South Korea
A hyper-modern country that is cheaper than its reputation.
Dearer. The exchange rate moved −9.2%; local prices rose +2.6%.
- Lean
- $65
- Comfort
- $312
Ranked 42 of 65.
What your money buys there
30 monthsThe dashed line is what a currency converter shows. The solid line is the same thing after prices in both countries are taken into account. When they part, the solid one is telling the truth.
How the score is built
- Dislocation ×0.36
- 44
- Price floor ×0.30
- 29
- Safety ×0.20
- 100
- Ease ×0.14
- 98
Real price drop vs last year and vs the five-year norm
How low the daily cost is in absolute terms
From the current travel advisory
How well set up the country is for visitors
The full reading
| Real change, 3 months | −5.7% | Is the move still going, or already reversing? |
|---|---|---|
| Real change, 12 months | −8.5% | The headline: what your money buys versus a year ago. |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | −9.2% | What a currency converter would tell you. |
| Local inflation, 12 months | +2.6% | How much of that the destination's own prices took back. |
| Versus five-year average | +4.8% | Cheap or dear against its own recent history. |
| Advisory | Level 1 | Normal precautions |
| Ease of travel | 4.9 / 5 | Effortless |
- Excellent transit for pennies
- Filling meals at $6–9
- Clean, cheap business hotels
Seoul lodging is no longer a bargain and the won can move quickly on political news.
When to go
November is shoulder season- Janoff
- Feboff
- Marshoulder
- Aprpeak
- Maypeak
- Junshoulder
- Juloff
- Augoff
- Seppeak
- Octpeak
- Novshoulder
- Decoff
Safety and ease
- US State Department
- Level 1: Normal precautions · updated 27 May 2025
- Read the full advisory ↗
- Advisories are often regional. A country-wide level can hide both safe areas and no-go zones, and other governments may judge differently.
- Tourism infrastructure
- Effortless · 4.9 / 5
Elsewhere in East Asia
Reading of 12 November 2026. In US dollars, South Korea reads −8.5% over twelve months in real terms with a mid-range day near $140. Costs are modelled, not quoted: see the method.