💰 Oppa's Fair Price Guide

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Prices below are typical ranges in Seoul, checked 2026-11-06. A single bowl of soup is never exactly one price: it depends on the place. Tourist areas (Myeongdong, Hongdae, Itaewon) can be a bit higher. If a price is far above the range, ask — or walk away.

USD figures use today's reference rate (1345 KRW per $1, Reference rate 2026-11-05 — source Frankfurter/ECB. Not a live trading rate; bank rates may differ.). Sources: Seoul Metropolitan Government taxi and transit fare tables; Korea Consumer Agency Chamgagyeok (price.go.kr) Seoul eat-out averages, September 2026; 2026 Seoul travel price guides.

1 · Fair price list

Korean food

Photo	Item	Normal range	About
	Gukbap (soup with rice) 국밥 1 bowl	₩10,000 – ₩13,000 ≈ $7.44 – $9.67	Pork or beef soup with rice. A classic cheap, filling meal.
	Kimchi jjigae set (stew + rice + sides) 김치찌개 백반 1 set	₩8,000 – ₩10,000 ≈ $5.95 – $7.44	Seoul average about ₩8,850 (Korea Consumer Agency, Sept 2026).
	Bibimbap 비빔밥 1 bowl	₩11,000 – ₩14,000 ≈ $8.18 – $10.41	Seoul average about ₩12,000 (Korea Consumer Agency, Sept 2026).
	Samgyeopsal (pork belly BBQ) 삼겹살 1 serving	₩18,000 – ₩23,000 ≈ $13.39 – $17.10	One serving as served; about ₩21,300 per 200 g on average.
	Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) 삼계탕 1 whole chicken	₩16,000 – ₩20,000 ≈ $11.90 – $14.87	Seoul average about ₩18,150 (Korea Consumer Agency, Sept 2026).
	Kalguksu (hand-cut noodles) 칼국수 1 bowl	₩9,000 – ₩12,000 ≈ $6.69 – $8.92	Seoul average about ₩10,000 (Korea Consumer Agency, Sept 2026).
	Naengmyeon (cold noodles) 냉면 1 bowl	₩11,000 – ₩14,000 ≈ $8.18 – $10.41	Seoul average about ₩12,600 (Korea Consumer Agency, Sept 2026).
	Jajangmyeon (black-bean noodles) 자장면 1 bowl	₩7,000 – ₩9,000 ≈ $5.21 – $6.69	Seoul average about ₩7,800 (Korea Consumer Agency, Sept 2026).
	Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) 떡볶이 1 portion	₩3,000 – ₩6,000 ≈ $2.23 – $4.46	Street stalls and markets; ₩4,000–5,000 is typical.
	Kimbap (seaweed rice roll) 김밥 1 roll	₩3,500 – ₩5,000 ≈ $2.60 – $3.72	Seoul average about ₩3,900 (Korea Consumer Agency, Sept 2026).
	Fried chicken (whole) 치킨 1 whole chicken	₩20,000 – ₩28,000 ≈ $14.87 – $20.82	Delivery or restaurant; sides and drinks are extra.
	Hotteok (sweet pancake) 호떡 1 piece	₩1,500 – ₩2,500 ≈ $1.12 – $1.86	Street snack; usually about ₩2,000.

Cafe & drinks

Photo	Item	Normal range	About
	Americano, cafe 아메리카노 1 cup	₩4,500 – ₩7,000 ≈ $3.35 – $5.21	Chain and specialty cafes. Budget chains are much cheaper — see below.
	Americano, budget coffee chain 저가 커피 1 cup	₩1,500 – ₩4,500 ≈ $1.12 – $3.35	Mega Coffee, Compose Coffee, Ediya and similar.
	Americano, convenience store 편의점 커피 1 cup	₩1,000 – ₩1,800 ≈ $0.74 – $1.34	Self-service machines at CU, GS25 and 7-Eleven.
	Cola 330 ml, convenience store 콜라 1 can/bottle	₩1,800 – ₩2,500 ≈ $1.34 – $1.86	Cafe and restaurant prices are higher.
	Bottled water 500 ml 생수 1 bottle	₩800 – ₩1,500 ≈ $0.59 – $1.12	Convenience stores; about ₩1,000 is typical.
	Banana milk 바나나맛 우유 1 bottle	₩1,500 – ₩2,000 ≈ $1.12 – $1.49	Convenience stores; about ₩1,800.
	Soju, at a restaurant 소주 1 bottle	₩5,000 – ₩7,000 ≈ $3.72 – $5.21	Restaurant price. The same bottle is far cheaper in a store.
	Soju, convenience store 소주 1 bottle	₩1,900 – ₩2,200 ≈ $1.41 – $1.64	For comparison — buy it here, not at a bar, if price matters.
	Draft beer, at a restaurant 생맥주 1 glass	₩4,000 – ₩8,000 ≈ $2.97 – $5.95	Craft beer can be ₩8,000–10,000 a glass.

