Cost of living comparison
South Korea is 25.1% cheaper than North Carolina.
- Restaurants
-
pay 50.0% less in South Korea
- Groceries
-
pay 18.3% more in South Korea
- Transportation
-
pay 14.3% less in South Korea
- Housing
-
pay 59.3% less in South Korea
- Childcare
-
pay 39.5% less in South Korea
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 33.2% less in South Korea
- Clothing
-
pay 2.4% more in South Korea
The cost of groceries and clothing in South Korea are more expensive than in North Carolina. Expenses including housing, restaurants, childcare, entertainment and sports, and transportation are lower in South Korea.
If you lived in South Korea instead of North Carolina, you would:
pay 50.0% less for restaurants
|
North Carolina
|
South Korea
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$16.06
|
$6.16
₩8,916
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$10.06
|
$5.24
₩7,584
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.31
|
$1.47
₩2,131
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$1.72
|
$0.79
₩1,146
|
|
pay 18.3% more for groceries
|
North Carolina
|
South Korea
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.48
|
$3.08
₩4,453
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$6.25
|
$5.40
₩7,823
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$3.46
|
$7.46
₩10,796
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.28
|
$2.76
₩3,991
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$4.77
|
$3.32
₩4,807
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.35
|
$3.17
₩4,585
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.74
|
$1.49
₩2,155
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.18
|
$2.53
₩3,664
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.16
|
$2.41
₩3,495
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.51
|
$1.82
₩2,642
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.66
|
$1.21
₩1,751
|
|
pay 14.3% less for transportation
|
North Carolina
|
South Korea
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$3.19
|
$4.39
₩6,358
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$53.89
|
$45.32
₩65,596
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$34,400.31
|
$27,023.07
₩39,116,293
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$19.36
|
$8.17
₩11,829
|
|
pay 59.3% less for housing
|
North Carolina
|
South Korea
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$72.47
|
$17.65
₩25,555
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,527.81
|
$426.93
₩617,990
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$1,294.23
|
$328.41
₩475,383
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$130.82
|
$111.42
₩161,286
|
|
pay 39.5% less for childcare
|
North Carolina
|
South Korea
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$1,254.70
|
$373.40
₩540,503
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$25,128.75
|
$22,907.58
₩33,159,059
|
|
pay 33.2% less for entertainment and sports
|
North Carolina
|
South Korea
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$5.09
|
$3.09
₩4,479
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$4.89
|
$3.39
₩4,906
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$7.33
|
$3.21
₩4,652
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$54.04
|
$45.71
₩66,168
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$13.35
|
$10.10
₩14,618
|
|
pay 2.4% more for clothing
|
North Carolina
|
South Korea
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$49.88
|
$60.70
₩87,871
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$37.28
|
$44.52
₩64,447
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$86.65
|
$72.99
₩105,657
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$111.01
|
$93.73
₩135,676
|
|
Change currency:
Compare countries by overall cost of living
Help us improve these prices
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about South Korea or North Carolina. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.