How much money do I need for a week in Korea?

Leaving out flights and hotels, a budget traveller might get through a week on around 300,000-400,000 KRW, while a mid-range traveller spends more like 700,000-1,200,000 KRW. Add accommodation and flights on top of that.

Is Korea cheaper than Japan?

When it comes to food and public transport, Korea usually edges out Japan on price. Accommodation and flights are much of a muchness between the two, and both swing hard with the season.

What is the cheapest way to travel Korea?

Ride the subway on a T-money card, eat at convenience stores and markets, bunk in hostels or motels, and come in winter outside the holidays. A lot of the attractions are free or cost very little anyway.

Korea Trip Budget: How Much Does a Trip to Korea Cost?

You can do Korea on a shoestring or in real comfort - the choice is yours. Below are realistic daily numbers, some sample prices, and the easy wins that make your money go further. Treat every figure as approximate; they all move with the exchange rate.

Realistic daily budgets

Here's a rough per-person, per-day guide, leaving out flights and accommodation. Travel on a budget - street food, convenience stores, public transport - and you're looking at around 40,000-60,000 KRW. A mid-range day, with casual restaurants, a paid attraction or two, and the odd taxi, lands nearer 100,000-180,000 KRW. Want nicer dining and activities? A comfortable day starts around 250,000 KRW and climbs from there.

Accommodation sits on top of all that - see where to stay - and going in the cheapest season can knock a fair bit off your flights and hotels.

Per day, excluding stay and flights: roughly 40-60k budget, 100-180k mid-range, 250k+ for comfort (KRW).
Rates shift constantly, so read every figure as a ballpark.

Sample prices

To give you a feel for it: a convenience-store meal or gimbap runs about 3,000-6,000 KRW, a casual restaurant meal 8,000-13,000 KRW, and a café coffee 4,500-6,000 KRW. A subway or bus ride on a T-money card is around 1,400 KRW, and getting into a palace like Gyeongbokgung is about 3,000 KRW. Street-food snacks sit at 2,000-5,000 KRW.

Food and transport are where Korea really is cheap - see Food & Cafés for the good budget eats and Transport & Payment for the T-money card.

Convenience stores and street food keep your meal costs down.
Transfer between bus and subway on T-money and the discount is automatic.

Is Korea expensive?

Korea lands somewhere in the middle for Asia. Food and transport tend to be cheaper than Japan or Singapore, but pricier than Southeast Asia. What keeps costs down is the everyday stuff - public transport, street food, convenience stores, and the free attractions like markets, hiking, and the occasional free palace day. Where it adds up is nightlife, taxis, imported goods, and coffee. In the end, your season and city choices move the total more than anything else.

Cheaper than Japan or Singapore, dearer than Southeast Asia.
Transport and everyday food are where the real bargains are.

Easy ways to save

A few habits go a long way. Ride the subway on a T-money card instead of taking taxis. Eat at convenience stores, markets, and casual spots. Come in the cheaper winter months, claim tax refunds on eligible shopping, and lean on the right map and translation apps so you don't wander into tourist traps. On top of all that, plenty of palaces and museums are free or just a few thousand won, and hiking costs nothing at all.

Subway and T-money, convenience-store meals, and off-season travel.
Claim your tax refunds - and remember plenty of attractions are free or very cheap.