South Korea
A trip to Seoul: what to budget
Plan €1864 for 7 nights in Seoul, return flight from London included, or €732 travelling cheap. On the ground that works out at €215 per person per day in comfort, €61 travelling cheap.
Seoul - estimate transport, lodging, and meals before you book.
- From
- €61/day
- vs. London
- 93%
- Best month
- Jun
Your trip to Seoul
Set the length, the number of travellers and the comfort level: the figures recompute here.
€1,864
per person, flight included
- on the ground
- €1,505
- flight from London
- €359
- per person per day, on the ground
- €215
In short, where the money goes
- The heaviest line
- Accommodation45 % of the trip
- The strongest lever
- Accommodation€560 less travelling cheap
- Seven nights on the ground
- €1505excluding flights
Accommodation
€672
Food
€483
Transport
€126
Activities
€112
Extras
€112
Over seven nights, accommodation accounts for 45 % of what you spend. The line where travelling cheap changes the bill most is accommodation, a €560 gap. The others are worth discussing, that one decides.
Basis: 24 hotel addresses surveyed for a 15 October 2026 arrival, 9 of twelve months of airfares, surveyed on 23 September 2026. The total excludes flights, insurance, personal shopping and any lodging split between several people.
InstantTripCost estimate
Full 7-night budget breakdown
Per-person estimate including flights from London, split across the six expense categories.
per person · Comfort
| Category | Budget | Comfort | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | €305 | €359 | €539 |
| Hotel | €112 | €672 | €1197 |
| Food | €210 | €483 | €1113 |
| Transport | €56 | €126 | €315 |
| Activities | €28 | €112 | €378 |
| Misc | €21 | €112 | €357 |
| 7-night total | €732 | €1864 | €3899 |
Flight from London (annual median).
Unit prices
comfort
Enough to check the total yourself, line by line, at the comfort level you picked.
- €10
- Breakfast
- €20
- Lunch
- €39
- Dinner
- €6
- City ride
- €16
- Site admission
- €215
- A full day
Orders of magnitude derived from our measured ranges, not surveyed venue by venue. Prices vary by neighbourhood and season.
Real budget
What a trip to Seoul actually costs
Let's break it down. Lodging: a hostel dorm or entry-level hotel runs around €16 per night, a well-rated 3-star around €96, and 4 to 5-star around €171. Food: around €10 a day eating local, €23 mixing canteens and restaurants, €53 if you sit down for dinner every evening.
Local transport: roughly €8 a day on public transit, €18 adding a few taxi rides. Activities: about €20 a day at a normal sightseeing pace, €45 if you stack paid entries and day trips.
On a 5-to-7-day trip, lodging accounts for roughly 35-45 % of total budget, food 15-20 %, flights 20-30 % depending on the booking window, with the remainder split between local transport, activities, and miscellaneous (visa, insurance, tipping, SIM card). A Seoul trip that goes over budget is almost always because the hotel is oversized for the rest, rarely because of activities.
Practical info
Language, currency, and logistics in Seoul
Language: Korean, English is understood in most hotels and restaurants in tourist areas. Currency: Won (₩) - plan €50-100 in cash for the first days and use a fee-free card for the rest.
The three tiers
What a budget traveller, a comfort traveller and a premium traveller typically spend.
Budget
€61
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €16
- Food / day
- €30
- Transit / day
- €8
- Sights / day
- €4
- Extras / day
- €3
Comfort
€215
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €96
- Food / day
- €69
- Transit / day
- €18
- Sights / day
- €16
- Extras / day
- €16
Luxury
€480
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €171
- Food / day
- €159
- Transit / day
- €45
- Sights / day
- €54
- Extras / day
- €51
When to go, and what the month changes
Average temperatures and conditions by month in Seoul.
Mildest monthJune
Cheapest flightNovember€307
Where to sleep in Seoul
The hotels we measured
Accommodation picks by price range.
Seoul Forest Stay
guesthouse, very well rated (8.7/10) from 662 reviews.
Apollo Guesthouse
guesthouse, decent (7.7/10) from 337 reviews.
That House Hongdae
guesthouse, decent (7.6/10) from 353 reviews.
GreeneStay Sindang DDP Seoul
guesthouse, rated excellent (9.2/10) from 303 reviews.
THE EXTAY Lounge Jongno
Hotel, very well rated (8.8/10) from 253 reviews.
