What a Week in South Korea Really Costs Compared to Japan

My fingers trembled slightly as I clicked “book” on a weeklong trip to South Korea. Having traveled in Japan before, I braced myself for a similar hit to my wallet.

But as I would soon discover, South Korea proved to be an affordable adventure without skimping on experiences.

This is the personal story of my week in Korea.

South Korea welcomed me with open arms and modest prices, and each day became a narrative of discovery that my bank account appreciated as much as I did.

Accommodation

My first stop was a boutique guesthouse in Seoul’s historic Bukchon Hanok Village. I slid open the wooden door of my hanok-style room, marveling at its rustic charm and modern amenities.

The price? ₩80,000 per night (around $60) – including a hearty breakfast of rice porridge and kimchi. In Japan, a similar traditional inn (ryokan) or even a standard 3-star hotel often costs at least 30–40% more for the night, as I learned on a past trip.

In fact, mid-range hotels in South Korea average about $98 per night for a double room, whereas in Japan the same level of comfort is roughly $124 per night. I smiled knowing I could enjoy a clean, centrally-located room in Seoul without sticker shock.

Each evening, returning to my hotel felt rewarding not just because of the plush bed, but because I knew I was getting great value. One night, I splurged a bit on a design-forward 3-star hotel in Gangnam – floor-to-ceiling city views and a rooftop lounge – for about ₩150,000 ($110).

Even this “splurge” was reasonable; I recalled paying well over $150 for a comparable high-rise hotel in Tokyo’s Shinjuku. Plus, South Korean accommodations often toss in perks like free breakfast or a welcome drink, sweetening the deal.

I learned that timing is everything. In peak seasons like spring cherry blossom time or autumn, hotel rates do creep up with demand, just as they do in Japan. During cherry blossom season in Seoul, my usual guesthouse was fully booked weeks in advance and prices were higher.

By contrast, when I returned in the chilly winter months, I snagged the same room at a discount and had the place nearly to myself. Accommodation costs in Korea can swing between $26 a night in low season to $198 in peak season, so planning for the off-peak can yield serious savings. (Japan has similar patterns – visiting Tokyo in winter saved me a bundle compared to the crowded spring.) Still, even at their priciest, Korean mid-range hotels felt kinder to my wallet than their Japanese counterparts.

Food

If there’s one thing that made me fall in love with Korea, it’s the food – and the low cost of enjoying it. My first bowl of tteokbokki from a street cart in Myeongdong cost me only ₩2,000, and I was hooked. Picture me, on a crisp evening, warming my hands around a paper cup filled with steaming spicy rice cakes.

Not only was it delicious, it was downright cheap: about $2 for a generous portion. In fact, iconic street foods like tteokbokki usually range from ₩2,500–₩4,000 per serving, and other snacks (skewers of fish cake, hotteok pancakes) often go for just ₩1,000–₩3,000.

I grazed my way through Seoul’s night markets on pocket change. One night I tried Gwangjang Market – crispy mung bean pancakes for ₩5,000 and a bottle of makgeolli rice wine shared with new friends for a few thousand won more. I ended the night full and happy, having spent well under ₩15,000 (about $11).

Casual meals in Korea are equally kind to the budget. I would pop into a local eatery and get a bubbling bowl of kimchi jjigae stew with all the side dishes for ₩7,000 (~$5).

Grilled meat night? Yes, please – I joined a group at a Korean BBQ joint in Busan where we grilled our own pork belly and wrapped it in lettuce. We ate like royalty and my share was around ₩15,000 ($11). Generally, a filling meal at a no-frills restaurant – bibimbap, kimbap rolls, or a hearty soup – costs between ₩8,000–₩15,000 per person (about $6–$12).

Even a sit-down dinner at a nicer mid-range restaurant with craft beers or dessert might come out to ₩25,000-₩40,000 ($20–$30) for my portion, which felt like a steal for the quality.

I couldn’t help comparing this to my time in Japan. There, while you can eat cheaply at ramen shops or convenience stores, I often found myself spending ¥1,200–¥2,000 ($10–$18) on a simple dinner, and a sushi treat easily blew past ¥3,500 ($25+). In South Korea, I consistently spent less on food for equal (or larger) portions.

By the end of the week, my daily food expenses averaged only around $20–$25, and that’s including a couple of upscale treats. (One night I indulged in a contemporary Seoul fusion restaurant – a multi-course tasting menu for ₩60,000, about $45, which felt bargain-priced for fine dining.)

According to travel surveys, typical travelers in Korea spend about $46 per day on meals (many probably dining out for every meal), whereas in Japan the average is a bit higher at $52 per day. For me, savoring Korea’s amazing cuisine was not only a cultural highlight – it was budget-friendly.

