Money in South Korea: cash, cards and tipping
What holds for the whole country, in one place: where a card is enough and where it is not, where to change money, whether to tip, and the taxes nobody mentions until the bill.
The currency is the South Korean Won (KRW). $1 ≈ ₩1,339 · rate of October 6, 2026
Where a card is enough
Only the places a source speaks about. Where it says nothing, neither do we.
| Where | How you pay |
|---|---|
| Major hotels | Card From the source |
| Department stores and shopping centres | Card From the source |
| Markets and stalls | Card or cash, it depends From the source |
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.
Where to change money
The cheapest route is usually an ATM and a card that does not charge for converting; whether yours does is up to your bank. These are the places that change cash.
- Airports
- Banks
- Exchange counters
Banks open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Outside banking hours, use a government-certified exchange booth. Avoid the uncertified ones.
Tipping
| Restaurants | Not customary |
|---|---|
| Hotels | Not customary |
| Taxis | Not customary |
Taxes and charges
- Consumption tax: 10%.
- Departure tax: ₩7,000 per person since July 1, 2024. It is already in the ticket.
- None of its cities charges a lodging tax: each city page cites the source that says so.
What each city costs
Per person per day, mid-range, for two travelling together. Without accommodation, flights or the airport transfer, so the cities can be compared.
If something goes wrong
The numbers and where to go, as the official source publishes them.
- Police
- 112
- Fire and ambulance
- 119
- Help for travellers
- 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 · in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, and Malay
What applies to any trip: before you go, and if you lose your card
SourcesWhere every figure comes from
Every fact on this page carries its source. Reviewed: October 2026.
- Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA) · Korean Currency & Exchange Info: Korean Currency
- Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA) · Shopping in Korea
- Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA) · Korean Currency & Exchange Info: Foreign Exchange Banks in Airports
- Visit Seoul · Money
- Invest KOREA · National Tax
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (korea.kr) · 7월부터 ‘출국납부금’ 3000원 ↓…면제 ‘12세 미만’으로 확대
- Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA) · Emergency Situations
- European Central Bank, euro foreign exchange reference rates
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