Cost of Living · KR vs VN
🇰🇷 Seoul vs 🇻🇳 Da Nang: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,334 in South Korea vs $548 in Vietnam — 59% cheaper.
- Essentials, South Korea
- $1,334/mo
- Essentials, Vietnam
- $548/mo
- Difference
- -59%
- 1-bed city rent, Vietnam
- $318/mo
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Vietnam
- Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -64%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -64%
- Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -64%
Closest to South Korea prices
- Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -25%
- Jeans (mid-range brand): -26%
- Running shoes (brand): -26%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Korea | Vietnam | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $894 | $318 (7,691,925 VND) | -64% |
| Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $715 | $255 (6,153,588 VND) | -64% |
| Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,635 | $582 (14,065,172 VND) | -64% |
| Food out | |||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.62 | $4.72 (114,058 VND) | -56% |
| Dinner for two, mid-range | $44.25 | $19.66 (475,082 VND) | -56% |
| Fast-food combo meal | $6.81 | $3.26 (78,778 VND) | -52% |
| Groceries | |||
| Milk, 1L | $0.75 | $0.42 (10,149 VND) | -44% |
| Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.18 | $1.21 (29,240 VND) | -44% |
| Eggs, dozen | $2.32 | $1.28 (30,931 VND) | -45% |
| Chicken breast, 1kg | $6.81 | $3.78 (91,343 VND) | -44% |
| White rice, 1kg | $2.73 | $1.51 (36,489 VND) | -45% |
| Apples, 1kg | $3.27 | $1.81 (43,738 VND) | -45% |
| Local cheese, 1kg | $8.18 | $4.53 (109,467 VND) | -45% |
| Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.36 | $0.76 (18,365 VND) | -44% |
| Drinks | |||
| Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.54 | $1.57 (37,939 VND) | -56% |
| Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.60 | $4.92 (118,891 VND) | -25% |
| Cappuccino | $2.95 | $1.31 (31,656 VND) | -56% |
| Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.57 | $0.87 (21,023 VND) | -45% |
| Transport | |||
| Public transport, monthly pass | $40.24 | $19.24 (464,932 VND) | -52% |
| Public transport, one-way | $1.70 | $0.81 (19,574 VND) | -52% |
| Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.36 | $1.05 (25,373 VND) | -56% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.06 | $0.47 (11,358 VND) | -56% |
| Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.78 | $0.58 (14,016 VND) | -26% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $124 | $59.20 (1,430,561 VND) | -52% |
| Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $43.33 | $20.72 (500,696 VND) | -52% |
| Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $27.86 | $13.32 (321,876 VND) | -52% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| Gym membership, month | $29.50 | $13.10 (316,560 VND) | -56% |
| Cinema seat | $8.26 | $3.67 (88,685 VND) | -56% |
| Men's haircut | $17.70 | $7.86 (189,936 VND) | -56% |
| Jeans (mid-range brand) | $45.40 | $33.80 (816,773 VND) | -26% |
| Running shoes (brand) | $74.29 | $55.30 (1,336,318 VND) | -26% |
| Coworking hot desk, month | $148 | $65.52 (1,583,283 VND) | -56% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Beyond prices
What each place pays, charges and offers — wages, rent, healthcare, climate, risk and time off. Figures come from the same engines behind the individual tools, so they match what those pages say. They sit about 3,008 km apart as the crow flies.
| Measure | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Median local wage Monthly, USD. The local midpoint, not an average. | $2,316 | $230 |
| Rent, modelled 1-bed Monthly, USD. | $797 | — |
| Rent as % of a local wage Are locals priced out? | 34.4% | — |
| Out-of-pocket healthcare Per person per year, USD. | $1,058 | $77.00 |
| Doctors per 1,000 WHO. | 2.6 | 1.1 |
| Comfortable days a year 18-27 °C and dry. Measured at Seoul and Da Nang. | 76 | 41 |
| Rule of law World Bank WGI. A survey composite, so the band leads, not the decimal. | strong | middling |
| Country risk INFORM, 0-10. Lower is safer. | 2 (very low) | 4 (medium) |
| Public holidays Observed nationwide; regional days are counted separately. | 18 | 4 |
| Air quality Mean annual PM2.5, µg/m³. WHO guideline is 5. Lower is better. | 19.2 | 22.9 |
| Life expectancy Years at birth — the outcome, not the spending. | 83.6 | 74.7 |
| Homicide rate Per 100,000 a year. A count, not a perception score. | 0.5 | — |
| Population online % using the internet. Reach, not speed — the row below is speed. | 97.9% | 84.2% |
| Internet download Measured median, Mbps. | 273.4 | 189.8 |
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Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Vietnam than South Korea?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $548 in Vietnam versus $1,334 in South Korea — 59% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Vietnam?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $1.57 in Vietnam (≈ 37938.87 VND), versus about $3.54 in South Korea.
- How much is rent in Vietnam compared to South Korea?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $318/month in Vietnam versus $894/month in South Korea (-64%). 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.