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Travel budget

How much does a trip to Seoul cost?

What a trip to Seoul costs, worked out for your days and your party, with every price traced to where it comes from. And then the part most budgets skip: how to actually pay once you are there.

Food, getting around and sights in Seoul come to ₩59,000 – ₩97,000 per person per day. Accommodation, flights and the airport transfer are on top. Prices reviewed: October 2026.

Full Seoul guide

Your trip

How much money you still need

Days, people and how you like to travel decide almost everything. Flights are left out: they depend on where you start.

6 nights

Counted at the child fares each operator publishes.

Travel style

Set meals and the odd sit-down dinner, and one paid sight a day.

Accommodation

We have no sample of hotel prices for this city yet, so we will not guess one. Type what you have seen and the lodging tax is worked out from it.

Adjust accommodation, food and the rest

In local currency. We do not estimate this: nobody knows what you will buy.

Already paid for

You still need, flights aside

₩850,000 – ₩1,400,000

≈ $630 – $1,000 · rate of October 6, 2026

₩61,000 – ₩99,000 per person per day · 7 days and 2 people

Expected
₩850,000 – ₩1,400,000
Most trips land in here
Set aside
₩1,400,000
With this you are unlikely to run short
Cushion, kept apart
₩110,000
10% of the trip
  • Food₩520,000 – ₩910,000
  • Getting around₩84,000 – ₩130,000
  • Airport, both ways₩19,000 – ₩21,000
  • Sights and activities₩42,000 – ₩410,000
  • Lodging tax and odds and ends₩32,000 – ₩72,000

Of that, in cash: ₩220,000 – ₩460,000

The cash share is our reading of how each kind of place takes payment, not a measurement. Your own bank may charge on top; this page cannot know that.

  • Accommodation is not in this figure. Add your price per night to include it.
  • Flights are not included.
  • You probably will not spend the cushion. Having it to hand covers a night you had not planned, a taxi, or a changed ticket.
Styles

What a day in Seoul costs, by how you travel

Per person per day, two travelling, without accommodation, flights or the airport transfer. A style is not a figure: it is a way of eating, getting around and seeing things, and each one is spelled out below.

Budget

₩36,000 – ₩51,000 per person per day

Local food, public transport, the odd paid sight.

FoodLocal and cheap
₩23,000 – ₩29,000
Getting aroundPublic transport
₩6,000 – ₩9,300
Sights and activitiesThe odd paid sight
₩1,500 – ₩15,000
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
₩1,500 – ₩2,600

Mid-range

₩59,000 – ₩97,000 per person per day

Set meals and the odd sit-down dinner, and one paid sight a day.

FoodMixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner
₩37,000 – ₩65,000
Getting aroundPublic transport
₩6,000 – ₩9,300
Sights and activitiesOne paid sight a day
₩3,000 – ₩29,000
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
₩2,300 – ₩5,200

Comfort

₩67,000 – ₩130,000 per person per day

The best food level we can price, a taxi when it helps, two paid sights a day.

FoodMixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner
₩37,000 – ₩65,000
Getting aroundPublic transport, and a taxi now and then
₩7,700 – ₩11,000
Sights and activitiesTwo paid sights a day
₩6,000 – ₩58,000
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
₩2,500 – ₩6,700

A style's total is not the sum of the extremes of its lines: nobody has a trip where everything comes out cheap, or everything dear. “Sundries” is an assumption of ours, 5% of food, transport and sights, not a measurement.

By length of trip

How much money for 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 days in Seoul

Per person, two travelling together, without accommodation or flights. It is not the daily figure times the days: airport transfers are paid once, so they weigh less the longer you stay.

