Travel costs / Asia / Seoul
Cost of living in Seoul for digital nomads
What a month in Seoul, South Korea really costs: rent, coworking, food and getting around, from sources you can check.
A comfortable week, staying by the night: about $891.
Work out your trip
Prices in Seoul
| What | Price | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, furnished 1-bedFurnished officetel on a 1 to 6 month short-term rental, middle half of listings KRW 1.4m to 2.93m (median KRW 1.7m, about 31 square metres) | $1,039 to $2,174per month | seoulhomes.kr seoultourism.org |
| Short stayGuesthouse private room (KRW 50,000 to 80,000) up to a 3-star or boutique hotel (KRW 100,000 to 200,000), per night | $37 to $148per night | seoultourism.org |
| CoworkingMonthly hot desk: My Workspace from $184, MoA spaces $203, WeWork and FastFive KRW 280,000 to 380,000 | $184 to $282per month | seoultourism.org coworkbooking.com |
| Local restaurant mealKimbap, kimchi stew set or bibimbap at a local restaurant, KRW 7,000 to 12,000 (Seoul averages September 2026: kimchi stew KRW 8,846, bibimbap KRW 12,000) | $5 to $9per meal | epickor.com seoultourism.org |
| Mid-range dinnerKorean BBQ dinner with quality cuts, KRW 15,000 to 25,000 per person before drinks | $11 to $19per person | seoultourism.org epickor.com |
| CoffeeLatte or specialty coffee drink, KRW 5,000 to 8,000 (an americano is KRW 4,000 to 6,000) | $3.50 to $6per cup | koreatravellab.com |
| Getting aroundThe 30-day Climate Card for visitors ended in August 2026. Residents with an alien registration card can use K-Pass, capped at KRW 62,000 a month in Seoul; visitors can chain four 7-day passes (KRW 20,000 each plus a KRW 3,000 card), about KRW 83,000 | $46 to $62per month | 10mag.com epickor.com |
| Phone dataPrepaid 30-day SIM with unlimited data from KT, SK Telecom or LG U+, KRW 30,000 to 50,000 | $22 to $37per month | seoultourism.org |
In US dollars, converted at $1 = 1,348 KRW on 6 November 2026. How the monthly totals are worked out is below.
Where nomads stay
Good to know
Standard Korean leases need a large deposit, so nomads usually pay a premium for furnished short-term officetels, which makes rent the biggest cost by far. Visitors lost the 30-day unlimited Climate Card in 2026, so budget for weekly passes or pay-per-ride.
Know anyone in Seoul?
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Similar to Seoul
Cheaper than Seoul
Questions
How much does it cost to live in Seoul as a digital nomad?
About $1,700 a month on a lean budget, $2,730 comfortable and $3,880 upscale, including a furnished 1-bed, eating out, coworking, transport and a SIM. Prices checked November 2026.
How much is rent in Seoul for a month?
A furnished 1-bed in the areas nomads stay costs $1,039 to $2,174 a month for a 1 to 3 month stay.
How much is coworking in Seoul?
A monthly hot desk costs $184 to $282.
How much is a week in Seoul?
About $891 for a comfortable week, staying by the night and eating out, without coworking or flights.
How we price a month
Every number on these pages comes from a source we opened and link to: rental platforms and market reports for rent, coworking spaces' own price pages, transport fare pages, carriers' prepaid plans, and real menus. Prices are converted to US dollars on the date checked. We don't copy other cost of living sites.
A month is a furnished 1-bed rental, two meals out a day and one coffee, a monthly transport pass or typical ride spend, a local SIM, and a coworking desk. Lean uses the low end of each range, comfortable the middle, upscale the top. Stays under 28 nights are priced by the night. Groceries, flights, insurance and visas aren't included.
Prices last checked November 2026. Spot something out of date? Email brad@neworbit.app.