Korea trip cost estimator

Estimate · prices last checked 1 Oct 2026 – 2 Oct 2026

Adds up the costs our guides have checked: getting to and from Incheon Airport, riding the Seoul subway and buses, KTX trips to Busan, and mobile data. It doesn't include flights, hotels, food or sights. Prices are per adult in Korean won.

Your estimate (per person)
Airport, both ways	₩9,500
Climate Card passes for 7 days + card	₩23,000
KTX Seoul–Busan × 2	₩108,800
Carrier eSIM, 7 days	₩35,000
Total	₩176,300

The Seoul transit line compares pay-as-you-go T-money (₩1,550 a ride) with Climate Card short-term passes and shows the cheaper. Climate Card passes only work inside Seoul.

How the numbers work

Airport: AREX all-stop ₩4,750 (T1) / ₩5,350 (T2) by transit card, Express ₩13,000, limousine bus ₩17,000, international taxi ₩70,000–₩95,000 for the whole car (the estimate uses the middle, split between travellers). Incheon Airport to Seoul
Seoul transit: ₩1,550 a subway ride by card (adult, first 10 km; buses ₩1,500) plus a ₩3,000 card. Climate Card short-term passes: 1 day ₩5,000, 2 days ₩8,000, 3 days ₩10,000, 5 days ₩15,000, 7 days ₩20,000, plus the ₩3,000 card. Longer distances and transfers change the real fare a little. Transit cards compared
KTX: Seoul–Busan adult economy ₩54,400 since the September 2026 fare cut. A Korail Pass (from ₩131,000 for 2 travel days) only pays with several long trips. How to book KTX tickets
Data: KT / SK Telecom eSIM ₩35,000 for 7 days unlimited, ₩6,500 for 1 day; pocket Wi-Fi ₩4,400 a day at the airport counter. App eSIMs such as Airalo are priced in US dollars (about US$25–29 for 7 days), so they aren't in the won total. eSIM vs SIM vs pocket Wi-Fi

Every price comes from the guides above, which list the official Korean sources (AREX, Seoul Metropolitan Government, T-money, Korail, KT, SK Telecom) and the date each was checked. This is an estimate, not a quote.