Which place is cheaper, Vancouver or Seoul?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Seoul or Vancouver?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
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 Vancouver can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Seoul or Vancouver?
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.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city in Western Canada. It is also the largest city in British Columbia, and is dramatically positioned between the coast and mountains. It's a very international city, with a high level of energy and countless activites that you can enjoy while you're in town. In addition to offering all of the activities and entertainment of a modern city, it is also in jumping off distance to any number of outdoor activities.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to South Korea, The Best Adventure Tours to South Korea, The Best 10-Day Tours from Vancouver, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySeoul $109Vancouver $142
The average daily cost (per person) in Seoul is $109, while the average daily cost in Vancouver is $142. 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 Seoul and Vancouver in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSeoul $55Vancouver $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSeoul $110Vancouver $174
Compare Hotels in Seoul and Vancouver
Looking for a hotel in Seoul or Vancouver? 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: Seoul Hotel Prices and Vancouver Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Seoul $16Vancouver $12
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$3.69
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Short Taxi Ride$5.16
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Metro Ride$0.99
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Seoul City Pass Plus$7.37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seoul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seoul:
- Private Airport Transfer: Seoul City to Incheon Airport 1-12 pax: $204
- Lotte World Ticket with Private Transfer: $181
- Private Transfer from Incheon Airport to Seoul up to 12 pax: $181
- Private Transfer To/From Incheon Airport (1-12pax): $170
- Private Airport Transfer: Seoul City to Gimpo Airport (1-12 pax): $167
- Private Airport Transfer: Gimpo Airport to Seoul City (1-12 pax): $167
- Private Airport Transfer - Incheon Airport ⇔ Seoul (Up to 7 or 11 people): $138
- Private Transfer To/From Incheon Airport: $101
- Private Airport Transfer * Incheon Airport <-> Seoul (1-5 people): $100
- Private Transfer l Airport to/from Seoul: $100
- Private Airport Transfer : Incheon airport to/from Seoul(~7 pax): $99
- Private Airport Transfer: Seoul City to Incheon Airport (1-5 pax): $98
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vancouver
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vancouver are as follows:
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SkyTrain from Airport$6.40
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Taxi from Airport to Downtown$21
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15 min Taxi Ride$8.78
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SkyTrain DayPass$6.58
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vancouver
Also for Vancouver, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Arrival Transfer from Vancouver Airport (YVR): $32
- Private Departure Transfer to Vancouver Airport (YVR): $32
- Vancouver Airport-Cypress/Grouse Mountain Private Transfer: $38
- Vancouver Airport (YVR) to White Rock - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- Private Transfer from Vancouver Airport (YVR) to White Rock City: $46
- White Rock to Vancouver Airport (YVR) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- Vancouver Airport (YVR) to Canada Place Port - Arrival Transfer: $55
- Vancouver to Canada Place Cruise Port Departure Private Transfer: $55
- Canada Place Port to Vancouver Airport(YVR) - Departure Transfer : $55
- City Highlights Tour with Hotel Transfers: $61
- Transfer Private Vehicle Vancouver Airport (YVR)-Vancouver Downtown: $67
- Vancouver to Victoria: Ferry with Bus Transfer: $73
Is it cheaper to fly into Seoul or Vancouver?
Prices for flights to both Vancouver 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one daySeoul $30Vancouver $31
Typical Food Prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seoul are as follows:
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Rice with Kimchi & Bacon$4.42
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Waffle$0.74
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Dippin' Dots$1.47
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Chicken Fried Rice$4.05
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Chicken Stick$1.47
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Drinking Yoghurt & Mi Chew$1.40
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Lunch Buffet$4.42
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Donut$0.74
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Mushroom Burger$3.83
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Green Tea Ice Cream$2.43
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Udon & Sushi$5.16
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Fresh Burger$3.54
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Soba Noodles Lunch$3.32
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Bibimbap Lunch$3.69
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Fried Rice$4.05
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Vietnamese Dinner$7.00
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Breakfast and Coffee for 2$7.00
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Donut$1.84
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seoul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seoul.