Starria Hostel foreign guest only
guesthouse, very well rated (8.8/10) from 1,067 reviews.
Puzzlestay House
guesthouse, rated excellent (9.9/10) from 144 reviews.
LOTTE CITY HOTEL Guro
Hotel, very well rated (8.9/10) from 1,410 reviews.
Shilla Stay Guro - Guro Digital Complex Station
Hotel, very well rated (8.7/10) from 2,078 reviews.
All observed hotels in Seoul
24 of 24 surveyed properties shown, the cheapest in each tier. Nightly rate for a 2-night stay arriving 15 October 2026.
| Hotel | Category | Rating | From / night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul Guesthouse Foreigners Only | Budget | ★ 5.6 | €8 |
| Seoul Mom Guesthouse - International Stay | Budget | ★ 3.8 | €8 |
| Gangnam Seven Hostel | Budget | ★ 6.9 | €11 |
| That House Hongdae | Budget | ★ 7.6 | €11 |
| Birdsnest Hostel Hongdae Foreigner only | Budget | ★ 7.4 | €12 |
| Hause Itaewon | Budget | ★ 7.2 | €14 |
| Seoul Forest Stay | Budget | ★ 8.7 | €15 |
| Apollo Guesthouse | Budget | ★ 7.7 | €15 |
| R Guesthouse Jongmyo | Mid-range | ★ 8.1 | €34 |
| THE EXTAY Lounge Jongno | Mid-range | ★ 8.8 | €42 |
| Puzzlestay House | Luxury | ★ 9.9 | €42 |
| Seoul Nest | Mid-range | ★ 7.5 | €56 |
| K-Grand Hostel Dongdaemun | Mid-range | ★ 8.3 | €58 |
| GreeneStay Sindang DDP Seoul | Mid-range | ★ 9.2 | €60 |
| The Recenz Dongdaemun Hotel | Luxury | ★ 7.9 | €63 |
| Starria Hostel foreign guest only | Mid-range | ★ 8.8 | €68 |
| OYO Rooftop Hostel | Mid-range | ★ 8.3 | €76 |
| Golden Seoul Hotel | Luxury | ★ 8.2 | €83 |
| Cheonho Aria Hotel | Mid-range | ★ 8.5 | €85 |
| Kensington Hotel Yeouido | Luxury | ★ 8.2 | €90 |
| Shilla Stay Guro - Guro Digital Complex Station | Luxury | ★ 8.7 | €109 |
| Hotel Uri& | Luxury | ★ 8.1 | €117 |
| LOTTE CITY HOTEL Guro | Luxury | ★ 8.9 | €122 |
| The Stay Classic Hotel Myeongdong | Luxury | ★ 8.6 | €126 |
What sightseeing costs in Seoul
Recommended activities and tours.
National Museum of Korea
The National Museum of Korea (Korean: 국립중앙박물관) is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology, history, and art, continuously developing a variety of exhibitions and education programs.
National museum
National Folk Museum of Korea
National Folk Museum of Korea (Korean: 국립민속박물관) is a national museum located on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung in Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea. It uses replicas of historical objects to illustrate the history of traditional life of the Korean people.
National museum
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA; Korean: 국립현대미술관; Hanja: 國立現代美術館) is a contemporary art museum with four branches in Gwacheon, Deoksugung, Seoul and Cheongju. The museum was first established in 1969 as the only national art museum in the country accommodating modern and contemporary art of Korea and international art of different time periods.
National museum
Namsan Seoul Tower
Namsan Seoul Tower (Korean: 남산 서울 타워), also known as the YTN Seoul Tower, Namsan Tower, Seoul Tower or N Seoul Tower, is a communication and observation tower located on the summit of Namsan in central Seoul, South Korea. The 236-metre-tall (774 ft) structure was the nation’s first tower servicing multiple TV and radio broadcasters, and is considered a landmark and symbol of the city.
Architectural landmark
Yoido Full Gospel Church
Yoido Full Gospel Church (Korean: 여의도 순복음 교회) is a Pentecostal church affiliated with the Assemblies of God on Yeouido (Yoi Island) in Seoul, South Korea. With about 870,000 members, it is the largest Pentecostal Christian congregation in South Korea.
Church
Gwanghwamun Plaza
Gwanghwamun Square (Korean: 광화문광장), a.k.a. Gwanghwamun Plaza, is a public square located in Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, in front of Gyeongbokgung.