DaysBudgetMid-rangeComfort
3₩120,000 – ₩160,000
₩39,000 – ₩54,000 a day		₩190,000 – ₩300,000
₩63,000 – ₩100,000 a day		₩210,000 – ₩390,000
₩71,000 – ₩130,000 a day
5₩190,000 – ₩260,000
₩38,000 – ₩53,000 a day		₩310,000 – ₩500,000
₩61,000 – ₩100,000 a day		₩350,000 – ₩640,000
₩69,000 – ₩130,000 a day
7₩260,000 – ₩360,000
₩37,000 – ₩52,000 a day		₩430,000 – ₩690,000
₩61,000 – ₩99,000 a day		₩480,000 – ₩900,000
₩69,000 – ₩130,000 a day
10₩370,000 – ₩520,000
₩37,000 – ₩52,000 a day		₩600,000 – ₩990,000
₩60,000 – ₩99,000 a day		₩680,000 – ₩1,300,000
₩68,000 – ₩130,000 a day
14₩510,000 – ₩720,000
₩37,000 – ₩51,000 a day		₩840,000 – ₩1,400,000
₩60,000 – ₩98,000 a day		₩950,000 – ₩1,800,000
₩68,000 – ₩130,000 a day

Add your accommodation in the calculator above: it is the largest line and the one we cannot source yet.

Prices

What things cost in Seoul

Street prices are averages from official statistics, which measure the ordinary neighbourhood place, not the famous one. Expect to pay more in tourist areas and at well-known chains.

WhatPriceSource
Eating and drinking
Gimbap, one roll₩3,923From the source Aug 2026
Jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce)₩7,731From the source Aug 2026
Kimchi stew set meal, with rice and side dishes₩8,769From the source Aug 2026
Kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup)₩10,038From the source Aug 2026
Bibimbap₩11,923From the source Aug 2026
Naengmyeon (cold noodles)₩12,692From the source Aug 2026
Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup)₩18,269From the source Aug 2026
Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), 200 g serving₩21,321From the source Aug 2026
Getting around
Subway, base fare₩1,550From the source Aug 2026
City bus, base fare₩1,500From the source Aug 2026
Short-term Climate Card, 1 day₩5,000From the source Oct 2026
Short-term Climate Card, 2 days₩8,000From the source Oct 2026
Short-term Climate Card, 3 days₩10,000From the source Oct 2026
Short-term Climate Card, 5 days₩15,000From the source Oct 2026
Short-term Climate Card, 7 days₩20,000From the source Oct 2026
Taxi, 4 km by day, not counting waiting time₩6,600From the source Oct 2026
AREX all-stop train, Incheon Airport (T1) to Seoul Station₩4,750From the source Oct 2026
AREX all-stop train, Incheon Airport (T2) to Seoul Station₩5,350From the source Oct 2026
Sights
Gyeongbokgung Palace₩3,000From the source Oct 2026
Combined ticket, four palaces and Jongmyo₩6,000From the source Oct 2026
N Seoul Tower, observatory₩29,000From the source Oct 2026

From the source means we read it where it is set: the operator, the bank, the city or the statistics office. Reported means a guide or the press says so and we have not seen the original. Where sources disagree we show both figures and leave the price out of every sum.

What each food level is made of

A food level is not a number we chose. It is two lists of dishes from the table above, a cheap day and a dear one, and the price is the sum.

Bare minimum: convenience stores and counters
From Gimbap, one roll × 2 + Jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) (₩15,577) to Gimbap, one roll + Jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) + Kimchi stew set meal, with rice and side dishes (₩20,423).
Local and cheap
From Gimbap, one roll + Kimchi stew set meal, with rice and side dishes + Kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) (₩22,730) to Gimbap, one roll + Bibimbap + Naengmyeon (cold noodles) (₩28,538).
Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner
From Gimbap, one roll + Bibimbap + Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), 200 g serving (₩37,167) to Gimbap, one roll + Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) + Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), 200 g serving × 2 (₩64,834).
Getting around

Which ticket pays off

A pass is only cheaper past a certain number of rides. This is that number, worked out from the published fares.

