Korea Prices: Everyday Costs by Item
Use this as a price lookup, not a trip budget. Official published fares and admission prices are identified below; food, coffee and rentals are indicative everyday ranges because shops and neighborhoods differ. Figures and linked sources were checked on 10 August 2026.
Coffee: from 1,000 to 4,700 won
Two different businesses trade under the same word. Budget chains sell a takeaway cup for about the price of a bus ride and keep their shops small; the big chains are really renting you a seat for the afternoon, and the coffee is closer to a cover charge.
The split shows on the menu board the moment you order iced. At the cheap end that costs extra, so the price painted on the window is the hot one - not what plenty of people in the queue end up paying. Ordering and café etiquette are in the café culture guide.
- A hot americano is 1,500-1,700 won at the budget chains and 4,700 at Starbucks - the same drink at roughly three times the price.
- Order it iced and the cheap chains add about 300 won; from Ediya upward, hot and iced cost the same.
- Convenience stores sell the cheapest cup at 1,000 won hot - though at 1,800 iced, that lead disappears.
| Where | Hot | Iced |
|---|---|---|
| Convenience store (GS25 Cafe25) | ₩1,000 | ₩1,800 |
| Compose | ₩1,500 | ₩1,800 |
| Mega | ₩1,700 | ₩2,000 |
| Paik's | ₩1,700 | ₩2,000 |
| Ediya | ₩3,200 | ₩3,200 |
| A Twosome Place | ₩4,700 | ₩4,700 |
| Starbucks | ₩4,700 | ₩4,700 |
Is coffee expensive in Korea?
The gap is not a tourist markup, and it is not recent. When the Korea Consumer Agency surveyed café prices in 2024, the market-wide average and the premium-brand average landed nowhere near each other. Several chains have put prices up since, so the survey is worth reading for the shape of the market rather than for today's receipt.
What visitors usually want to know is how that lands against home. The same survey lined up a tall Starbucks americano in six Asian markets, with the five outside Korea converted to won at the exchange rate of 2 July 2024. India came top at 5,154 won, then China at 5,132 and Thailand at 4,524. Japan and Taiwan closed the list at 4,081 and 4,044. Korea was fourth on 4,500 - the price Starbucks charged here at the time, before the 2025 rise to the 4,700 in the table above. Fourth sounds firmer than it is: Thailand was 24 won ahead, a gap that a day of currency movement can undo. The position in the range holds up better - India at the top ran about 27 percent above Taiwan at the bottom, and Korea landed in the middle, at what the agency itself called a relatively cheap level. The reputation for expensive coffee belongs to the premium chains rather than to the country.
Reading won prices in your currency
Korean won has more zeros than many visitors expect. Enter any listed amount below for a live reference conversion.
Your card issuer or exchange counter will use a slightly different rate, so treat the result as a comparison rather than the amount that will appear on a statement.
- Divide a won price by about 1,400 for a quick US-dollar figure in your head.
- These are reference rates - the cash or card rate you actually get will differ slightly.
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Meals and street food
These are indicative ranges, not official averages. Tourist streets, delivery-app markups and required two-portion barbecue orders are the common reasons the bill exceeds the table.
The range is for quick item lookup. For what to order and how, use Food & Cafés.
- Convenience stores and street stalls keep a day of eating cheap.
- Delivery usually costs more than eating in - the menu price and the delivery price differ.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Convenience-store meal (gimbap + cup noodle) | ₩2,000-3,000 |
| Street snack (tteokbokki, hotteok) | ₩2,000-5,000 |
| Casual restaurant meal | ₩8,000-13,000 |
| Cold noodles (naengmyeon) | ~₩12,500 |
| Pork-belly BBQ (per portion) | ₩17,000-19,000 |
| Fried chicken, delivered | ₩23,000-30,000 |
Getting around
These are published adult fares, not estimates. The subway and bus figures are Seoul base fares on a transit card; distance, route and late-night taxi surcharges can add more.
KTX is the published standard-seat fare for Seoul-Busan on the main route, and booking one from abroad takes a few extra steps. Transport & Payment explains cards, transfers and airport routes.
- Buy a Tmoney card with cash at a participating convenience store; the subway base fare is about 1,550 won.
- Tap out as well as in to receive the integrated transfer discount. Distance and a transfer to a service with a higher base fare can still add to the total.
| Ride | Fare |
|---|---|
| Subway (base, Tmoney) | ₩1,550 |
| Seoul trunk / branch bus | ₩1,500 |
| Taxi start (Seoul, medium car) | ₩4,800 |
| Airport Railroad (all-stop) | ₩4,750 |
| KTX Seoul-Busan (standard) | ₩54,400 |
Palaces, hanbok and attractions
Gyeongbokgung admission is an official fixed price, and visitors wearing qualifying hanbok enter free. Rental prices are indicative: premium garments, hairstyling and longer hours cost more.
Commercial attraction prices change more often, so check the operator before buying. Palace closures are listed in Holidays & Opening Hours.
- Rent hanbok and palace entry is free - it often pays for itself.
- Buy theme-park and tower tickets online; the gate price is rarely the real price.
| Attraction | Price |
|---|---|
| Palace entry (Gyeongbokgung) | ₩3,000 |
| Hanbok rental (2-4 hours) | ₩15,000-24,000 |
| N Seoul Tower observatory | ₩26,000 |
| Jjimjilbang (sauna) | ₩10,000-18,000 |
| Theme park day pass (Lotte World, Everland) | ₩52,000-64,000 |
The cheap and the free
Tipping is not customary in ordinary restaurants or taxis, and public toilets are generally free. Locker and tourist SIM prices vary by size, duration and data allowance.
For a daily or whole-trip total, use Trip Budget. This page deliberately stops at item prices.
- No tipping, anywhere - the listed price is the final price.
- Public toilets are free; a coin locker is a couple of thousand won.
Quick answers
Is Korea expensive?
How much is a coffee in Korea?
How much is the subway in Seoul?
Do I need to tip in Korea?
Should I bring cash or use cards in Korea?
By Hyouk Seo · Last updated: 2026-09-03