Salary Equivalence
Seoul
Seoul, South Korea — cost-of-living and salary purchasing-power profile with a price-level index of 72.0 (New York City = 100).
Key figures
| Price level index | 72.0 |
|---|---|
| Rent index | 50.0 |
| Population | 9,776,000 |
About Seoul
Seoul has a composite price-level index of 72.0 (New York City = 100) and a rent index of 50.0, making it a moderately priced city. It is home to roughly 9.8 million people and uses the KRW. The calculators below convert any salary to and from Seoul so you can judge a move in real purchasing-power terms rather than raw currency.
The comparisons below show how Seoul stacks up against the alternatives people most often weigh against it, with the specific numbers laid out side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How expensive is Seoul?
Seoul has a composite price-level index of 72.0 (NYC = 100) and a rent index of 50.0.
What currency is used in Seoul?
Seoul uses the KRW.
✓ Reviewed by Priya Nair, Data Quality Reviewer.
Last updated 2026-06-01