Transport

Photo	Item	Normal range	About
	Subway, 1 ride (transit card) 지하철 1 ride	₩1,550 ≈ $1.15	Adult card fare since 28 June 2025; covers the first 10 km. A single-journey ticket is ₩1,650.
	City bus, blue/green (transit card) 시내버스 1 ride	₩1,500 ≈ $1.12	Same price by card or cash.
	Village bus 마을버스 1 ride	₩1,200 ≈ $0.89	Short local routes.
	Red express bus 광역버스 1 ride	₩3,000 ≈ $2.23	Longer cross-city and Seoul–Gyeonggi routes.
	Taxi base fare, daytime 택시 기본요금 first 1.6 km	₩4,800 ≈ $3.57	Regular taxi, 04:00–22:00. Then ₩100 per 131 m (or per 30 seconds when slow).
	Taxi base fare, late night 23:00–02:00 택시 심야할증 first 1.6 km	₩6,700 ≈ $4.98	40% surcharge. 22:00–23:00 and 02:00–04:00 it is +20% (₩5,800).
	Deluxe / large taxi base fare 모범·대형택시 first 3 km	₩7,000 ≈ $5.21	Black deluxe taxis. Night surcharge is a flat +20% (22:00–04:00).
—	T-money card (empty) 티머니 카드 1 card	₩2,500 – ₩5,000 ≈ $1.86 – $3.72	Plain cards about ₩2,500–3,000; character designs cost more. You top it up separately.
—	Climate Card, 1-day pass 기후동행카드 1 day	₩5,000 ≈ $3.72	Unlimited Seoul subway and Seoul buses for a day. Card itself ₩3,000.
—	Climate Card, 3-day pass 기후동행카드 3 days	₩10,000 ≈ $7.44	Pays for itself from the 7th ride at the ₩1,550 subway fare.

Daily & shopping

Photo	Item	Normal range	About
	Triangle kimbap, convenience store 삼각김밥 1 piece	₩1,200 – ₩1,800 ≈ $0.89 – $1.34	The classic convenience-store snack.
	Convenience-store lunch box 도시락 1 box	₩4,500 – ₩7,000 ≈ $3.35 – $5.21	A full meal; most are ₩5,200–5,900.
	Fish cake skewer (odeng) 어묵 1 skewer	₩1,000 – ₩1,500 ≈ $0.74 – $1.12	Street stalls and convenience stores; about ₩500–800 each at a store counter.
	Jjimjilbang entry (bathhouse) 찜질방 1 entry	₩15,000 – ₩20,000 ≈ $11.16 – $14.87	24-hour bathhouse with sleeping hall; overnight is usually included.

Typical price ranges in Seoul, checked 2026-11-06. Tourist areas (Myeongdong, Hongdae, Itaewon) can be a bit higher. Prices change — always check the menu or meter before you pay.

2 · Is this a fair price? — check before you pay

Pick what you bought and enter the price you paid (or were asked to pay).

This is a guide, not a verdict: prices vary by place and time. A price a little above the range in a tourist area or a famous restaurant can still be normal.

3 · Taxi fare estimator

Seoul meter, daytime: ₩4,800 for the first 1.6 km, then ₩100 per 131 m (or per 30 seconds when slow). Night adds 20% (22:00–23:00 and 02:00–04:00) or 40% (23:00–02:00). This is an estimate — heavy traffic and highway tolls can push it higher.

Airport routes: highway tolls are extra. A deluxe (black) taxi starts at ₩7,000 for the first 3 km and costs more.

4 · Rip-off patterns to know

These are general patterns seen in tourist areas. No specific restaurant, taxi company or shop is named here — the pattern is what matters, not the place.

🚩 "The meter is broken" — a fixed price is demanded (Taxi)

"Meter broken. Fixed price 30,000 won."

A working meter is required by law. A driver who refuses the meter is breaking the rules.