Transportation

Getting around South Korea was both convenient and affordable. In Seoul, I grabbed a T-money transit card and felt like a local swiping onto the ultra-efficient subway. Each ride was only around ₩1,250 (~$1) for a few stops, and even crosstown journeys capped at maybe ₩1,500–₩1,800.

Buses were similarly cheap (fares roughly ₩1,200–₩2,400 depending on distance). I remember one morning hopping a bus to a hiking trail outside the city – an hour’s ride for about ₩2,000.

Public transit in Korea is a joy: clean, safe, on time, and rarely more than a couple of dollars per trip. In comparison, when I think of Tokyo’s trains, the base fare might be ¥150–¥200 ($1.50) and adds up quickly, especially if you’re not using a rail pass. Seoul’s subway felt like a bargain by comparison, and just as efficient.

For longer hauls, I decided to see more of the country by taking a KTX high-speed train from Seoul down to Busan. I booked my ticket online with ease. The cost was ₩59,800 (about $50) for a standard seat – a 2.5 hour cross-country journey for the price of a nice dinner! The comfort of the KTX impressed me: I gazed out at green rice paddies flashing by, sipping a can of iced coffee from the snack cart.

It struck me that a similar bullet train ride in Japan (say, Tokyo to Kyoto) had cost me almost ¥14,000 (~$100) for a one-way ticket. Both countries have fantastic high-speed rail, but Korea’s was roughly half the price for a comparable distance.

If you’re on a tighter budget, slower intercity trains and buses in Korea are even cheaper – for example, regular trains can be as low as ₩15,000 for shorter routes if you don’t mind the extra travel time.

Within cities, I often walked, but occasionally I treated myself to taxis. Taxis in South Korea are surprisingly reasonable: the meter in Seoul starts at about ₩4,800 ($3.90) for the first 1.6 km.

One rainy night after a long day, I flagged a cab from Myeongdong back to my guesthouse in Itaewon. The 15-minute ride wound through neon-lit streets and cost just around ₩8,500 (~$6–7).

In Japan, I avoid taxis like the plague – a similar short ride in Tokyo would have easily been ¥2,000+ ($15–$20). The affordability of Korean taxis meant I could use them when I was tired, without guilt.

Even intercity buses and domestic flights in Korea are decently priced; I met travelers who flew to Jeju Island for under $100 round-trip or took deluxe express buses (with wide reclining seats) across the country for far less than a Japanese Shinkansen ticket.

By the end of the week, my transportation costs in Korea were minimal. I probably spent on the order of ₩100,000 (about $75) total on local transit, a long-distance train, and a few taxis combined.

For a similar itinerary in Japan – multiple cities, lots of transit – I had spent several times that amount. The numbers bear it out: on average, visitors in South Korea spend only about ₩21,500 ($16) per day on local transportation, whereas in Japan the average is ¥2,700 ($19) per day (and that doesn’t include big intercity jumps). Clearly, getting around South Korea is both easy and gentle on the wallet for a mid-range traveler.

Attractions & Entertainment

My week in South Korea was packed with activity – and I was thrilled by how affordable the entertainment and sightseeing turned out to be. On my first full day in Seoul, I set out to explore the city’s historic heart.

I walked up to the grand gates of Gyeongbokgung Palace, expecting a hefty admission fee for such a landmark.

To my surprise, the ticket was only ₩3,000, roughly $3! Wandering those palace grounds, admiring the changing of the royal guard with mountains framing the skyline, I couldn’t help but contrast it with Kyoto’s temples and Tokyo’s museums where I’d often paid ¥500–¥1000 ($5–$10) per entry.

Here in Korea, history came cheap. In fact, many parks, temples, and museums in Korea are free or just a dollar or two – I strolled along the Cheonggyecheon Stream park and visited the National Museum of Korea, all without spending a won.

I also dove into contemporary culture. One evening, I scored a last-minute ticket to the famous Nanta cooking performance (a comedic musical show) in Myeongdong. This was one of my priciest splurges in Korea, but even that felt reasonable given the uniqueness of the experience (DMZ tours can range from about ₩50,000 to ₩100,000 depending on the package).

My fellow tour members remarked that similar excursions in Japan (like a day trip to Mt. Fuji or a cultural workshop) often cost more.

What’s great about South Korea is that you don’t need to spend a lot to have fun. Some of my favorite memories were essentially free: browsing Insadong’s craft shops, hiking on Namsan mountain for panoramic views of Seoul, and joining locals in a spontaneous K-pop dance session by the Han River (yes, that happened!).

