Prices in South Korea - 2021: how I went to Seoul

South Korea is not yet the most popular destination among Russians. This is mainly due to the remoteness of the region, rather high prices, well, and the prevailing idea that vacation = the sea :)

Yes, holidays in South Korea are really expensive. But quite acceptable - even for a budget traveler. I will tell you how much the trip to Seoul cost us and detail the prices in South Korea in 2021.

How much did my trip to Korea cost?

Photo by Aleksandr Ignatov

We went to Seoul (I’ll say right away that all the amounts are given for the example of this city) in early December 2019. We flew from Moscow for two weeks.

Seoul is low season in December, so the costs were not as high as I expected. In general, prices in South Korea are comparable to our Moscow ones: for food we spent about the same as in Russia. Clothes in Seoul department stores and boutiques are expensive, but another matter - markets, a shopper's paradise! There you can buy literally everything - from shoes to vegetables - with a discount of 30-40 percent, and in some places - and all 50. And there (yes, on the market!) You can find inexpensive and quite beautiful Jewelry.

• The largest (and coolest, as the locals told us) market in Seoul, Namdaemun, is located in the city center.

In circulation in Korea only won, dollars, euros, rubles are "not held in high esteem" by the Koreans. My advice: change the amount at the airport so that it is enough for the trip to the hotel (hostel / apartment), and the rest is already in the city. The course at the airport is a hell of a rip-off. In the city, it makes no sense to look for the most profitable course, because the difference, if any, is minimal. Just take your passport and calmly go to the first big bank you come across.

And a few more interesting facts, which I cannot but say:

• The locals know only one language - Korean. They don't speak English. This was not a problem for us: Koreans are used to talking to tourists on their fingers, so ordering food in a restaurant or buying groceries can be done.
• Salaries in Korea are very high. For example, an ordinary waiter in Seoul earns about $ 2,500 a month, and the cost of living is ≈ $ 1,000.
• Seoul has a very expensive gasoline - from 1600 krw (105 rubles) per liter.
• Many people go to Seoul to make themselves plastic surgery: Korean medicine is considered to be of high quality and inexpensive. Mammoplasty in a good Seoul clinic will cost ≈ 7,800,000 krw.

Prices for holidays in South Korea (based on our experience, for one, for 2 weeks):

Total budget: about 100,000 rubles per person. Yes, it did not work out very economically, but we studied the reviews of experienced tourists, so we were ready for such expenses. And we never regretted it - a trip to Korea is definitely worth it!

The good news: Russians do not need a visa to Korea, but this is provided that you stay no more than 60 days.

Flights to Seoul

For most residents of Russia, the price of a ticket to South Korea (namely, to Seoul) starts at 24,000 rubles round trip. This, of course, is a flight from Moscow and with transfers: in Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, etc., depends on the airline. Direct flight - 8.5 hours - costs from 38,000 rubles, carried out by Korean Air and Aeroflot (more expensive).

Look for convenient options and monitor prices on aggregators (I will tell you that everything below 23 thousand can be considered excellent for Moscow):

• Skyscanner
• Aviasales

Those who are from the Far East are most at ease. So, you can get from Vladivostok to Seoul by plane for "kopecks": from 12,000 rubles in both directions! Or by ferry to the Korean port of Donghae (from 11,000 rubles), and from there - by bus to Seoul (900 rubles). The road will be busy, but quite long: about 27 hours by ferry and 3 hours by bus.

The issue of communication - but now, rather, the Internet :) - is important. We didn't bother and rented a router at the airport. About 45-50,000 krw will be released for a week.

Food prices in South Korea: cafes and restaurants

The local currency is South Korean won. 1000 won (KRW) ≈ 65 rubles (for convenience, divide the prices from the article by 1000 and then multiply by 65).

The prices for food in a cafe vary greatly depending on whether you decide to grab a bite to eat at the food court in the mall or dine at a decent restaurant. In principle, as in any country. If you are worried about unusual dishes, then you should not: in any institution there are variations of rice, meat and noodle soups.

