Cost of Living · KR vs PT
🇰🇷 Seoul vs 🇵🇹 Lisbon: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,390 in South Korea vs $1,298 in Portugal — 6.64% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Portugal
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -7.57%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -7.57%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -7.57%
Closest to South Korea prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -1.27%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -2.23%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -2.24%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Korea | Portugal | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $937 | $866 (800 EUR) | -7.57% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $750 | $693 (640 EUR) | -7.57% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,713 | $1,583 (1,463 EUR) | -7.57% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.02 | $10.36 (10 EUR) | -5.99% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $45.90 | $43.15 (40 EUR) | -5.99% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $7.04 | $6.65 (6 EUR) | -5.54% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.77 | $0.74 (1 EUR) | -3.9% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.24 | $2.14 (2 EUR) | -4.46% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.38 | $2.27 (2 EUR) | -4.62% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $7.00 | $6.69 (6 EUR) | -4.43% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.80 | $2.68 (2 EUR) | -4.29% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.36 | $3.21 (3 EUR) | -4.46% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $8.40 | $8.03 (7 EUR) | -4.4% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.40 | $1.34 (1 EUR) | -4.29% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.67 | $3.45 (3 EUR) | -5.99% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.69 | $6.54 (6 EUR) | -2.24% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.06 | $2.88 (3 EUR) | -5.88% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.61 | $1.54 (1 EUR) | -4.35% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $41.60 | $39.32 (36 EUR) | -5.48% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.76 | $1.66 (2 EUR) | -5.68% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.45 | $2.30 (2 EUR) | -6.12% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.10 | $1.04 (1 EUR) | -5.45% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.79 | $0.78 (1 EUR) | -1.27% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $128 | $121 (112 EUR) | -5.47% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $44.80 | $42.35 (39 EUR) | -5.47% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $28.80 | $27.23 (25 EUR) | -5.45% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $30.60 | $28.77 (27 EUR) | -5.98% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $8.57 | $8.05 (7 EUR) | -6.07% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $18.36 | $17.26 (16 EUR) | -5.99% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $46.01 | $44.98 (42 EUR) | -2.24% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $75.29 | $73.61 (68 EUR) | -2.23% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $153 | $144 (133 EUR) | -6% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Portugal than South Korea?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,298 in Portugal versus $1,390 in South Korea — 6.64% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Portugal?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.45 in Portugal (≈ 3.19 EUR), versus about $3.67 in South Korea.
- How much is rent in Portugal compared to South Korea?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $866/month in Portugal versus $937/month in South Korea (-7.57%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.