 mi Paro
$455
147 km or 91 mi Siliguri
$314
196 km or 122 mi Rangpur
$298
203 km or 126 mi Saidpur
$293
211 km or 131 mi Shigatse
$930
214 km or 133 mi Damak
$331
257 km or 159 mi Raiganj
$312
257 km or 160 mi Guwahati
$370
258 km or 160 mi Biratnagar
$339
259 km or 161 mi Dispur
$359
266 km or 166 mi Balurghat
$311
280 km or 174 mi Lhasa
$997
287 km or 178 mi Purnia
$303
294 km or 183 mi Bogra
$282
308 km or 191 mi Shillong
$390
313 km or 195 mi Malda
$311
313 km or 195 mi Mymensingh
$256
350 km or 217 mi Saharsa
$297
360 km or 224 mi Bhagalpur
$268
362 km or 225 mi Rajshahi
$279
364 km or 226 mi Sylhet
$296
377 km or 234 mi Janakpur
$321
401 km or 249 mi Berhampore
$309
413 km or 257 mi Narsingdi
$271
418 km or 260 mi Brahmanbaria
$290
421 km or 262 mi Kathmandu
$443
424 km or 264 mi Lalitpur
$350
426 km or 265 mi Dhaka
$428
438 km or 272 mi Agartala
$380
439 km or 273 mi Narayanganj
$301
444 km or 276 mi Muzaffarpur
$294
454 km or 282 mi Hetauda
$311
468 km or 291 mi Krishnanagar
$294
474 km or 295 mi Birgunj
$335
482 km or 299 mi Jessore
$290
486 km or 302 mi Shantipur
$307
493 km or 306 mi Patna
$356
495 km or 308 mi Durgapur
$288
500 km or 311 mi Asansol
$273
502 km or 312 mi Kulti
$284