Square
Tapgol Park
Tapgol Park (Korean: 탑골 공원), formerly Pagoda Park, is a public park located at 99 Jongno, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea. It is 1.50561 ha (3.7204 acres) in area.
Park
Seoul Plaza
Seoul Plaza (Korean: 서울광장) is a central plaza located in front of Seoul City Hall at Taepyeongno, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. It was reopened on 1 May 2004, by Seoul Metropolitan Government, with the purpose of providing the public an open space.
Square
World Cup Bridge
The World Cup Bridge (Korean: 월드컵대교) is a bridge over the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It connects Mapo District and Yeongdeungpo District.
Bridge
Sukjeongmun
Sukjeongmun (Korean: 숙정문; Hanja: 肅靖門; also known as North Gate) is one of the Eight Gates of Seoul in the Fortress Wall of Seoul, South Korea, which surrounded the city in the Joseon period. The gate is also known as Bukdaemun (북대문; 北大門; lit. 'North Big Gate').
Architectural landmark
Places referenced on Wikidata. Admission prices vary by season - check each venue's official site.
Paying less in Seoul
What moves the needle
What each decision takes off the €1858 total, strongest lever first.
- − €1078
Travel cheap rather than mid-range
Hostel or entry-level hotel, local canteens, public transport. Accommodation is where the gap opens up.
- − €430
Stay five nights instead of seven
Two fewer nights also removes two days of meals, transport and sightseeing.
- − €336
Travel as a pair
The room is shared, nothing else is. Travellers themselves name this as the strongest lever.
Differences computed from our own measurements, for a 7-night mid-range stay, excluding flights.
FAQ
FAQ - Seoul
- How much should I budget for a trip to Seoul?
- For a 7-day trip to Seoul, expect roughly €732 - €3899 per person depending on your travel style, flights included. The budget profile (hostels, local food, public transit) sits at the lower end ; mid-range comfort sits in the middle ; luxury (premium hotel, fine dining) approaches the top.
- When is the best time to visit Seoul?
- The best value is in June, with pleasant temperatures and usually cheaper flights than during peak tourist season. This window combines moderate crowds and lower airfare.
- How do I get around in Seoul?
- Local transport (metro, bus, taxi) costs an average of €8 - €45 per day depending on your style. Public transit stays the cheapest option ; a day or weekly pass usually pays off after just two rides per day.
- How can I do Seoul on a budget?
- For a cheap trip to Seoul, target around €61 - €215 per day per person excluding flights: a hostel or budget hotel, meals at local eateries, public transit, and 1-2 free activities per day. Across a week, plan to land below the lower bound of the global range.
- What's the budget for a weekend in Seoul?
- For a 3-day / 2-night weekend in Seoul, plan around €483 - €998 per person, flights included. Booking 6 to 8 weeks ahead and flying out Thursday evening / back Sunday evening cuts the total by 10-20 % on average.
- Is Seoul an expensive or affordable destination?
- At 73 % of our reference index, Seoul ranks among the moderately priced destinations we track. In practice, a daily budget close to our average, 27 % below it.
- How many days do you need in Seoul?
- Plan 4 days for the essentials. A full week lets you add the surroundings without rushing, for roughly €645 more per person. Beyond ten days the cost grows linearly: each extra night adds about €215, lodging and daily spending included.
- Do you need a car in Seoul?
- Our estimates assume public transport, which covers the centre and its near surroundings. Rental, fuel, parking and tolls are not included: if your route leaves the served area, add them as a separate line.
- How much cash should you bring to Seoul?
- Bring €50 to €100 for the first days, until you see where cards work. When paying or withdrawing, decline the conversion into your home currency that terminals offer: it applies its own rate, consistently worse than your bank's.
At a glance
Wikidata, Wikipedia and Open-Meteo data
- Population
- 9.7M
- Area
- 605 km²
- Elevation
- 38 m
- Language
- Korean
- Currency
- ₩
- Time zone
- UTC+09:00
- Founded
- 1395
- Avg. July temp.
- 24°
- Avg. Jan. temp.
- -3°
- Rainy days / year
- 95
inhabitants
Won
21° - 28°
-7° - 2°
About
Seoul in brief
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population. Although Seoul's population peaked at over 10 million, it has gradually decreased since 2014, standing at about 9.6 million residents as of 2024.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Keep exploring
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Cost index close to Seoul.
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