Cost of Traveling to South Korea: 3-Week Trip Budget Guide

Are you ready to embark on an unforgettable adventure to South Korea? With its vibrant culture, delicious cuisine, and breathtaking landscapes, South Korea promises an experience like no other. But before you pack your bags, let's dive into the essential details of your trip, starting with the most crucial question: how much does it cost to travel to South Korea? In this guide, we'll break down a comprehensive three-week travel budget, covering everything from flights to accommodation, food, transportation, and more.

To give you a clearer picture of what to expect, we'll outline our detailed budget based on our own experience of spending nearly a month in this fascinating country. We’ll explore various expenses, providing you with vital reference prices so you can plan your trip without breaking the bank.

Travel budget for three weeks in South Korea

Before we jump into the numbers, here are a few important factors to consider:

• Trip Duration: We spent a total of 25 days in South Korea, though a basic itinerary can easily be completed in three weeks.
• Traveling as a couple: Our budget reflects expenses for two. If you're traveling solo, you might want to adjust your budget accordingly.
• Mid-range budget: We chose comfortable yet affordable accommodations and treated ourselves occasionally. However, you can reduce costs further by opting for budget-friendly options.
• Currency exchange rate: As of May 2023, 1€ = 1430₩.

1. Flights to South Korea

The first major expense you’ll encounter is your flight tickets. We booked ours in January for an April departure, and the cost was approximately €600 each. We traveled with Etihad, with a layover in Abu Dhabi. The ticket price included luggage, meals, and even a few drinks!

Good news: Direct flights are available from Barcelona or Madrid to Seoul with Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. Expect to pay a bit more for a direct flight—around €1,000—while flights with layovers typically cost around €700. Always compare prices on platforms like Skyscanner for the best deals.

› Flight cost estimate: €700

2. Accommodation expenses

Your choice of accommodation will significantly impact your overall budget. A key tip is to book in advance! Once you have your flights and itinerary set, secure your hotels, preferably with free cancellation in case your plans change.

We reserved our stays more than a month ahead, which helped us save a substantial amount. While South Korea isn't overly touristy yet, local travelers frequent popular destinations, making availability crucial during weekends and holidays.

Here's a breakdown of our accommodations and their costs:

• Seoul (Myeongdong): Philstay Myeongdong Station - €45 per night.
• Jeonju: Beautiful House - €45 per night.
• Daegu: Insomnia Hotel - €50 per night.
• Haeinsa Temple: Templestay program - €120 per night (learn more here).
• Gyeongju: Mini Hotel 141 - €42 per night.
• Busan: NO25 Hotel - €55 per night.
• Jeju (South): Jeju Aurum - €50 per night.
• Jeju (East): B&SUN Pension - €40 per night.
• Seoul (Gangnam): Hotel Senne - €55 per night.

On average, we spent around €55 per night, totaling approximately €575 each for a 21-day trip.

Of course, staying in hostels or budget accommodations can lower costs even further.

› Accommodation expense per person: €575

3. Food costs

Food expenses can vary greatly depending on your dining choices. You can eat cheaply if you know where to look, but indulging in Korean barbecue or fresh seafood can add up. Generally, we spent around 18,000-30,000₩ (€12-20) for meals for two. Some splurges, like black pork barbecue in Jeju (70,000₩), or fried chicken and beer (45,000₩), can increase this average.

Notably, all restaurants offer free water, and while beverages can be pricey—especially beer and coffee—they remain affordable overall. For instance, a bottle of soju or a Coca-Cola won’t break your budget.

We often relied on convenience stores for quick meals. Popular chains like 7Eleven, CU, and GS25 offer a variety of pre-packaged foods. Onigiri costs around 1,200₩, while gimbap goes for about 2,500₩. While not as diverse as Japan or Thailand’s convenience offerings, they often have tables outside for dining.

Fast food options like Loteria, South Korea’s equivalent to McDonald’s, are worth trying, along with street food from local markets such as egg buns, mung bean pancakes, and hotteok, typically costing €2-3. Local markets also offer traditional dishes for €5-8.

Coffee deserves a special mention: while meals are relatively inexpensive, enjoying good coffee can cost as much as a meal! We alternated between trendy cafes and more affordable options, quickly realizing it could become a significant expense. For reference, a specialty latte costs about 5,000-8,000₩, while takeout options at MegaCoffee or Ediya Coffee range from 3,000-4,000₩.

We usually dined in restaurants without focusing on budget—our average was around €20 per person per day. However, depending on your preferences, you can easily spend less or more.

› Food budget per person: €420

4. Transportation costs

Getting around South Korea is quite affordable, especially given the country’s compact size. You’ll have several transportation options, including intercity or express buses (usually the cheapest), trains (slightly more expensive), and domestic flights (generally inexpensive).

