- Flights
- From INR 24,714 one way pp
- Visa
- Rs 3,600 + Rs 1,100 service pp
- Mid-range hotel
- 80,000-150,000 won a night
- Subway ride
- 1,550 won with T-money
- Bibimbap
- Seoul average 12,000 won
Seoul is cheaper than Japan and pricier than Vietnam, and a couple that plans by line item - not vibes - can do it comfortably without luxury money. Here is every cost with its 2026 source price, then three honest totals for a 4-night trip.
The fixed costs: flights and visa
Two airlines fly Delhi-Seoul nonstop. Air India quotes economy from INR 24,714 one way and Korean Air's fare calendar shows round trips from USD 565 - book midweek, 6-8 weeks out, and a couple typically lands at INR 90,000-1,10,000 for two return tickets (details in our Delhi to Seoul flights guide). The C-3 tourist visa costs Rs 3,600 plus a Rs 1,100 BLS service charge per person (official BLS Korea India schedule) - Rs 9,400 for two - though group travellers through approved tour operators currently enjoy a fee waiver; see our visa waiver update.
Hotels: where the budget swings
In Myeongdong - the right base for a first trip - guesthouses run 20,000-60,000 won a night, mid-range business hotels 80,000-150,000 won, and upper mid-range 150,000-400,000+ won (mileasia area guide ranges). Four nights mid-range: 320,000-600,000 won for the room, not per person. Hongdae saves 20-40% for comparable quality if you trade location.
Transport: the cheap part
The subway is 1,550 won a ride with a T-money card (Seoul Metro 2026 fare), buses similar, and even a heavy sightseeing day rarely tops 12,000 won for two. Airport transfers: AREX all-stop 4,750 won or Express 13,000 won per person; the airport bus 17,000-18,000 won; a taxi fixed at 85,000 won to Myeongdong - our transfer guide compares them. Budget about 100,000 won for two over four days with one taxi splurge.
Food: better news than you fear
Official Korean consumer price data (Korea Consumer Agency, September 2026) puts a Seoul bibimbap at a 12,000 won average, a kimchi stew set at 8,846 won, jajangmyeon at 7,808 won and a gimbap roll at 3,923 won. No tipping anywhere, and banchan side dishes are free. A couple eating one market breakfast, one casual lunch and one sit-down dinner spends roughly 50,000-80,000 won a day; street-snack days drop that to 30,000 won.
Activities: almost free, mostly
Gyeongbokgung is 3,000 won (free over 65), the four other palaces similar, and the city views, streams and markets cost nothing. The one splurge: N Seoul Tower's observatory at 29,000 won per adult (official). Budget 80,000-100,000 won for two for a paid-attraction buffer.
Three honest totals for 4 nights, per couple
Tight (guesthouse, street food, one paid sight): flights INR 90,000 + visa Rs 9,400 + about 550,000 won on the ground. Comfortable (mid-range hotel, mixed dining): flights INR 1,00,000 + visa Rs 9,400 + about 900,000-1,100,000 won. Treat-yourselves (upper mid-range, taxis, observatory): flights INR 1,10,000 + visa Rs 9,400 + about 1,400,000+ won. Add your card's forex markup (usually 3-3.5%) on won spending, and convert at the live rate when you book - won totals above are the stable part. For sequencing the days once the budget is set, our 3-day Seoul itinerary maps the sights.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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