Even the famous Noraebang karaoke – a must-do nightlife activity – was affordable. A private karaoke room for our group of four was about ₩20,000/hour ($15), which split between us was nothing at all for an hour of silly singing.

Later that night, we celebrated with local beer and soju from a convenience store on the sidewalk (legal and common in Korea) – a true budget night out, and arguably more fun than any pricey Tokyo bar.

By the end of the week, I tallied up what I’d spent on attractions and entertainment. It came out to be modest: maybe $80–$100 in total, and that’s with a paid tour and a show in there.

On average, travelers in Korea report spending around ₩35,000 ($26) per day on sightseeing and entertainment (though many free activities can keep this low), compared to about ¥2,900 ($20) per day in Japan for similar activities.

My personal experience bore this out – South Korea offers a lot of cultural bang for your buck. Whether it was an ancient palace, a quirky themed cafe, or a bustling fish market in Busan (where sampling fresh sashimi was a fraction of Tokyo’s Tsukiji market prices), I felt I was rich in experiences while remaining modest in spending.

Timing Your Trip for Savings

One aspect that can influence all these costs is the season in which you travel. I experienced Korea in two different seasons: spring and winter, and the difference in both atmosphere and prices was notable. Spring (April) in South Korea is a magical time – cherry blossoms blanket cities like Seoul and Jeonju in pink petals.

It’s also a popular time for tourists and locals alike. During my spring visit, I noticed that hotel prices crept up and needed to be booked well in advance, especially in hotspots like Jeju Island or Jinhae (famous for its cherry blossom festival).

Many tours and attractions were a bit busier, and flights to Jeju or popular routes sold out early. This mirrors my experience in Japan’s spring, where prices surge during cherry blossom season due to sky-high demand.

In contrast, winter in Korea (December–February) turned out to be a budget traveler’s secret weapon. I went back in January for a week of ski resort hopping in Pyeongchang and city touring in Seoul. It was cold – yes – but I was rewarded with off-peak prices.

My Seoul hotel had a winter promotion (20% off nightly rates plus free breakfast), and even KTX train fares seemed a bit lower when booked in advance for the winter schedule. Many attractions were quieter; I got pristine photos at temples without the crowds. Like clockwork, as soon as Lunar New Year holiday ended, a lot of things went on sale.

Off-peak seasons like winter can offer better deals on accommodation and tours, and I found that true for both Korea and Japan. Summer in Korea (July–August) is a mixed bag: it’s hot and humid with a monsoon season, which actually keeps many international travelers away (meaning you might find summer discounts in big-city hotels).

However, coastal areas like Busan or Jeju see domestic holidaymakers, so prices there can spike in late July. Autumn (September–October) is another peak – gorgeous foliage and mild weather draw crowds much like Japan’s autumn, so plan for that.

My advice? If you have flexibility, consider shoulder seasons. Late spring (after cherry blossoms) and early autumn (just before the fall colors) in Korea often combine decent weather with slightly fewer tourists and moderate prices.

Whenever you go, South Korea remains relatively affordable, but timing your trip can make a good deal even better. I loved that I could experience both a festive high season and a quiet low season in Korea and feel like I got my money’s worth each time.

South Korea vs. Japan in One Week

After my week exploring South Korea, I sat down to compare notes (and receipts) with a similar trip I took in Japan. The verdict: South Korea was notably easier on the budget.

To really put things in perspective, I’ve broken down the average weekly costs for a mid-range traveler (like myself) in both South Korea and Japan across key categories:

(Exchange rates approximate: $1 ≈ ₩1,300; $1 ≈ ¥140)

As the table shows, a week in South Korea can cost roughly $900–$1,000 for a mid-range traveler, whereas a similar trip in Japan might be around $1,300 or more.

This lines up with broader travel trends – studies find mid-range travelers spend about ₩172,800 ($127) per day in South Korea vs. about ¥21,700 ($150) per day in Japan. In my own journey, I averaged roughly $130/day in Korea (I did indulge a bit here and there) compared to about $180/day in Japan on a prior trip.

The differences were most noticeable in accommodation and transportation, though every category added up. South Korea simply offers more bang for your buck in almost every department.

Final Thoughts

I realize that South Korea not only fed my soul with rich experiences but also kept my budget intact.

Traveling as a mid-range adventurer, I never felt like I was pinching pennies, I stayed in comfortable rooms, ate to my heart’s content, zipped around to multiple cities, and enjoyed guided tours and shows.

And I did it all for less than I would have paid in many other countries, Japan included.

Japan will always hold a special place in my heart, but when it comes to value for money, South Korea truly shines.

So, if you’re weighing a trip to either country and cost is a factor, just know: South Korea offers an incredible journey at a fraction of the price.