• Combo Lunch at McDonald's - 6,000 won (per person)
• Takeaway cup of coffee - 4,000 won
• Seafood - From 9,000 won
• Dinner at a restaurant - 22,000 won
• In general, a meal in a cafe is approximately 10,000 won, more often in the region of 15-20,000 won

Seoul prices fruits and vegetables much higher than in Moscow: a kilogram of apples costs about 6700 krw, oranges - 5600 krw, potatoes - 3600 krw. Alcohol in Korea it is also not cheap: a bottle of wine - from 15 500 krw, a bottle of local beer - 2800 krw, imported - 5500 krw.

Be sure to try something street food - it is very tasty, cheap and unusual! We liked most of all:

• Takkochhi - Chicken skewers in a hot sauce, ≈ 1,500 won
• Mandu - Korean dumplings with different fillings - vegetable, meat, fish, ≈ 1000 won.
• For thrill-seekers (both literally and figuratively), pondaegi (fried silkworm larvae, ≈ 2,000 won) and sundae (blood sausage made from pork or cow intestines, ≈ 2,500 won).
• Just the rolls will cost ≈ 2,500 won for 6 pieces.
• Hottok fritters - 700-1000 won
• Taiyaki fish - like in Japan, with sweet bean filling - 500 won

Sharing our favorite cafes in Seoul:

✓ Everest. It is very tasty there, and you can find everything on the menu - from lamb curry to vegetarian vegetable salad. The average check per person is approximately 17,000 won.
✓ Paris Baguette is a very popular bakery in Seoul with tourists.
✓ Isaac Toast & Coffee - sandwiches for snack, with potatoes, cheese, ham, etc. 3,000-3,500 won for a toast.

For the conservative traveler, there are tons of Russian restaurants around Dongdaemun History & Culture Park subway station!

Food Prices - 2021

Prices in South Korea for food, it seemed to me, are not much lower than our Moscow prices. We bought mainly in large chain supermarkets (as the locals told us, prices are much lower there) - EMART, GS25, COU.

A life hack for those who like to save money: many grocery stores in Seoul organize free tastings every day - they display entire racks of fruits, vegetables, and cheeses. You can take food from there in any quantity, the process is not controlled by anyone. And in general - Koreans are oh-oh-very fond of food, so no one will look askance at you, be calm :)

• Milk L - 2,800 won
• Eggs - 3,400 won
• Rice kg - 3,400 won
• Chicken kg - 10,000 won
• Cheese kg - 16,700 won
• Bottle of water - 1,000 won
• Oranges kg - 5,000 won
• Local soda at the bank, 0.25 - 1,000 won

In grocery stores, by the way, you can find a lot of strange things. For example, Baskin Robins, but not ice cream, but a sandwich (yes, filling between pieces of bread), tomato yogurt, maple juice, quail eggs marinated in soy sauce ...

And what are the prices in ...:

Hotel prices in Seoul in 2021

Photo by Aleksandr Ignatov

To begin with, the question is: where to stay? Seoul is generally divided into 25 districts, half of them are central, and there, of course, are very expensive. Therefore, in order to reduce the cost of living, it is better to choose areas further from the center... For example, Gangnam-Gu (by the way, the song Gangnam Style is dedicated to him) or Chamsil. We lived in the latter. The famous Lotte Hotel World is located there, but if you look not near it, then it is quite possible to fish out inexpensive rooms or apartments.

The cost of renting an apartment in Seoul strongly depends on its location - the closer to the center, the more expensive. We didn't want to live in a hostel, and the hotels turned out to be too transcendental, so we opted for a small one-room apartment 15 minutes' drive from the center. The apartment was very simply furnished - nothing superfluous, only all the essentials, but this did not bother us, since it was quite comfortable to sleep and take a shower there, and we did not need the rest.

• We found our own version - an apartment / flat - on Airbnb, a well-known service for renting private housing
• We usually book hotels and hostels on RoomGuru, but not this time :)

Since I can't say anything about the last ones in Seoul, here is a selection of hotels from my older and more important friends (who cares, first of all, comfort):

✓ 4 * Ramada Seoul Hotel - from $ 75 per room
✓ 3 * Hotel the Designers (Yeouido) - from $ 55 per room (this is a large hotel chain, there are both in the center and beyond)

The cost of renting an apartment

Our studio apartment cost about 250,000 won ($ 215) in 2 weeks. The cost is the same, but in the center, almost twice as high - 440,000 won ($ 380) for the same period. Apartments are also expensive - from 330,000 won ($ 285), so if you want to save money, choose a room or apartment (not in the center!).

