Cost of Living · KR vs CH
🇰🇷 Seoul vs 🇨🇭 Zürich: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,390 in South Korea vs $3,208 in Switzerland — 130.82% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Switzerland
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): 31.03%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 31.04%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 31.09%
Closest to South Korea prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +157.57%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +157.57%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +157.57%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Korea | Switzerland | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $937 | $2,413 (2,005 CHF) | +157.57% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $750 | $1,931 (1,604 CHF) | +157.57% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,713 | $4,413 (3,667 CHF) | +157.57% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.02 | $23.17 (19 CHF) | +110.25% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $45.90 | $96.54 (80 CHF) | +110.33% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $7.04 | $13.84 (12 CHF) | +96.59% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.77 | $1.32 (1 CHF) | +71.43% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.24 | $3.84 (3 CHF) | +71.43% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.38 | $4.09 (3 CHF) | +71.85% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $7.00 | $12.02 (10 CHF) | +71.71% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.80 | $4.81 (4 CHF) | +71.79% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.36 | $5.77 (5 CHF) | +71.73% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $8.40 | $14.42 (12 CHF) | +71.67% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.40 | $2.40 (2 CHF) | +71.43% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.67 | $7.72 (6 CHF) | +110.35% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.69 | $8.77 (7 CHF) | +31.09% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.06 | $6.44 (5 CHF) | +110.46% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.61 | $2.76 (2 CHF) | +71.43% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $41.60 | $81.77 (68 CHF) | +96.56% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.76 | $3.46 (3 CHF) | +96.59% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.45 | $5.15 (4 CHF) | +110.2% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.10 | $2.32 (2 CHF) | +110.91% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.79 | $1.04 (1 CHF) | +31.65% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $128 | $252 (209 CHF) | +96.56% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $44.80 | $88.06 (73 CHF) | +96.56% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $28.80 | $56.61 (47 CHF) | +96.56% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $30.60 | $64.36 (53 CHF) | +110.33% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $8.57 | $18.02 (15 CHF) | +110.27% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $18.36 | $38.62 (32 CHF) | +110.35% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $46.01 | $60.29 (50 CHF) | +31.04% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $75.29 | $98.65 (82 CHF) | +31.03% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $153 | $322 (267 CHF) | +110.3% |
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 more expensive is Switzerland than South Korea?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $3,208 in Switzerland versus $1,390 in South Korea — 130.82% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Switzerland?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $7.72 in Switzerland (≈ 6.42 CHF), versus about $3.67 in South Korea.
- How much is rent in Switzerland compared to South Korea?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $2,413/month in Switzerland versus $937/month in South Korea (+157.57%). 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.