Should you visit Seoul or Edinburgh?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Seoul and Edinburgh can help you decide which place is right for you.
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.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the moderately sized capital of Scotland. It is a medieval city that has managed to perfect the combination of Georgian architecture and medieval relics with a cosmopolitan population and avant-garde atmosphere. The city's population is quite young, in large part because of the University of Edinburgh. This youthful vibe gives this city a lot of vitality. There's a thriving nightlife, many restaurants, theatres, galleries and museums.
Which city is cheaper, Edinburgh or Seoul?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Seoul is $101, while the average daily cost in Edinburgh is $159. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Seoul and Edinburgh in more detail.
Accommodation
Seoul's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $102. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $51.
Travelers usually pay around $166 for a double occupancy room in Edinburgh If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
While meal prices in Seoul can vary, the average travelers spends about $28 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Seoul should cost around $11 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Seoul is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
Food in Edinburgh costs travelers about $43 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Seoul $28
Edinburgh $43
Typical Food prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seoul are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seoul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seoul.
-
Jeonju Virtual Tour and Online Cooking Class with Kimchi Chef:
$13
-
Mokpo Virtual Tour and Online Cooking Class with Kimchi Chef:
$13
-
Gangneung Virtual Tour and Online Cooking Class with Kimchi Chef:
$13
-
Andong Virtual Tour and Online Cooking Class with Kimchi Chef:
$13
-
Yeot-gangjeong Making Cooking Class in Gangnam:
$17
-
Incheon Sunset and Seafood Tour:
$22
-
Night Market Food Tour:
$48
-
Busan Jagalchi Market Tour and Korean Daily Special Dish Cooking Class:
$49
-
Traditional Korean Cooking Class (Kimchi) & market tour with chef Joungy:
$51
-
Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience in Seoul:
$52
-
Private Traditional Korean Cooking Class and Dongdaemun Market Food Tour by Janet's Cooking Studio:
$52
-
Korean Cooking Class with Full-Course Meal & Local Market Tour:
$56
Typical Food prices in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Scottish Classic Desserts private cooking class with professional chef:
$66
-
Discover Royal Mile-Old Town & ENJOY Indian Dinner ~ Walking Tour!:
$79
-
3-Hour Guided Secret Food Tour:
$82
-
Vegetarian/Vegan Curry Cooking Class – pure comfort food for the soul!:
$97
-
Curry Around The World Cooking Class:
$97
-
Scottish Storytelling 3 Course Dinner and Whisky:
$104
-
Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Edinburgh:
$106
-
Relaxing Handmade Pasta with meal and wine - Safe Cooking Class:
$110
-
Vegetarian/Vegan Curry Private Cooking Class with professional chef:
$116
-
"Curry Around The World" Private Cooking Class with professional chef:
$116
-
Private Food Tour with a Local Expert including 10 Tastings in Edinburgh:
$136
-
Handmade Pasta Cooking Class & Dinner with professional chef for private groups:
$137
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Seoul is $15 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Edinburgh than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $19 on transportation in Edinburgh on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Seoul
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Seoul:
-
Subway Card
$4.27
-
Short Taxi Ride
$5.98
-
Metro Ride
$1.15
-
Seoul City Pass Plus
$8.54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seoul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seoul:
-
[COVID19] Private Incheon Airport(ICN) Transfer for Seoul & Gyeonggi-do:
$121
-
Summer Activity in Korea: Water Leisure Tour at Gapyeong with Private Transfer:
$360
-
Shuttle Bus Transfers between Seoul and Everland by Daesung Tour:
$9.35
-
Shared Transfers between Myeongdong and N Seoul Tower:
$5.19
-
Shared One Way Transfer from Seoul to Nami Island or Gangchon Rail Bike:
$6.59
-
Shared Airport Transfers (ICN/GMP) for Seoul:
$25
-
Seoul ⇄ Alpensia / Yongpyong Ski Resort Private Van Transfers:
$469
-
Round Trip Shuttle Bus Transfers to Everland from Seoul by JINA International Travel:
$9.35
-
Round Trip Shuttle Bus Transfers to Everland by World Travel:
$8.65
-
Round Trip Everland Shuttle Bus Transfers from Seoul by World Travel:
$8.25
-
Round Trip DMZ Shuttle Bus Transfers from Seoul:
$22
-
Private transfer in Korea along with a wide range of cars (3~28pax):
$75
Typical Local Transportation prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Edinburgh:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Edinburgh
Also for Edinburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Edinburgh Airport City Airlink Bus Transfer:
$6.22
-
Edinburgh Airport: Private Arrival or Departure Transfers:
$13
-
Private luxury transfer from Edinburgh to Edinburgh Airport:
$28
-
Private luxury transfer from Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh:
$28
-
Private Edinburgh Departure Transfer - Hotel / Accommodation to Airport:
$29
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Edinburgh to Edinburgh Airport (EDI):
$32
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Edinburgh:
$32
-
Private Edinburgh city to Edinburgh Airport transfer - Or airport to city:
$45
-
Private Edinburgh Arrival Transfer - Airport to Hotel / Accommodation:
$47
-
Royal Highland Braemar Gathering, transfer from Edinburgh:
$50
-
Private Arrival Transfer: Edinburgh Airport to City Hotel:
$52
-
Departure Transfer - Edinburgh City to Edinburgh Airport:
$52
Is it cheaper to fly into Seoul or Edinburgh?
