Which place is cheaper, Seoul or Nairobi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Nairobi or Seoul?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Nairobi and Seoul can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Nairobi or Seoul?
Nairobi
Nairobi is Kenya's capital as well as the country's largest city. With a population of about 3 million, it is also one of the largest cities in Africa. It is a prominent city both politically and financially within the region. There are many international companies that are located in Nairobi and the Nairobi Securities and Exchange is one of the largest in Africa.
Seoul
With a population of more than 11 million, Seoul is easily the largest city in South Korea. It is also the financial, political, and cultural capital of the country and has much to offer open minded travelers. It is often overlooked by travelers who instead head to Tokyo or Shanghai, but Seoul has a wide range of cultural experiences, food options, and historical sights. Seoul is a city of contrasts with ancient traditions, flashy technology, religious temples and a modern youth culture. It is also more affordable than many of the other Asian metropolis' to which it is often compared. If you're looking for an interesting and different experience that is a little off the tourist trail, Seoul can definitely offer that opportunity.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Kenya, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to South Korea, and The Best Adventure Tours to South Korea.
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Nairobi Prices
Kenya PricesSeoul Prices
South Korea Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNairobi $67Seoul $133
The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $67, while the average daily cost in Seoul is $133. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Nairobi and Seoul in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNairobi $12Seoul $56
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNairobi $24Seoul $112
Compare Hotels in Nairobi and Seoul
Looking for a hotel in Nairobi or Seoul? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Nairobi Hotel Prices and Seoul Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Nairobi $11Seoul $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:
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Taxi from Airport$9.24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi
Also for Nairobi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- NBO Airport Private Transfer to/from Nairobi City Center: $8.85
- Safe and Private Airport transfer in Nairobi: $20
- Private Airport Transfer and Service in Nairobi: $20
- Safe Airport Transfer in Nairobi: $22
- Seamless Nairobi Airport Transfers: $25
- Private Airport Transfers To or From Nairobi Airports.: $25
- Private One-Way Transfer from Nairobi: $27
- Mwashi Airport Transfer & Taxi: $27
- Private One-Way Nairobi Airport Transfer: $29
- Airport Transfer in Nairobi- JKIA: $30
- Wilson Airport Private Transfer to Nairobi hotels or Airport: $30
- Safe Private Airport transfer in Nairobi: $30
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Seoul
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Seoul:
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Subway Card$3.72
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Short Taxi Ride$5.21
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Metro Ride$1.01
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Seoul City Pass Plus$7.44
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seoul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seoul:
- Private Transfer To/From Incheon Airport (1-12pax): $164
- Private Transfer To/From Incheon Airport: $90
- Private One-Way Transfers to/from Incheon Airport(ICN): $39
- Night Views Tour with Guide and Transfers: $41
- Seoul to Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) - Departure Private Transfer: $77
- Seoul to Nami Island, Gangchon Rail Park Full-Day Tour, Transfers: $79
- Seoul to Incheon &Gimpo Airport Transfer 24/7 Departure Service: $90
- Seoul Gimpo Airport (GMP) Transfer to Seoul/Suwon/Seongnam/Yongin: $60
- Private transfer from Seoul hotel to Seoul Station and so on: $132
- Private Transfer from Seoul to Incheon Cruise Terminal(12 pax): $190
- Private Transfer Incheon Cruise Terminal from and to Seoul: $105
- Private One-Way Transfer: Incheon Airport ⇄ Seoul (1-5 PAX): $192
Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or Seoul?
Prices for flights to both Seoul and Nairobi change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayNairobi $13Seoul $53
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner for Two$5.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Carnivore Restaurant: Lunch or Dinner Experience in Nairobi: $21
- Kenyan Cooking Class & Authentic Dining Experience with a Local: $40
- Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour: $55
- Popular Kenyan Food Cooking Class and Local Market Experience: $60
- Carnivore restaurant Dinner or lunch from Nairobi: $65
- Carnivore Resturant Dinner Experience: $68
- Cooking Lesson of Local Food $ Lunch: $68
- Private Kenyan Cooking Class in Nairobi with a Local: $76
- Dinner Experience with Cat Show at Safari Park Hotel: $90
- The Carnivore Restaurant Lunch or Dinner with transport: $97
- Safari Cat Dancers Show And Dinner: $100
- Barbecue Lunch/ Dinner At The Carnivore Restaurant - Nairobi: $100
Typical Food Prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seoul are as follows:
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Rice with Kimchi & Bacon$4.47
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Waffle$0.74
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Dippin' Dots$1.49
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Chicken Fried Rice$4.09
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Chicken Stick$1.49
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Drinking Yoghurt & Mi Chew$1.41
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Lunch Buffet$4.47
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Donut$0.74
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Mushroom Burger$3.87
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Green Tea Ice Cream$2.46
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Udon & Sushi$5.21
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Fresh Burger$3.57
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Soba Noodles Lunch$3.35
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Bibimbap Lunch$3.72
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Fried Rice$4.09
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Vietnamese Dinner$7.07
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Breakfast and Coffee for 2$7.07
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Donut$1.86
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seoul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seoul.