Here are some of our routes and their respective costs:

• Seoul-Jeonju: express bus, 14,300₩ (3 hours)
• Jeonju-Daegu: express bus, 20,100₩ (3 hours)
• Daegu-Haeinsa Temple: intercity bus, 8,500₩ (1.5 hours)
• Daegu-Gyeongju: express bus, 9,000₩ (1 hour 10 minutes)
• Gyeongju (Singyeongju Station)-Busan: train, 11,000₩ (35 minutes)
• Busan-Jeju: flight with Jinair, €55 (luggage included)
• Jeju-Seoul: flight with Air Seoul, €60 (luggage included)

Urban transportation is also affordable; metro tickets cost around 1,250₩ (with T-Money) or 1,350₩ (without T-Money), while bus fares are even cheaper depending on the route. Don’t forget to account for airport transfers.

Taxis are more affordable than you might expect. The starting fare is 3,500₩, and a 3-5 km ride generally costs around 6,000-7,000₩. We used taxis for short, convenient trips where public transport would have been cumbersome.

› Transportation cost per person: €200

Be sure to carry a Revolut card and/or an N26 card to avoid foreign transaction fees.

5. Car rental expenses

In Jeju, we rented a car for five days to explore the island at our own pace. We considered options from platforms like Auto Europe and Discovercars, but ultimately chose to rent from a local company, Angel Cars. The total cost was €160, including full insurance, and we spent about €55 on fuel (1,700₩ per liter).

› Car rental cost per person (including gas): €110

6. Tours and excursions

Most of our activities were done independently or through free tours offered at various attractions. The only paid tour we participated in was the DMZ tour, which we booked through this link for approximately €65.

Entry fees for other places we visited were generally low, such as the Royal Palaces in Seoul, the Busan Tower, waterfalls in Jeju, and various museums. Most attractions in Korea are free or very budget-friendly, making it a great option for budget travelers.

› Budget for tours and activities per person: €90

7. Travel insurance costs

We’ve been using IATI Multi Annual for years, which covers all travels for up to three months each year. If you’re looking for a one-time insurance plan for this trip, we recommend the IATI Estrella, which costs around €110 for a three-week trip, including a 5% discount for booking through our link.

› Travel insurance expense per person: €110

8. Miscellaneous expenses

In our case, this category usually stays close to zero, but in Korea, we ended up spending more than expected! South Korea is a paradise for cosmetics, and we were determined to return to Spain with a little extra weight—not from food, but from masks, serums, and other goodies. We also picked up a few fridge magnets!

Stores like Daiso and Artbox are great for buying souvenirs, stationery, socks, and more. While prices are generally comparable to Spain, you can find interesting deals.

Tip: When you spend over 30,000₩, show your passport at certain stores to receive an instant tax refund (tax-free). While the store's commission reduces this to about 5%, every little bit helps!

Also, consider necessary expenses such as the K-ETA (approximately €8), purchasing a SIM card (around €40-50), or a souvenir bottle of soju (€4).

› Miscellaneous budget: up to you

Summary of the budget for a three-week trip to South Korea

Now we can finally answer the burning question: how much does it cost to travel to South Korea? Here’s a summary of our three-week trip budget:

Reference prices in South Korea

Throughout our journey, we compiled a list of reference prices to give you a clear and realistic idea of the cost of living in South Korea:

* These prices are subject to change due to factors like inflation, wars, or alien invasions. Don’t blame us if they fluctuate!

• Double room in a standard hotel: €50
• Bus between cities: €10-15 for a 3-hour trip
• KTX train ride from Seoul to Busan in less than 3 hours: €65
• Car rental in Jeju: €50 per day
• T-Money card at a kiosk: €2
• Urban metro or bus ride: €0.90
• Airport bus from Incheon to Seoul: €12
• 5 km taxi ride: €4-5
• Fried chicken for two: €15-20
• Korean barbecue per person (either by weight or all-you-can-eat): €25
• Beer in a restaurant: 5,000₩
• Meal in a casual restaurant: €6-10
• Street food (mung bean pancakes, egg buns, hotteok, etc.): €1-3
• Onigiri at 7Eleven: €0.85
• Sparkling water or soda at a store: €1.20
• Specialty coffee: €4-5
• Pack of 10+10 face masks: €7
• Serum: starting at €3.50
• Entry fees for palaces/museums: 2,000-5,000₩
• Hanbok rental: starting at 10,000₩/hour
• Jeju mandarins: 5,000-9,000₩/kg

We hope this travel budget guide for South Korea provides valuable insight and helps you plan your exciting trip! If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out.

Stay updated on our daily adventures in South Korea by following our Instagram stories.

Ahead of your trip, consider these tips to save money:

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