- Korean Cooking @ Seoul Cooking Club!: $0.11
- Gyeongbokgung Palace : Tour, dinner and coffee: $37
- Seoul Mangwon Market Social Night Food Tour: $44
- Namdaemun Market: the Largest Traditional Market Food Tour: $47
- Namdaemun Market Street Food Tour: $48
- Gwangjang Market Netflix Food Tour: $54
- Mangwon Market Food tour By Locals;Cheap Eats to Fancy Feast: $54
- Guided City Wall Sunset Hike with Korean Dinner: $58
- Sunset Walking Tour in Naksan Park with Dinner: $58
- Half Day Seoul Afternoon Food Tour and visit 3 landMarks of Seoul: $67
- Night Market Food Tour: $70
- Energizing Korean Cooking Class in a Local Home in Seoul: $71
Typical Food Prices in Vancouver
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Vancouver:
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All You Can Eat Sushi Lunch$8.87
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vancouver
For Vancouver, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Vancouver Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $78
- A Wok Around Food Tour of the Granville Island Public Market: $84
- The Gastown Experience Walking Food Tour: $94
- Experience Gastown Vancouver's Elite Walking Food Tour: $100
- Gastown Historic Walking Food Tour: $100
- North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour: $100
- Vancouver Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $100
- Vancouver Authentic Chinese Food Tour: $134
- VIP Granville Island Market Vancouver - Walking Food Tour: $138
- Authentic Asian Eats Walking Food Tour: $142
- 3-Hour Bowen Island Boat Cruise with Dinner: $153
- Evening Cruise with Dinner Buffet: $153
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Seoul $27Vancouver $36
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$5.90
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Movie Ticket$5.90
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Kimchi Museum$2.21
Tours and Activities in Seoul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seoul are as follows:
- Full Day Tour Jeonju Hanok Village, Wansan Park and Gakwonsa: $72
- Private Tour Nami Island with Petite France 'and/or' The Garden of Morning Calm: $98
- ‘Itaewon Class’ Night Tour: $24
- 1 Day Private Full DMZ Tour in Seoul with Crystal Gondola: $220
- 2-Hour Makgeolli Tasting Experience in Seoul: $37
- 2-Hour Private Kayaking and Paddleboarding Experience in Hanriver: $30
- 2D 1N Phoenix Pyeongchang Reseot Stay + Trout Ice-Fishing Festival Tour: $144
- 3 Hour Walking Tour in Songpa Seoul: $48
- 3-Hour Self-guided Sokcho Tour with Private Transportation: $33
- 63 Aqua Planet and 63 Building Seoul Observatory Tickets: $14
- ARMY must visit BTS tour in Seoul: $55
- Activity - Mt. Bukhan Hiking Guided Tour: $150
Tours and Activities in Vancouver
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Vancouver.
- Vancouver self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.31
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.75
- Self-Guided Smartphone Walking Tour of Gastown: $4.83
- Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.11
- Discover Stanley Park with a Smartphone Audio Tour: $5.19
- Fort Langley: a Film & Television Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.20
- Cycling the Seawall: A Self-Guided Audio Tour Along the Stanley Park Seawall: $5.46
- Vancouver Tips-Based Walking Tour | 3-Hour: $5.47
- Historic Walking Tours of Vancouver with Then & Now Images!: $6.68
- Walking Tour Along Stanley Park's Seawall: $6.69
- Vancouver Downtown: Espionage Adventure Outdoor Escape Game: $6.99
- Self-Guided Smartphone Tour of Stanley Park: $7.31
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySeoul $12Vancouver $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Seoul
Also in Seoul, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Chunpoong Makgeolli Brewery Tour: $11
- The Seoul Pub Crawl [official]: $21
- Pub Crawl: $25
- The Seoul Pub Crawl [official]: $26
- Soju Tasting at Distillery - Story of Three Pigs: $43
- Learn and Craft Makgeolli in a Traditional Brewery: $81
Sample the Local Flavors in Vancouver
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Vancouver:
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl ROUTE B: $18
- Gastown Pub Crawl: $22
- Vancouver - Granville Pub Crawl: $26
- 3.5-Hour Craft Brewery Tour: $88
- Vancouver Craft Brewery Tour Led by a Local: $89
- Vancouver Craft Brewery Tour: $89
- Fraser Valley Wine Tour with a light Lunch from Vancouver: $134
- Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $134
- Vancouver Wine Tour (Fraser Valley): $134
- From Half-Day Fraser Valley Wine Tour: $138
- From Fraser Valley Wine Tour with Local Tastings: $139
- Taste of the Valley Wine Tour: $148
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Seoul and Vancouver, we can see that Vancouver 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 Vancouver is in North America, 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 Vancouver would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Vancouver than you might in Seoul.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Seoul Expensive? and Is Vancouver Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Seoul or Vancouver?