  • 1-day pass at ₩5,000: it pays off from 4 rides a day at ₩1,500 each.
  • 2-day pass at ₩8,000: it pays off from 3 rides a day at ₩1,500 each.
  • 3-day pass at ₩10,000: it pays off from 3 rides a day at ₩1,500 each.
  • 5-day pass at ₩15,000: it pays off from 2 rides a day at ₩1,500 each.
  • 7-day pass at ₩20,000: it pays off from 2 rides a day at ₩1,500 each.

A pass only counts on the lines it covers. Check which ones before you buy.

Accommodation

What the night costs, and the tax on top

There is no open source of hotel prices, and we have not sampled this city yet. So the calculator asks you for the price you have seen instead of printing one that looks plausible.

Lodging tax

No lodging tax is charged here. From the source Oct 2026

Which area to stay in Seoul: the neighbourhood comparison

Saving

What saves money in Seoul, and what does not

Each line is a subtraction done with the prices on this page. No tricks: just the sum.

What saves

  • Eating “Local and cheap” instead of “Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner”: ₩14,000 – ₩36,000 less per person per day.
  • Eating “Bare minimum: convenience stores and counters” instead of “Local and cheap”: ₩7,200 – ₩8,100 less per person per day.

What does not

  • The 1-day pass (₩5,000) on fewer than 4 rides of ₩1,500 a day: it costs more than paying for each ticket.
  • Sharing a taxi: “Taxi, 4 km by day, not counting waiting time” costs ₩6,600, which split 4 ways is ₩1,650 a head. A ride on public transport is ₩1,500 – ₩1,550.
Questions

Questions about money in Seoul

How much money do you need for a week in Seoul?

For seven days, ₩430,000 – ₩690,000 per person on the “Mid-range” style with two travelling. Accommodation and flights are not included. The airport transfer, there and back, is included.

How much money do you need for 3 days in Seoul?

For 3 days, ₩190,000 – ₩300,000 per person on the “Mid-range” style with two travelling. Accommodation and flights are not included. The airport transfer, there and back, is included.

What is a realistic daily budget in Seoul?

Per person per day, without accommodation or flights: ₩36,000 – ₩51,000 on the “Budget” style, ₩59,000 – ₩97,000 on the “Mid-range” style, and ₩67,000 – ₩130,000 on the “Comfort” style.

Can you travel to Seoul on a budget?

The cheapest style we work out is “Budget”: ₩36,000 – ₩51,000 per person per day, without accommodation or flights. Local food, public transport, the odd paid sight.

How much does food cost in Seoul?

From ₩16,000 per person per day (“Bare minimum: convenience stores and counters”) to ₩65,000 (“Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner”). The price table has what each dish costs.

How much does transport cost in Seoul?

A ride on public transport costs ₩1,500 – ₩1,550. “Taxi, 4 km by day, not counting waiting time”: ₩6,600. The 1-day pass costs ₩5,000 and pays off from 4 rides a day at ₩1,500 each.

Is there a lodging tax in Seoul?

None on record as of October 2026.

How much cash should you carry in Seoul?

For a week on the “Mid-range” style, about ₩110,000 – ₩230,000 per person, two travelling. It is our reading of how each kind of place takes payment, not a measurement.

Is it better to use cash or card in Seoul?

By card: major hotels; department stores and shopping centres. Card or cash, depending on the place: markets and stalls.

Do you tip in Seoul?

Restaurants: not customary. Hotels: not customary. Taxis: not customary.

Sources

Where every figure comes from

Each price on this page carries its source. These are all of them. Prices reviewed: October 2026.

The rest of Seoul

In the app

This page tells you how much to take. The app keeps count of what you spend.

Joru works out the budget of your itinerary day by day and sets it against what you actually spend, by category and with the exchange rate. On your phone, with no account.

Google PlayApp Store

Free for one destination of up to three days, on Android and iPhone.