South Korea is a dynamic country of contrasts where tradition and heritage mingles with modernity and innovation. The abundance of luxury, “high end” delights gives many people the impression that South Korea and Seoul in particular are very expensive. I always say in response: well… it can be expensive. If your taste is for overpriced themed cafes, shopping every day, and 5 star hotels; then certainly, your trip is going to be very expensive. Hey! Nothing wrong with the occasional artisan latte and a few souvenirs! But with a little more moderation, simplicity and embracing of local flavor: you can definitely enjoy South Korea on a budget.

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I thought it would be fun and informative to provide a breakdown of my average weekly budget in South Korea during a recent visit. A few disclaimers: during the trip that this budget references, I was residing in the city of Incheon, just west of Seoul. Prices there are slightly lower than the capital. I however spent an even amount of time around my home base and the tourist capital to find it fair calling these prices for “in and around” Seoul. Also, keep in mind that prices and currency exchange rates naturally fluctuate overtime.

This budget is 120,000 Won per week which was just under $100USD at the time. I hope you lovely readers will be from a diverse range of countries, not just America, so we’ll keep it simple and refer to prices mainly in South Korean currency: Won or ₩. This 120,000 Won budget does not include housing but read to the end for a note on the cost of accommodation in Korea.

Groceries in South Korea

Let’s look at some long term grocery and household items that I purchased. These are some staples that last at least a month. My total cost for some basic condiments and cooking items like rice, salt, “Gochujang” 고추장 (a delicious fermented chili paste that goes great in tons of dishes), and cooking oil was all together about 14,000 Won. Since these all lasted me at least a month, we can say my basic condiments and cooking items cost about 3,500 Won per week.

Some weekly grocery food items I purchased included sweet potatoes, tofu, eggs, bread, and an additional cheap vegetable like spinach or onions. Savings Tip: Go to local markets rather than grocery chains for your produce. The rumors are true: fruits and veggies can actually be quite pricey in South Korea. I always found way more reasonable prices in the markets (called “Shijang” 시장). With these inexpensive food items combined with my cooking basics, I could whip up some simple meals for myself at home. I love traveling with my electric cooking pot in case my accommodation has limited cookware. (just be sure to use the low heat setting to accommodate South Korea’s voltage!)

South Korea is one of those countries where you can’t drink the tap water. Don’t waste money buying a bunch of little bottles of water! A 6 pack of big 2 liter bottles cost on average about 4,000 Won. Just fill a reusable bottle when you go out for your daily adventures. Call me crazy… I really love Korean instant coffee! A 4,000 Won box of their famous brand Maxim Instant coffee usually lasts me 2 weeks so we can say I spent 2,000 Won per week on coffee. Again, nothing wrong with treating yourself to one of those 4,000-6,000 Won lattes occasionally. Having my coffee at home most of the time was obviously much more affordable.

Snacks and Quick Meals

In addition to home cooked meals, I include in my budget some cheap ready made snacks you can find around Korea. Something you really must try is the amazing street food! Throughout the country, from subway stations to traditional markets, you can find stalls selling a variety of amazing snacks like rice cakes, meat skewers and my personal favorite: Hotteok (호떡): a sort of fried pancake stuffed with nuts and sugar. The simple variety of street food runs from about 1000 – 5000 Won per serving. Since these lovely fried snacks are pretty indulgent, I eat them sparingly and just allot 5,000 Won per week for street food.

Speaking of indulgent, I never mind indulging in Korea’s national drink: Soju! This local liquor costs only around 1,500 Won per iconic green bottle. The unflavored varieties taste a bit like a light Vodka. I also love the various flavored Soju like grapefruit and apple. Three of these little bottles a week was plenty to unwind at the end of the day or have a drink in the park (it’s legal to drink outside in most places unless stated otherwise on a sign). Update! As of January 2024, South Korea has started to crack down more on public drinking! Drinking outside in “designated alcohol-free zones” may result in a fine, so be extra mindful of signs indicating so!

A pretty fantastic Korean staple is found everywhere from convenience stores to street stalls to restaurants: Savings Tip: Gimbap! (김밥) Korean Drama fans may recognize this as the favorite food of the title character in Extraordinary Attorney Woo! Gimbap is a roll (that looks similar to sushi) filled with rice, veggies, and various protein wrapped in seaweed. These hearty rolls are cheap, filling and relatively healthy. Anywhere from 2,000 Won to a fancier 5,000 Won roll (on average I spent about 3,000 per roll); Gimbap is such a perfect, cheap, grab and go meal. Having about 3 rolls per week supplemented my meals and kept me from overspending.

So, rounding that out with a four roll of toilet paper which was typically about 3,500 Won, I spent about 50,000 Won on weekly groceries and light snacks in Korea! See below for a budget breakdown.

Dining Out in South Korea

Lastly in the food realm; let’s talk about how much it costs to eat out in Korea. Korean cuisine is so diverse and delicious, you will be absolutely spoiled for choice and flavor. Single serving dishes such as Kimchi Jjigae 김치찌개 (Kimchi stew, my favorite) or Bibimbap 비빔밥 seem to run from just 6,000 – 10,000 Won. For a larger meal such as Samgyetang 삼계탕 (Ginseng Chicken Soup) or Korean Barbecue, I might expect to pay anywhere from 12,000 – 18,000 Won. At a café, a simple latte and a small dessert was about 10,000 Won altogether.

