Itaewon Cost of Living for Foreign Residents (2026)
Monthly cost-of-living breakdown for Itaewon in Seoul for a single foreign resident in 2026.
Estimated total monthly cost
₩3.3M
Single foreign resident, one-bedroom rental in Itaewon, mid-tier lifestyle (eating out 4-5x/week, occasional leisure spending). Rent is the dominant variable; the rest is roughly Korea-wide.
What does cost of living in Itaewon include?
| Category | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Rent (one-bedroom, monthly 월세) | ₩1.7M |
| Utilities (electricity, gas, water, management / 관리비) | ₩284K |
| Internet | ₩44K |
| Mobile phone (one line) | ₩49K |
| Food (single, eating out + groceries) | ₩555K |
| Transit (T-money + occasional taxi) | ₩62K |
| National Health Insurance (국민건강보험) premium | ₩160K |
| Leisure and discretionary | ₩250K |
| Miscellaneous | ₩200K |
| Total estimated monthly | ₩3.3M |
What is rent in Itaewon by apartment size?
| Unit type | Deposit | Monthly (월세) | Jeonse (전세) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio / officetel (오피스텔) | ₩27.5M | ₩850K | ₩280.0M |
| 1-bedroom | ₩30.0M | ₩1.7M | ₩462.5M |
| 2-bedroom | ₩200.0M | ₩2.1M | ₩630.0M |
Deposit and jeonse (전세) figures are typical Q2 2026 ranges. Actual listings vary by unit age, building amenities, and floor.
Reported contracts in Yongsan-gu (용산구), September 2026
- Apartment: median monthly rent ₩1,950,000 with a ₩173m deposit (106 new leases)
- Officetel: median monthly rent ₩1,120,000 with a ₩30m deposit (52 new leases)
- Villa or row house: median monthly rent ₩900,000 with a ₩30m deposit (91 new leases)
These are medians of new leases of all sizes reported to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the whole district. The table above is our estimate for typical units in Itaewon.
See rent and jeonse in Yongsan-guWhy does Itaewon cost what it does?
Itaewon is described as: International hub, diverse food, strong expat community, nightlife. For foreign-resident friendliness, we rate it high: this affects English availability at services and how easy daily life feels for someone without strong Korean.
For a deeper neighborhood profile (transit, food, schools, where foreign residents tend to live), see the full Itaewon guide.
Read the full neighborhood guide
Itaewon, Seoul
Continue to the full Itaewon guideFor a personalized cost-of-living estimate based on your household, tier, and unit type, try our Korea cost-of-living calculator.