Prices for flights to both Edinburgh and Seoul 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.
Entertainment
Seoul's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $25 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Edinburgh, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $22 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Seoul are as follows:
-
Palace Tickets
$6.83
-
Movie Ticket
$6.83
-
Kimchi Museum
$2.56
Tours and Activities in Seoul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seoul are as follows:
-
AREX Incheon Airport Express, Lotte World Pass and Running Man Thematic Experience Center Combo Package:
$17
-
Busan Skywalk, Gamcheon Culture Village, and Haedong Yonggungsa Temple Day Tour:
$37
-
Cheese Smile Studio Self Photoshoot Experience in Bukchon:
$41
-
GOT7 Ahgase Tour in Seoul:
$59
-
Han River Sevit Island Yacht Experience (Pets allowed):
$16
-
Hanbok Experience (Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Store) with Korean Hairstyling:
$6.95
-
Instant Ticket! Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS) 2/3/4/5Days:
$96
-
Instant Ticket: Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS) 2/3/4/5 Days:
$96
-
Instant Ticket: Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS) 2/3/4/5 Days:
$93
-
Instant Ticket: Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS) 2/3/4/5 Days:
$96
-
Nami Island, Gangchon Rail Bike, Petite France, Garden of Morning Calm, and Alpaca World Day Tour:
$62
-
"Nami Island" & "Petite France" or "Garden of Morning Calm" ※ Private Tour:
$97
Typical Entertainment prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Edinburgh's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Harry Potter’s Explore the magic of the city on an audio walking tour:
$5.99
-
John Knox House Museum Ticket:
$6.91
-
Edinburgh Audio Tour: Discover its History and Secrets:
$8.26
-
Edinburgh Royal Mile (New Self Guided Tour):
$8.26
-
Edinburgh Queen's Gallery Holyroodhouse Entrance Ticket:
$9.95
-
Gilmerton Cove Guided Tour:
$10
-
Early Evening Underground Ghost Tour:
$12
-
Afternoon Underground Ghost Tour:
$12
-
Self-Guided City Experience:
$12
-
Edinburgh Secrets of the Royal Mile Walking Tour:
$13
-
Murder and Mystery Walking Tour of Edinburgh:
$14
-
Ghost and Gore Walking Tour of Edinburgh:
$14
Alcohol
The average person spends about $11 on alcoholic beverages in Seoul per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Edinburgh spend on average $17 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Seoul
Also in Seoul, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Absolute Busan Pub Crawl Experience in Seomyeon and Haeundae:
$11
-
Absolute Seoul Pub Crawl Experience in Hongdae and Itaewon:
$19
-
Seoul Pub Crawl and Party with Free Shots:
$24
-
3-Hour Small Group Korean Pub Crawl + Food Tasting in Hongdae:
$86
Typical Alcohol prices in Edinburgh
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Edinburgh from other travelers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Edinburgh
Also in Edinburgh, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
4-Hour Pub Crawl with Free Shots & Discounts:
$9.68
-
3-Hour Alternative Pub Crawl:
$11
-
4-Hour Pub Crawl with Free Drinks & Specials:
$17
-
The Orange Pub Crawl - Edinburgh:
$18
-
Edinburgh Brewery Tour:
$22
-
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour:
$24
-
Rosslyn Chapel, Scottish Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery:
$51
-
Loch Lomond, Stirling, and Glengoyne Distillery Tour from Edinburgh:
$52
-
Rosslyn Chapel, Scottish Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery from Edinburgh:
$54
-
Stirling, Distillery, St.Andrews & Italian Tour Guide:
$62
-
Loch Ness, Highlands & Whisky Distillery Tour from Edinburgh:
$63
-
Loch Ness, Highlands and Whisky Distillery Day Tour from Edinburgh:
$66
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Seoul and Edinburgh, we can see that Edinburgh is more expensive. And not only is Seoul much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Seoul is in Asia and Edinburgh is in Europe, 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 Seoul would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Seoul 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 Edinburgh would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Edinburgh than you might in Seoul.
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