There are a couple of aspects of Korean culture that make dining out especially reasonable. First, there is no tipping. That tasty, filling meal for 10,000 Won (less than $10USD) is just 10,000 Won. The other great thing about most Korean dishes is that they come with many side dishes called “banchan”. Even a small meal of stew ends up being very filling and nutritious.

Savings Tip: Eat mainly Korean food; You’re in Korea after all! Seoul actually has a number of great western and international restaurants but naturally, Korean cuisine is usually going to be cheaper. Sure, I had the occasional international meal such as a pasta dinner with a glass of wine for about 20,000 Won (At less than $20USD, that’s still not a bad price if you ask me!). However, I was able to keep my dining out costs pretty low by sticking to mostly Korean food during my trip.

Savings Tip: Find Cheaper restaurants in Student Neighborhoods. Neighborhoods surrounding universities often have more affordable restaurant options. Hip spots like Hongdae around Hongik University and Sinchon around Yonsei University are bursting with great affordable places to eat. As I stuck to mainly smaller local dishes, I only needed to budget about 40,000 Won per week for dining out in and around Seoul. That’s less than $40USD that was able to cover 4 or 5 nice sit down meals each week!

Public Transportation in and around Seoul

Now let’s discuss the price of transportation in and around Seoul. Savings Tip: Use Public Transportation! As of writing this article, I’ve spent over 3 months in Korea across my trips there. I have taken a cab a grand total of… one time. In this humble traveler’s opinion: South Korea has one of the best public transportation systems in the world. Fast, efficient, far reaching, and very affordable. The sheer ease of getting around the entire country is one of my favorite aspects of Korea. The price of a one way trip on the subway is determined by the distance. For example: when traveling within central Seoul, a one way trip is around 1,350 Won. If you are commuting to or from the outer reaches of the metropolitan area, a trip may be around 1,800 Won. On average, my trips on the subway or bus were 1,500 Won each way.

I favor slow travel as opposed to packing in a bunch of sight seeing and bouncing around multiple neighborhoods in a day. As I have the flexibility to travel to locations for at least a month at a time, I have the luxury of savoring my surroundings and not being rushed. I limited my transport use to one round trip per outing, spent at least one day per week just in my local neighborhood, and utilized walking as much as I could. This way, I estimate that I only spent around 20,000 Won per week on transportation yet managed to explore and get around quite a bit.

Recreation

To round out the remainder of my weekly budget, the last 10,000 Won are left for recreation or miscellaneous expenses. This is where, simply by my tastes and interests, I save quite a bit of money. Probably 90% of the activities/things I do in Korea are free or very cheap . From a sunset walk by the Han River, to exploring a Hanok Village, to enjoying a free museum, Seoul is full of amazing things to do for free! As such, my allotted 10,000 Won might not be spent at all during one week, allowing it to roll over into next week’s budget. This way, I might have an ample 20,000 Won for something like a nice day trip or a special art exhibit.

So to recap, here’s what my weekly spending budget looked like in South Korea:

Bonus: Cost of Accommodation in South Korea

I decided to exclude housing from my weekly budget description as its cost varies for me with each visit. However, I thought I’d include a little note on how accommodation can be very affordable in South Korea. Savings Tip: Use Airbnb in Korea. Seriously, there is an astonishing quantity of affordable studios and one bedroom apartments on this house hosting platform. Through Airbnb, you can find numerous options for apartments right in downtown Seoul for less than $50USD a night. There are usually weekly and monthly discounts as well. You can check out my tips for booking a great Airbnb here.

If you want to go really budget, there is a unique style of housing in Korea known as a “Goshiwon”. These very small rooms squeeze your living essentials (bed, desk, closet, even a tiny glass cubicle of a bathroom) into spaces only a few square meters in size. I once stayed in a Goshiwon in the Gangnam district for just $16 a night! It obviously wasn’t the Four Seasons but it was perfectly comfortable for a budget traveler who’s feeling a bit adventurous!

You can save money and get a more spacious accommodation by staying just outside of Seoul. Surrounding cities such as Suwon, Bucheon, and Incheon, have more affordable housing than Seoul’s city center. I was able to have a small studio apartment for only $500 per month in Incheon through Airbnb. Thanks to Korea’s great public transportation, I was still able to easily get to downtown Seoul in less than an hour! (Though I discovered there are some great things to see in the city of Incheon too!)

Affordable Korea

I think my adventures around the world on a tight budget have given me a knack for finding enjoyment and enriching experiences without breaking the bank. As stated earlier, I have the flexibility to travel for long periods of time. So my budget reflects my homey, slow traveling style and may be more suited for those on a long term visit. You can check out this packing list for helpful things to bring specifically to South Korea. This is certainly one of my favorite places in the world to explore! I believe my experience and tips can help anyone travel to Korea on a budget!