Seoul vs Tokyo - Cost of Living Comparison
Updated:
| Seoul | Tokyo | |
|---|---|---|
| 🚶 Cost of living one person | ||
| 👨👩👧👦 Cost of living Family | ||
| 🏠 One person rent | ||
| 🏘️ Family rent | ||
| 🍽️ Food expenses | ||
| 🚐 Transport expenses | ||
| 💳 Monthly salary after tax | ||
| 😷 Air quality | ||
| ✈️ Airport proximity | ||
| 🎓 Higher education | ||
| 😀 Quality of life | ||
| 🏙️ Population |
The cost of living in Seoul is 19% less expensive than in Tokyo. Cities ranked 4296th and 3130th ($1383 vs $1698) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 3rd in South Korea and Japan, respectively. Check South Korea vs Japan comparison.
The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.4 months in Seoul compared to 1.5 months in Tokyo. Seoul ranked 2nd best city to live in South Korea vs Tokyo ranked 1st in Japan, while ranked 90th and 4th among best cities to live in the world.
Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power
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Prices in Seoul vs Tokyo
Prices for goods and services in Seoul and Tokyo are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.
| Seoul | Tokyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Eating Out | ||
| 🍱 Lunch Menu | ||
| 🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2 | ||
| 🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's | ||
| 🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz | ||
| ☕ Cappuccino | ||
| 🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz | ||
| Rent & Utilities | ||
| 🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2 | ||
| 🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2 | ||
| 🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2 | ||
| 🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2 | ||
| 🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc. | ||
| 🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc. | ||
| 🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited | ||
| 🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years | ||
| 🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2 | ||
| 🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2 | ||
| Transportation | ||
| 🚌 Local transport ticket | ||
| 🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport | ||
| 🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi | ||
| ⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal | ||
| Groceries | ||
| 🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt | ||
| 🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb | ||
| 🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🥚 Eggs, x12 | ||
| 🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb | ||
| 🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt | ||
| 🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz | ||
| 🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle | ||
| 🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz | ||
| 🚬 Cigarette pack | ||
| 💊 Cold medicince, 1 week | ||
| 🧴 Hair Shampoo | ||
| 🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls | ||
| 👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube | ||
| Other | ||
| 🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month | ||
| 🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person | ||
| 👩⚕️ Doctor's visit | ||
| 💇 Haircut, simple | ||
| 👖 Brand Jeans | ||
| 👟 Brand Sneakers | ||
| 👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month | ||
| 🏫 International Primary School, 1 year | ||
Cost of living in other countries
Cost of living
More cities to compare
Cost of Living in the nearest cities
Cities near Seoul
| Distance | City | Cost of living |
|---|---|---|
| 13 km or 7.9 mi |  Guri | |
| 17 km or 10 mi | Goyang | |
| 17 km or 10 mi | Gwangmyeong | |
| 17 km or 11 mi | Gwacheon | |
| 19 km or 12 mi | Uijeongbu | |
| 20 km or 12 mi | Hanam | |
| 20 km or 12 mi | Namyangju | |
| 20 km or 13 mi | Seongnam | |
| 21 km or 13 mi | Siheung | |
| 21 km or 13 mi | Bucheon | |
| 22 km or 14 mi | Anyang | |
| 23 km or 14 mi | Yangju | |
| 24 km or 15 mi | Gunpo | |
| 26 km or 16 mi | Gimpo | |
| 27 km or 17 mi | Uiwang | |
| 30 km or 19 mi | Gwangju | |
| 32 km or 20 mi | Paju | |
| 33 km or 20 mi | Ansan | |
| 33 km or 21 mi | Suwon | |
| 34 km or 21 mi | Incheon | |
| 37 km or 23 mi | Dongducheon | |
| 39 km or 24 mi | Pocheon | |
| 42 km or 26 mi | Yongin | |
| 47 km or 29 mi | Hwaseong | |
| 49 km or 31 mi | Osan | |
| 52 km or 32 mi | Icheon | |
| 58 km or 36 mi |  Kaesong | |
| 65 km or 40 mi | Yeoju | |
| 66 km or 41 mi | Pyeongtaek | |
| 69 km or 43 mi | Anseong | |
| 72 km or 45 mi | Chuncheon | |
| 83 km or 52 mi | Dangjin | |
| 86 km or 53 mi | Wonju | |
| 87 km or 54 mi | Cheonan | |
| 101 km or 63 mi | Seosan | |
| 107 km or 66 mi | Chungju | |
| 114 km or 71 mi | Cheongju | |
| 118 km or 73 mi | Jecheon | |
| 123 km or 77 mi | Haeju | |
| 124 km or 77 mi | Sejong |
Cities near Tokyo
| Distance | City | Cost of living |
|---|---|---|
| 12 km or 7.3 mi |  Musashino | |
| 12 km or 7.4 mi | Komae | |
| 12 km or 7.5 mi | Mitaka | |
| 13 km or 8 mi | Wako | |
| 13 km or 8.4 mi | Kawaguchi | |
| 14 km or 8.5 mi | Hirai | |
| 14 km or 8.9 mi | Toda | |
| 14 km or 8.9 mi | Chofu | |
| 14 km or 9 mi | Nishitokyo | |
| 15 km or 9.3 mi | Asaka | |
| 15 km or 9.4 mi | Warabi | |
| 16 km or 10 mi | Niiza | |
| 17 km or 10 mi | Higashikurume | |
| 17 km or 11 mi | Koganei | |
| 18 km or 11 mi | Kawasaki-ku | |
| 18 km or 11 mi | Inagi | |
| 18 km or 11 mi | Soka | |
| 18 km or 11 mi | Kiyose | |
| 19 km or 12 mi | Shiki | |
| 19 km or 12 mi | Kawasaki | |
| 19 km or 12 mi | Urayasu | |
| 20 km or 12 mi | Fuchu | |
| 20 km or 12 mi | Saitama | |
| 20 km or 12 mi | Kodaira | |
| 20 km or 12 mi | Yashio | |
| 21 km or 13 mi | Kokubunji | |
| 21 km or 13 mi | Higashimurayama | |
| 21 km or 13 mi | Miyoshi | |
| 22 km or 14 mi | Ichikawa | |
| 22 km or 14 mi | Matsudo | |
| 23 km or 14 mi | Misato | |
| 23 km or 14 mi | Fujimi | |
| 23 km or 14 mi | Kunitachi | |
| 23 km or 14 mi | Tama | |
| 24 km or 15 mi | Tokorozawa | |
| 24 km or 15 mi | Koshigaya | |
| 25 km or 15 mi | Tachikawa | |
| 25 km or 15 mi | Higashiyamato | |
| 26 km or 16 mi | Yoshikawa | |
| 26 km or 16 mi | Fujimino |