If you’ve been following my blog for some time, you may be familiar with the fact that I visit South Korea every year, sometimes even twice a year. I’ve gotten comments that it’s impossible to fantom how I do it, considering that it’s expensive to travel in Korea.
However, I have to clarify that it’s a myth that you have to burn through your life savings in order to have a great time in Korea. Cost of living is comparable to Singapore, and there are plenty of budget-friendly ways to travel around the country. I’ve also accumulated some personal ways to save, especially when I was a budget-tight student during my summer school programme.
In this guide, I compile some of my tried-and-tested ways to save money on transportation, accommodation, food, shopping, and attractions while traveling in Korea.
Save money on transportation
Get a T-Money transportation card
When you’re researching on how to get around South Korea, you would have come across this term called T-money. It is a rechargeable smart card used for convenient travel on buses, subway etc.
Using T-money actually gives you discounts on subways, buses, and even taxis. Instead of buying single-use tickets, just tap your card to pay for rides at a lower rate.
Read more on how to buy and use T-money here.
Use public transport like buses and subway
Taxis in Korea are convenient but the expenses can really rack up, especially if you’re taking a cab late at night. I cannot recommend enough to take full advantage of Korea’s fast and affordable subway and bus system.
Here’s a quick example of the savings you get riding the subway instead of grabbing a taxi:
- Subway ride: ~1,250 KRW (~ USD 0.95)
- Taxi ride: ~8,000–20,000 KRW (~ USD 6-15)
Save on accommodation
Stay in guesthouses or hostels
There are undoubtedly many luxury hotel options in Korea, especially in Seoul and Jeju. However, I belong to the camp that prefers to spend less on accommodation so that I have more to spend on experiences.
If you think the same way, I recommend choosing guesthouses, hostels, or capsule hotels, which are clean, comfortable, and much cheaper. There are of course budget hotels available, especially those under the SKYPARK group, but the quality can differ from branch to branch.
- Hotel SKYPARK Central Myeongdong: Hotel chain with many located in tourist hotspots like Myeongdong. Membership is free and you get exclusive discounts + rack up points for further offers.
- Bukyungdang Hanok Guesthouse: This was a traditional hanok in Jeonju with the friendliest hosts. Back in 2019, we paid SGD180 for 3 people, 2 nights. This costs only about SGD30 for 1 night!
- Ma Maison: a little pricier Airbnb in Jeju but you get the whole house to yourself with the most amazing views. It works out to about SGD 200 per night but could be cheaper during off-peak periods.
Save money on food
Eat at places frequented by locals
I cannot emphasise enough that in Korea, eat where locals eat!!
A lot of the restaurants located in touristy areas like Myeongdong are targeted at tourists. The food can be extremely expensive and very subpar. You can read more on this here.
I have created a list of budget places in Seoul that I frequent (and can vouch for its taste), but in general these are places you can eat at to save some money:
- Kimbap restaurants (김밥천국, 김가네) – Affordable Korean dishes, usually kimbap (~5,000–8,000 KRW)
- Street food stalls – Tteokbokki, hotteok, and kimbap cost under 5,000 KRW
Take advantage of free side dishes (banchan)
One of the best parts about eating in Korean restaurants is that they offer unlimited side dishes (banchan), for free!
You can get refills of kimchi, pickled radish, and more without extra charges, so be sure to ask for them if you’re still feeling peckish after your meal.
Enjoy free water & tea in Korean restaurants
Korean restaurants offer free water and/or barley tea, so there’s no need to buy expensive drinks. Also, make use of the free water dispensers in malls and subway stations!
Eat meals at convenience stores
Common convenience store chains you will find in Korea include GS25, CU, 7-11, Mini Stop and FamilyMart. They’re found at almost every corner, and in every place that you think you might starve to death because there isn’t a proper restaurant in sight.
Settling a meal in any of the convenience stores in Korea is such a breeze that I wouldn’t mind eating most of my meals there. While I’ve tried some of their microwaveable meals, onigiri and cup ramyeon, my most frequent purchases from the convenience stores are drinks and snacks.
Read more about what’s worth eating at Korean convenience stores here.
Save money on attractions
Visit free tourist attractions
Many of Korea’s best attractions are completely free, which makes it a breeze to get through the day packed with fun activities without breaking the bank!
Some of the more popular free attractions in Seoul include:
- Gyeongbokgung Palace (Free on the last Wednesday of each month)
- Bukchon Hanok Village
- Cheonggyecheon Stream
- Seoul City Wall
- COEX Starfield Library
- National Museum of Korea
- Seoul Forest
- Han River
- Dongdaemun Design Plaza (selected exhibits are paid though)
Get discount passes for popular attractions
If you plan to visit multiple tourist attractions, I recommend doing as much homework as you can on getting the best deals. You can either purchase one of the tourist board’s passes, or rack up some discounts through travel platforms’ packages.
- Discover Seoul Pass – Access 50+ attractions + free subway rides.
- Klook & Creatrip deals – Some of the biggest platforms offering online discounts for theme parks, palaces, and performances in Korea.
Visit palaces on free entry days
Free entry days are a thing for the palaces in Korea, but it requires some careful planning on your end.
- Every last Wednesday of the month = Free entry to royal palaces
- Hanbok wearers get free entry – Wear a hanbok and enter for free!
Save money on shopping
Get a tax refund
As a tourist, you can make your budget go the extra mile by claiming back 5-8% of your shopping expenses through tax refund.
In general, look for Tax-Free or Tax Refund signs at stores, keep your receipts, and claim your refund at the airport.
Read my comprehensive guide to tax refund in Korea as a tourist here.
Shop at local markets instead of malls
While departmental stores and shopping malls offer luxury and international brands that you may be more familiar with, traditional markets like Namdaemun Market and underground shopping centers are the way to go for budget buys.
Save money on SIM cards & Wi-Fi
This really depends on your comfort level, but if you’re really tight on budget and don’t want to spend money getting internet in Korea, you can consider just surviving on the free nationwide Wi-Fi!
- Korea has free Wi-Fi in most cafes, subways, and public areas. Their Wi-Fi coverage is one of the best and also the fastest among most of the countries. Just be a little careful about accessing P&C items on public Wi-Fi.
- For offline navigation & translation, I recommend using Naver Maps and downloading your planned itineraries beforehand.
If you really need mobile data to get around or stay connected, you might want to buy a Prepaid SIM or Pocket Wi-Fi Instead of paying for roaming. Of course, this really depends on your mobile provider’s roaming rates.
- eSIM: ~USD 5 for 5 days
- Prepaid SIM: ~30,000 KRW for 10GB data
- Pocket Wi-Fi: ~ USD 3 per day (good for groups)
Other budget hacks
- Use free tourist maps & guides from the airport for a good look at what’s on during your trip
- Take advantage of free events (K-pop concerts, exhibitions, cultural festivals etc.)
- Visit supermarkets for cheap groceries & snacks (check out what to buy from LOTTE mart here!)
- Walk or rent bikes instead of taking short taxi rides. In fact, I highly encourage walking as much as you can because you’ll definitely spend all those budget savings having the best meals in Korea.
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