How Much Does It Cost to Visit South Korea? Official Rates by City

Leslie Nics at TravelValueFinder.com from official government sources, with figures checked in November 2026.

How much does it cost to visit South Korea? On official US government rates, a three night Seoul weekend costs two travelers about $1,527. A week on Jeju costs $2,877, and a week in Seoul costs $3,563.

The city you pick matters most. Seoul’s official rate is $377 a day for one traveler, while Korea’s rate for smaller places is $110. Those figures are ceilings, not prices, so most travelers will spend less.

This page is for travelers building a Korea budget before they choose cities. It shows what each city costs, then prices four sample trips.

Visiting South Korea on official rates

This page uses the US State Department foreign per diem rates. They are the maximum daily amounts the government reimburses its own employees abroad.

Each place gets a lodging cap per night and a meals and incidentals rate per person. Every Korean rate in our tables took effect on October 1, 2026, so the figures are current. All prices are in US dollars, and flights are left out.

City choice moves a Korea budget more than any other decision.” Leslie Nics, Founder and Lead Travel Writer, TravelValueFinder.com

Our trips assume two adults sharing one room. We count the lodging cap once per night and the meals rate once per traveler per day.

Three price tiers

Table 1 ranks Korean places by the daily rate for one traveler. The rates fall into three tiers.

Table 1: Official daily rates for one traveler, in US dollars. Source: State Department foreign per diem rates, publication date November 1, 2026.

The top tier is Seoul and Busan, at $377 and $359. Jeju, Incheon, Gwangju, Ulsan, and Daegu form a middle tier from $233 to $318. Smaller places run from $110 to $175.

Jeju costs $59 less than Seoul a day. Its meals rate of $93 is well below Seoul’s $132 and Busan’s $126. Incheon, the airport city, sits $90 below Seoul.

Lodging is the biggest part of the rate in most places. It makes up about 65 percent of Seoul’s rate and 71 percent of Jeju’s, and about 52 percent of Daegu’s. Where you sleep drives most of the price.

Four trips, priced

Table 2 prices four trips for two travelers sharing one room. We chose lengths people often book, and each trip stays in one city.

Table 2: Sample trips for two travelers sharing one room, in US dollars.

Per night for two, Jeju costs $411 against $509 in Seoul. Daegu costs $345. A week in Seoul would cost $3,563, which is $686 more than a week on Jeju.

To build your own trip, multiply each lodging cap by your nights. Then add the meals rate times travelers times days. Three nights in Seoul and four in Busan cost two travelers $3,467.

Seoul is the headline price, not the typical price.” Leslie Nics, Founder and Lead Travel Writer, TravelValueFinder.com

Gyeongju and the summer swing

Gyeongju is the one listed place with two seasons. From June 1 to August 31, its lodging cap is $351 and meals are $124. The rest of the year those drop to $178 and $107.

That is a 97 percent jump in the lodging cap. In summer Gyeongju’s daily rate of $475 is $98 above Seoul’s.

Two nights for two travelers cost $784 outside summer and $1,198 in summer. The difference is $414, about 53 percent.

Smaller places and the lowest rates

Korea’s table lists several smaller cities. Sokcho costs $175 a day for one traveler, Daejeon $168, and Changwon $165.

Some places pair a high lodging cap with a low meals rate. Pyeongchang’s cap is $176, but its meals rate is only $76.

Three nights for two cost $750 in Sokcho and $702 in Daejeon. Places the table does not list fall under the lowest rate, $110 a day. That is less than a third of Seoul’s rate.

Fares and fees we could verify

Per diem rates cover lodging and meals. These fares and fees sit outside them, and we convert at about 1,350 won to the dollar.

Table 3: Fares and fees outside the per diem rates. Dollar amounts use about 1,350 won to the dollar.

Korail cut KTX fares about 10 percent on September 1 after merging with its rival operator. The Seoul to Busan fare fell from 59,800 to 54,400 won, as the Seoul Economic Daily reported.

A Seoul to Busan round trip costs 108,800 won, about $81 per person. That saves about $8 against the old fare. Four base subway rides in a day cost 6,200 won, about $4.60.

The Korea Heritage Service charges 3,000 won at Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, and 1,000 won at three other palaces. Any fee change is undecided, according to the Korea Times. Check before you go.

At current prices, two adults visiting both main palaces pay 12,000 won, about $9.

Seoul’s subway fare comes from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and took effect on June 28, 2025.

What the rates leave out

The meals rate covers incidentals as well as food. We also left out flights, transfers between cities beyond the KTX example, activities, shopping, and currency moves.

This page relies on official data and verified fares, not on local reporting from Korea. Treat it as a way to compare cities and plan a range, not as a trip itinerary.

Getting in

US citizens need no visa for stays under 90 days, according to the State Department’s South Korea page. Korea sets no minimum passport validity beyond your entry date.

South Korea waives its electronic travel authorization, called K-ETA, for US citizens through December 31, 2026. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs notice confirms the period. The State Department says you will need one starting January 1, 2027.

Apply only on the official K-ETA portal, where the fee is 10,000 won. All travelers also submit a free online arrival card, up to three days ahead, through the online arrival card site.

Safety, weather, and rules

The State Department rates South Korea Level 1, exercise normal precautions. It calls violent crime rare. It notes large demonstrations that can disrupt transport and high tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Heavy rain falls during the June to August monsoon, and typhoon season runs May to November. Check forecasts before you travel in those months.

Drivers need an International Driving Permit, and Korea restricts some prescription drugs. The State Department also notes high traffic fatality rates. The CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages list vaccine and health advice.

Timing changes the checklist. Before January 1, 2027, you need no K-ETA, and from May to November you should check typhoon forecasts. From June to August, expect monsoon rain and Gyeongju’s higher rate.

How I would plan a Korea budget

I would start with the city, not the country. Seoul and Busan set the high end, and most other places cost noticeably less.

A budget is a range. Build yours from the city, not the country.” Leslie Nics, Founder and Lead Travel Writer, TravelValueFinder.com

Cost and value are different questions. A rate table cannot tell you what a place is worth to you.

Compare Korea and run your own numbers

Weighing Korea against Japan? Read our Japan vs South Korea cost comparison. It uses the same official rates for matched stops.

Your trip will not match ours. Change the nights, stops, or travelers in our travel budget calculator. For other destinations, see our travel cost guide by destination.

For the Japan side, see our Japan cost breakdown.

Questions before you book

Where these numbers come from

• US Department of State, Foreign Per Diem Rates, publication date November 1, 2026
• US Department of State, South Korea Travel Advisory and guidance, advisory dated May 28, 2025
• Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs, KETA exemption notice
• Republic of Korea Ministry of Justice, KETA portal
• Republic of Korea Ministry of Justice, online arrival card
• Seoul Economic Daily, reporting Korail’s KTX fare change
• Korea Times, reporting the Korea Heritage Service on palace fees
• Seoul Metropolitan Government, subway fares
• CDC Travelers’ Health, destination list

All rates and rules were checked in November 2026.