Seoul has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Vancouver. When comparing the sizes of Seoul and Vancouver, 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.
When is the best time to visit Seoul or Vancouver?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Seoul or Vancouver in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Seoul as well as Vancouver. Many visitors come to Seoul in the summer for the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
In July, Seoul is generally a little warmer than Vancouver. Daily temperatures in Seoul average around 26°C (78°F), and Vancouver fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Vancouver. In the summer, Seoul often gets less sunshine than Vancouver. Seoul gets 121 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Vancouver receives 296 hours of full sun.
Seoul receives a lot of rain in the summer. Seoul usually gets more rain in July than Vancouver. Seoul gets 369 mm (14.5 in) of rain, while Vancouver receives 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulySeoul 26°C (78°F)Vancouver 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Seoul or Vancouver in the Autumn?
Both Vancouver and Seoul are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Most visitors come to Seoul for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the music scene during these months.
Seoul is a little warmer than Vancouver in the autumn. The daily temperature in Seoul averages around 15°C (59°F) in October, and Vancouver fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Seoul. Seoul usually receives more sunshine than Vancouver during autumn. Seoul gets 204 hours of sunny skies, while Vancouver receives 124 hours of full sun in the autumn.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Vancouver. In October, Seoul usually receives less rain than Vancouver. Seoul gets 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Vancouver receives 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberSeoul 15°C (59°F)Vancouver 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit Seoul or Vancouver in the Winter?
Both Vancouver and Seoul during the winter are popular places to visit. The winter months attract visitors to Seoul because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
It's quite cold in Vancouver in the winter. The weather in Seoul can be very cold. In the winter, Seoul is much colder than Vancouver. Typically, the winter temperatures in Seoul in January average around -3°C (27°F), and Vancouver averages at about 4°C (40°F).
In the winter, Seoul often gets more sunshine than Vancouver. Seoul gets 163 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Vancouver receives 55 hours of full sun.
Vancouver gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Seoul usually gets less rain in January than Vancouver. Seoul gets 23 mm (0.9 in) of rain, while Vancouver receives 167 mm (6.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuarySeoul -3°C (27°F)Vancouver 4°C (40°F)
Should I visit Seoul or Vancouver in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Seoul and Vancouver. The activities around the city are the main draw to Seoul this time of year.
In April, Seoul is generally a little warmer than Vancouver. Daily temperatures in Seoul average around 13°C (55°F), and Vancouver fluctuates around 9°C (49°F).
In Seoul, it's very sunny this time of the year. Seoul usually receives more sunshine than Vancouver during spring. Seoul gets 205 hours of sunny skies, while Vancouver receives 172 hours of full sun in the spring.
Vancouver receives a lot of rain in the spring. In April, Seoul usually receives less rain than Vancouver. Seoul gets 94 mm (3.7 in) of rain, while Vancouver receives 110 mm (4.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilSeoul 13°C (55°F)Vancouver 9°C (49°F)
Typical Weather for Vancouver and Seoul
| Seoul | Vancouver | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -3°C (27°F) | 23 mm (0.9 in) | 4°C (40°F) | 167 mm (6.6 in) |
| Feb | -0°C (32°F) | 25 mm (1 in) | 6°C (42°F) | 179 mm (7.1 in) |
| Mar | 6°C (42°F) | 47 mm (1.9 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 142 mm (5.6 in) |
| Apr | 13°C (55°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) |
| May | 18°C (65°F) | 92 mm (3.6 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
| Jun | 23°C (73°F) | 134 mm (5.3 in) | 16°C (60°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) |
| Jul | 26°C (78°F) | 369 mm (14.5 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) |
| Aug | 26°C (80°F) | 294 mm (11.6 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| Sep | 22°C (71°F) | 169 mm (6.7 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 73 mm (2.9 in) |
| Oct | 15°C (59°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) |
| Nov | 8°C (46°F) | 53 mm (2.1 in) | 7°C (44°F) | 234 mm (9.2 in) |
| Dec | 0°C (33°F) | 22 mm (0.9 in) | 4°C (40°F) | 198 mm (7.8 in) |
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.