living costs korea - Korea in Depth

12 – Living Costs in Korea: What the Numbers Don’t Explain

2026-01-182026-01-17 by Sampajano

A view of central Seoul with high-rise buildings and distant mountain ridges, seen from an elevated viewpoint at sunset.

This essay looks at living costs in Korea through everyday routines rather than statistics. It traces how repeated choices and quiet pressures shape what numbers alone cannot explain.