What to do: Politely refuse, get out, and take the next taxi — or book one in the Kakao T or Uber app, where the price is shown before you ride.

🚩 The long way round (Taxi)

The ride takes twice as long as your map app says.

Some drivers take a detour with passengers who do not know the city.

What to do: Follow the route on your own map app (Naver Map or KakaoMap) and show the driver your destination in Korean. If the route looks wrong, say so.

🚩 "Card machine broken" — cash only (Taxi)

"Card no. Cash only."

Every Seoul taxi must accept cards. A broken card machine is almost never real.

What to do: Offer your card anyway. If they insist, note the taxi number on the door and pay — then report it to 1330.

🚩 Inflated late-night prices near clubs and the airport (Taxi)

"Night price. 50,000 won to Hongdae."

The real night surcharge is +20% (22:00–23:00 and 02:00–04:00) or +40% (23:00–02:00) — not double or triple.

What to do: Check the expected range with the taxi estimator below, and book through an app at night.

🚩 No prices on the menu (Restaurant)

A menu with dishes but no prices — or no menu at all.

If you cannot see the price before you order, you cannot agree to it.

What to do: Ask "Eolmayeyo?" (How much is it?) before ordering. If they will not say, walk out — there is almost always another restaurant on the same street.

🚩 A separate, pricier menu for tourists (Restaurant)

Your English menu shows higher prices than the Korean menu on the wall.

Some places in tourist areas keep two menus. The wall menu is usually the real one.

What to do: Compare the English menu with the Korean menu or the price list on the wall. Take a photo if the prices do not match, and ask which price applies.

🚩 A surprise service charge at payment (Restaurant)

The bill has a 'service charge' or 'table charge' nobody mentioned.

Tipping is not customary in Korea, and any charge must be printed on the menu. A charge that appears only at payment is not normal.

What to do: Ask what each line on the bill is for, in English or with a translation app. Check the bill line by line before you pay.

🚩 One order per person — or set menu only (Restaurant)

"One person, one order. No sharing."

Some restaurants do require one main dish per person, and that is normal. What is not normal is being forced into the most expensive set with no choice.

What to do: One dish per person is common in Korea — but the price of that dish must be on the menu. If only an expensive set is offered, you may leave before ordering.

🚩 Tourist markup on souvenirs and cosmetics (Shopping)

"Special price, just for you."

Street stalls in Myeongdong and Insadong can charge several times the normal price for the same souvenir or face mask.

What to do: Compare first: the same item in a convenience store or Olive Young has a fixed price. If a stall price is far above that, it is a markup.

🚩 Aggressive touting (Shopping)

A seller follows you, pulls you in, and will not take no for an answer.

High-pressure selling is a warning sign, not good service.

What to do: A firm "Gwaenchanhayo" (No, thank you) and keep walking. The same item is almost always for sale a few shops away — cheaper and calmer.

5 · What to do if you were overcharged

1. Stay calm and pay by card. A card payment leaves a record. Always ask for a receipt.
2. Collect evidence. Photograph the menu, the bill, the receipt, and — for a taxi — the plate number on the door.
3. Write down where and when. Place name, address, time, and what you were charged.
4. Call for help. The numbers below are free to call and have English service.
5. Report it. With a receipt and photos, a complaint can lead to a fine for the business — and a refund for you.

Show this in Korean — tap 🔊 to hear it

• 미터기로 가 주세요. Miteoro ga juseyo. Please use the meter. 🔊 When you get into a taxi.
• 메뉴판 보여 주세요. Menyupan boyeo juseyo. Please show me the menu. 🔊 When there is no menu, or no prices on it.
• 얼마예요? Eolmayeyo? How much is it? 🔊 Before you order or buy anything.
• 영수증 주세요. Yeongsujeung juseyo. Please give me a receipt. 🔊 Always, before you pay — a receipt is your evidence.
• 이 가격은 너무 비싸요. I gagyeogeun neomu bissayo. This price is too expensive. 🔊 When the price is far above the normal range.
• 경찰 불러 주세요. Gyeongchareul bulleo juseyo. Please call the police. 🔊 If you feel threatened or a driver refuses to let you out.

Help numbers

More Korean phrases → · Emergency numbers →

🎒 Travelling on a tight budget?

These prices are also the building blocks of the broke-traveller budget plans — jjimjilbang nights, market meals and free sights, with ₩30,000 and ₩50,000 daily plans.

Travel Korea Broke →