• Surprisingly, Seoul hostels cost significantly more than rooms and entire apartments.

Rental prices in Korea (per day):

Transportation prices in South Korea

Photo by Aleksandr Ignatov

Public transport in Seoul is not the cheapest: one subway ride costs about 2,000 won, but 500 of them can be returned later. You just insert the used ticket into a special machine, and it returns this amount.

But the prices in Seoul for a taxi are quite reasonable, it works on the counter. On average, a city trip can cost between 5,000 and 15,000 won. If you are alone or with a group, a taxi can be more profitable.

Rent a Car

If your budget allows you, then you should definitely rent a car - this is a great way to get to know Korea better. To do this, you must have an international driving license, be over 21 years old and have at least one year of driving experience.

Renting the most basic car (for example, Kia Ray) starts at $ 65 per day. For reliability, book in advance on the RentalCars aggregator.

Prices for entertainment and attractions in Seoul

Photo by Aleksandr Ignatov

Holidays in South Korea are not only delicious cuisine, but also entertainment and attractions. But I must say right away that the prices for entertainment in Seoul are not small at all, so be prepared to spend money.

Wander around.

Myeongdong street Is the most famous shopping street in Seoul. There you can find huge shopping centers, pretentious brand stores, and small shops. And by the way, in addition to well-known world brands, you can also find things of local designers there - cool and at a low price. And there are also a bunch of restaurants, food stalls, beauty salons and other things, so if you go there, then for sure for the whole day.

Approximate prices for clothes of famous brands:

• Levi's jeans ≈ 100,000 krw
• Dress H&M ≈ 55 000 krw
• Adidas sneakers ≈ 110,000 krw

Hongdae District - pleasant to walk, modern, packed with students from the local university for artists and designers, plus many stylish cafes.

What to see in Seoul?

Museums

• The National Museum of Korea is a must-see, as many as 6 floors and thousands of exhibits! On the first two floors there is an exposition about the ancient history of Korea, above - a collection of calligraphy, Chinese porcelain, furniture and textiles. It is impossible to get around the entire museum - it is huge, so my advice is to look at the plan in advance and choose interesting rooms for yourself.
  Price - free
• Kimchi Museum - everything is collected here about the main traditional Korean dish, kimchi cabbage. Visitors can not only learn about the history of the dish, but also taste, pickle, and buy kimchi.
  Price - 5,000 krw per adult

Amusement parks

• Lotte World Amusement Park is the largest indoor amusement park in the world. I don't think it's worth talking about how cool the rides and different activities are there? This park is definitely worth a visit, but it is better to do it on weekdays. By the way! There is an excellent restaurant in the park - Iron Bull's Restaurant - with excellent steaks and large portions. Dinner for two cost us ≈ 33,500 won. If you are with children, keep in mind that many rides are allowed from 110-120 cm.
  Price - 57,000 krw per adult (free admission to all attractions)
• Everland is another largest park in South Korea, with a water park, a fair, a zoo, and attractions. We probably didn’t go around a tenth of the park in one day, so plan your time in advance and choose where you want to go most.
  Price - 84,000 krw per adult (free admission to all attractions)

Aquarium

• COEX is not your average fish-watching aquarium. There you can see polar bears, otters, birds, penguins, and many other inhabitants of the "near-water" environment. And some of them can even be touched.
  Price - 28,000 krw per adult

There is also the Seoul Tower - unfortunately we never got there - the Genbokgun and Changdeok palaces, tours to the Korean demilitarized zone (prices start at 48,000 won per person) and countless streets and alleys for walking.

Photo by Aleksandr Ignatov

By the way, the sea in South Korea is another attraction. They say it is very warm in summer and the beaches are clean and well equipped. On our next trip to Korea, we will definitely check it! :)