- Guided Street Food Tour at Namdaemun Market: $45
- Seoul Night Run for Local-Favorite Korean BBQ Dinner: $50
- EG Tour Gimpo Peace and Food Tour: $50
- [Wine & K-BBQ] A Perfect Pairing Dinner in Sinchon: $51
- Mangwon Market Food tour By Locals; Cheap Eats to Fancy Feast: $55
- Mangwon Market Food tour By Locals;Cheap Eats to Fancy Feast: $57
- Kimchi Dishes Cooking Class with Wine Pairing: $61
- Gwangjang Market Netflix Food Tour: $64
- Incheon Full-Day Sunset and Sea Food Tour: $65
- Namdaemun Market Food Tour: $65
- Sunset Walking Tour in Naksan Park with Dinner: $66
- Guided City Wall Sunset Hike with Korean Dinner: $67
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Nairobi $46Seoul $27
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Village Visit$15
Tours and Activities in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Fashion African Fabric & Souvenir Market Tour: $12
- Ebike adventure Hire Nairobi (Electric mountain bike hire): $15
- Nairobi Matatu Culture Experience: $18
- Kibera Community Tour with Local Guide MC Dawn: $20
- Nairobi Walking City Tour +pick-up: $20
- Nairobi’s ultimate Walking City Tour with Hotel pickup: $20
- Nairobi City Walk Tour +pickup: $22
- Nairobi Green Bus City Sightseeing Tour 4 Hours: $23
- Kibera Slum Compassionate Walking Experience 3 Hours: $23
- Nairobi History, Culture and Modern City Walking Tour: $24
- Nairobi City Tour: $25
- Nairobi city walking tour: $25
Typical Entertainment Prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Seoul are as follows:
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Palace Tickets$5.96
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Movie Ticket$5.96
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Kimchi Museum$2.23
Tours and Activities in Seoul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seoul are as follows:
- (Private tour) Nami Island + Railbike + Garden of morning calm: $260
- (Private tour) Seoul highlights; Gangnam and beyond Tour: $300
- (Small Group) Art and Architecture tour of Seoul: $121
- 1 Day Private Full DMZ Tour in Seoul with Crystal Gondola: $220
- 2 hr / Seoul Private Pedicab Tour : Bukchon Anguk Hanok Village: $115
- 2026 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best: DMZ Tour from Seoul: $40
- 3-Hour Self-guided Sokcho Tour with Private Transportation: $30
- 365-day DMZ Tour : Signature or Special Flex-Itinerary Edition: $59
- All inclusive Seoul Highlight Tour optional Hanbok Rental: $68
- Alpaca World Adventure in Nami Island and Garden of Morning Calm: $118
- Amazing DMZ Tour: $54
- Amazing Gawong-do Tour: $80
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayNairobi $16Seoul $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Seoul
Also in Seoul, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Seoul Pub Crawl by Absolute: $20
- Pub Crawl: $25
- The Seoul Pub Crawl [official]: $26
- LGBTQ+ Pub Crawl and Drag Show with Local Drag Queen: $28
- Rice Wine Tasting with Sommelier - Finest Makgeolli (& Soju): $46
- Soju Tasting at Distillery - story of 3 pigs: $47
- Soju Tasting at Distillery: $51
- Premium Pub Crawl with Open Bottles: $57
- Craft Makgeolli Brewery Tour & Tasting Experience: $67
- Learn and Craft Makgeolli in a Traditional Brewery: $78
- Seoul Chunpoong Brewery: Korea’s Finest Liquor Tour: $80
- From Yeongdong Day Trip with Wine Tasting and Janggu: $91
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nairobi and Seoul, we can see that Seoul is more expensive. And not only is Nairobi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Nairobi is in Africa and Seoul is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Nairobi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Nairobi and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Seoul would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Seoul than you might in Nairobi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Nairobi Expensive? and Is Seoul Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Nairobi or Seoul?
Seoul has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Nairobi. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi and Seoul, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.