Cost of studying and living in Korea: a student budget for 2026

South Korea is not a place where you can guess a budget. You can, however, work it out in advance quite accurately. Split the costs in two: the large payments for your studies, and the regular costs of living.

We count in Korean won, because rent, food, transport and insurance are all paid in won. Click any amount to see it in US dollars and euros at the current rate.

The quick version

• University language courses: usually ₩1,300,000–₩1,860,000 per 10-week term, plus a registration fee.
• Bachelor's degree: the official average is about ₩6,820,000 a year; noticeably less at public universities, more at private and Seoul ones.
• Master's and PhD: the official average across all graduate programs is about ₩4,216,000 a year. It is lower than the bachelor's figure not because graduate school is cheaper: public universities pull the average down (about ₩2,482,000), private ones average about ₩4,435,000, and programs in Seoul can cost several times more.
• Basic student living costs: about ₩750,000–₩1,000,000 a month including housing, excluding tuition and flights.
• Seoul with your own place: usually closer to ₩1,300,000–₩1,700,000 a month.
• The biggest savings: a dormitory, the campus cafeteria, a scholarship and a careful choice of neighbourhood.

Tuition

University language courses usually run in 10-week terms. For 2026, expect ₩1,300,000–₩1,860,000 a term, plus a registration fee and textbooks. Regional public universities are cheaper: Incheon National University charges ₩1,300,000 and Kyungpook National University ₩1,400,000. Seoul universities cost more: Korea University charges ₩1,800,000 plus a ₩120,000 fee, and Yonsei and Sogang ₩1,860,000.

Degree programs are harder to pin down: the price depends on the university, the faculty and whether the university is public or private. According to Study in Korea, a bachelor's degree costs about ₩6,820,000 a year on average. Public and national universities average less, about ₩4,266,000 a year; private ones about ₩7,625,000.

The field of study makes a big difference too:

• humanities and social sciences: about ₩6,003,000 a year;
• natural sciences: about ₩6,875,000 a year;
• engineering: about ₩7,277,000 a year;
• arts and sport: about ₩7,828,000 a year;
• medicine: about ₩9,843,000 a year.

These figures give you a starting frame, not a promise of a price. Always check the program's page before you apply: within one university, different faculties can charge different fees.

Housing

Housing moves your monthly budget more than anything else. Student budgets show the same pattern again and again: those who live in a dormitory or a very cheap room stay within reasonable limits, and those who rent their own studio in Seoul pay a completely different bill.

Study in Korea's official figure covers dormitories only. The figures for goshiwon rooms, shared flats and studios are market observations; there are no official statistics for them.

Per month:

• dormitory: officially ₩500,000–₩700,000, depending on the number of roommates and whether meals are included; regional universities can be cheaper;
• goshiwon (a very small room with the bare minimum): ₩250,000–₩500,000;
• a room in a shared flat: ₩400,000–₩800,000;
• your own studio or officetel in Seoul: ₩600,000–₩1,200,000 and up;
• your own place outside Seoul: often cheaper, but it depends on the city and the area.

Budget for the deposit (보증금). It is often larger than the monthly rent suggests, which is why many students start in a dormitory and look for their own place once they have settled in.

Food

Food comes down to habits. If you only eat out, the budget quickly spreads. If you cook at home and use the cafeteria, the costs stay much calmer.

Study in Korea's official figure for food is ₩200,000–₩300,000 a month. The campus cafeteria is usually cheaper than a café, but the range is wide: the official page gives ₩5,000–₩15,000 per meal in a university cafeteria.

For everyday sums, these figures are handy:

• a simple meal in a cafeteria or a cheap café: ₩5,000–₩11,000;
• a coffee: about ₩4,000–₩6,000;
• groceries for cooking: usually the cheaper option, as long as you buy local staples rather than trying to recreate your usual shopping basket from home.

Only regular cafeteria meals and home cooking keep you near the lower end. Even at ₩5,000 a meal, 30 cafeteria meals already cost ₩150,000.

Transport, phone and insurance

Korean public transport is convenient, but do not use the old figure of 1,250 won per ride any more. Since 28 June 2025 the base subway fare in the Seoul area has been ₩1,550 with a transport card and ₩1,650 with a single-journey ticket.

Per month:

• transport: ₩50,000–₩100,000 if you travel around the city regularly;
• mobile phone: about ₩20,000–₩50,000; cheap MVNO plans are common among students;
• utilities: ₩50,000–₩150,000, especially if heating, air conditioning and internet are billed separately;
• national health insurance: a fixed amount rather than a range. Students on D-2 and D-4 visas pay 50% of the average premium. In 2026 the average premium, including long-term care, is ₩158,630, so half is about ₩79,300 a month. The figure is revised every year.

Utilities are not always included in the rent, so ask before you sign. Heating in winter and air conditioning in summer can change the total noticeably.

What it adds up to per month

Put together, the costs fall into a few clear scenarios:

• Very frugal. A dormitory or goshiwon, the cafeteria, hardly any taxis or deliveries: about ₩750,000–₩900,000 a month.
• A normal student budget in Seoul. Cheap housing, transport, phone, insurance, the occasional café: about ₩900,000–₩1,200,000.
• More comfortable. Your own studio, more cafés, a gym, trips and shopping: about ₩1,300,000–₩1,700,000 and up.

Staying within the official ₩750,000–₩1,000,000 a month in Seoul is possible, but usually on one of these conditions: a dormitory or very cheap housing, a scholarship, disciplined spending and no big one-off purchases. GKS scholars can seem to spend less, because the scholarship covers the largest items. That does not mean the same sum works for everyone.

Part-time work

A part-time job helps with costs, but you cannot build a financial plan on it. International students on D-2 and D-4 visas need permission to work, and the hours allowed depend on the visa, the year of study, your Korean level and the university's confirmation.

Keep in mind:

• D-4 language course students can usually apply for permission only after six months in Korea.
• D-2 students may get permission sooner, but the hour limits vary with the program level and your Korean.
• Working without permission can affect your visa and your extension.

Plan your first semester as if you had no job.

How to save

• Start in a dormitory: it is often the simplest way to cut costs without extra paperwork.
• Do not pick housing from photos alone. The neighbourhood, the deposit and the utilities matter more than a nice listing.
• Eat on campus more often and cook basic food at home.
• Use a transport card and the free transfers.
• Find out straight away how much your insurance costs and when the bills start.
• Do not count on a part-time job as guaranteed income from the first month.
• Look for scholarships and university discounts before you apply, not after you are admitted.

Scholarships are the biggest lever. The Korean government's GKS scholarship covers tuition in full, plus a monthly allowance. University discounts for international students are set by each university, with no common standard, so check the page of the specific program. For the 2027 call, see How to apply for the GKS scholarship 2027.

The bottom line

For a first estimate, use a simple formula: the program's tuition + ₩750,000–₩1,200,000 a month for living costs including housing + the housing deposit + the flight + a reserve for the first few weeks. A dormitory or a scholarship makes the budget noticeably lighter. If you want your own place in a Seoul neighbourhood and a comfortable routine, budget with a margin.

If you would like to cost out a specific university and program, leave a request: we will help you put together a realistic estimate that includes the payments that usually surface at the last minute.

Sources

• Study in Korea: study expenses in Korea
• Study in Korea: living costs and expenses
• Study in Korea: residence status and stay
• Korea University Korean Language Center: program schedule
• Kyungpook National University: Korean language program
• Yonhap News Agency: subway fare increase from 28 June 2025