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If you live in Switzerland, you are used to high prices: CHF 25 for a casual lunch, CHF 5–6 for a coffee and some of the highest rents in the world. So when you plan a trip to South Korea, the big question is:
Is Korea actually cheaper – and how much money do I need as a Swiss traveller?
Good news: in most cases, your money goes much further in Korea than at home. Cost-of-living indexes show that Switzerland is more than twice as expensive as Korea when you include rent, and everyday prices for food and services are dramatically higher in Swiss cities.
This guide breaks down the cost of travel in Korea for Swiss people in simple numbers, using KRW and CHF, plus example budgets for 7 and 14 days.
1. Korea vs Switzerland: Big Picture Cost Difference
Let’s start with a rough comparison of city life:
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Cost-of-living data comparing Zürich and Seoul shows that you would need around CHF 4'250–4'300 in Seoul to maintain the same lifestyle that costs CHF 8'700–8'800 in Zürich (including rent). That’s roughly half the price.
On a country level, Switzerland consistently ranks among the most expensive countries in the world, while South Korea sits much lower in the rankings, with a significantly cheaper overall basket of goods and services.
For a Swiss traveller, this means:
Day-to-day expenses in Korea (food, transport, most accommodation) will usually feel much cheaper than at home.
Flights are the main “expensive Swiss part” of the trip – not the on-the-ground costs.
2. Currency & Mental Math: KRW for Swiss People
Before talking about budgets, it helps to have a simple mental conversion:
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In late 2025, CHF 1 ≈ KRW 1'750–1'850, with an average around KRW 1'700 per CHF 1 over the year.
A useful rule of thumb for quick calculations:
KRW 10'000 ≈ CHF 6 (roughly)
So if you see:
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KRW 5'000 → around CHF 3
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KRW 15'000 → around CHF 9
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KRW 60'000 → around CHF 35
You don’t need perfect precision while travelling; you just need to know whether something is “Swiss cheap” or “Swiss expensive”.
3. Typical Daily Budget in Korea (for Swiss Travellers)
Travel blogs and budget guides that track their real expenses in Korea give very similar numbers for daily spending, excluding flights.
Converted to CHF (using ~ CHF 1 = KRW 1'700), you get roughly:
3.1 Budget / Backpacker Style
≈ KRW 70'000–90'000 per day → about CHF 40–55
This usually includes:
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Hostel bed or very cheap guesthouse
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Street food & simple restaurant meals
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Public transport (metro/bus)
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Mostly free or low-cost attractions
3.2 Midrange Traveller (most Swiss city-trip style)
≈ KRW 135,000 per day → about CHF 80
Typical midrange day:
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Private room in a budget hotel or Airbnb
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Eating out at casual restaurants, café stops
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Metro/bus, maybe occasional taxi
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Some paid attractions or a guided tour
3.3 Comfortable / “Treat Yourself” Traveller
≈ KRW 255'000 per day → about CHF 150
This is more like:
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Nice 3–4★ hotel
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Eating where you want, including trendy cafés and nicer dinners
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Intercity KTX trains, taxis without thinking too much
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Regular paid tours, day trips and activities
Even at this “comfortable” level, you are often still spending less per day than a similar trip in Switzerland.
4. Cost Breakdown: What Things Actually Cost in Korea
Let’s go category by category so you can build your own budget.
4.1 Flights from Switzerland to Korea
Return flights Zürich–Seoul (ICN) in economy usually fall into this range:
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Cheapest deals found: ≈ CHF 420–450 return
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Typical realistic prices with big airlines: ≈ CHF 500–800, depending on season and how early you book.
Summer and cherry blossom/autumn foliage periods tend to be more expensive; winter (especially January) is often cheaper.
For a rough plan, many Swiss travellers budget CHF 500–900 for flights and then focus on saving money on the ground.
4.2 Accommodation in Korea
From several Korea travel budget guides and hostel/hotel comparisons:
Hostels / Guesthouses (budget)
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Dorm bed: KRW 15'000–30'000 → ~ CHF 9–18 per night
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Simple private room in guesthouse: KRW 40'000–60'000 → ~ CHF 24–35
Midrange hotels / Airbnbs
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Simple 2–3★ hotel or studio: KRW 70'000–120'000 KRW → ~ CHF 40–70
Nice hotels (3–4★, central areas)
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Often from KRW 120'000–200'000 KRW → ~ CHF 70–120
Compared to Switzerland, even a decent hotel in central Seoul often costs less than a budget business hotel in Zürich or Geneva.
4.3 Food & Drink
Recent cost-of-living and travel budget sources give these typical prices:
Meals
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Street food snack (tteokbokki, toast, etc.): KRW 3'000–5'000 → ~ CHF 2–3
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Simple local meal (kimbap, jjigae, bibimbap): KRW 7'000–10'000 → ~ CHF 4–6
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Casual restaurant meal (BBQ, big portion, nicer setting): KRW 10'000–18'000 → ~ CHF 6–11
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Fried chicken for 2–3 people: KRW 15'000–18'000 → ~ CHF 9–11
Drinks
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Coffee in a café: KRW 4'000–6'000 → ~ CHF 2.5–3.5
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Beer in a bar: KRW 4'000–6'000 → ~ CHF 2.5–3.5
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Soju bottle in a restaurant: often KRW 4'000–6'000
Realistic daily food budget for a Swiss traveller:
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Budget: KRW 15'000–25'000 → ~ CHF 9–15 (mostly local food & snacks)
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Midrange: KRW 30'000–45'000 KRW → ~ CHF 18–27 (cafés + casual dinners)
You can definitely spend more if you chase specialty coffee, craft beer and fancy restaurants – but for normal travel, food is noticeably cheaper than in Switzerland.
4.4 Public Transport & Intercity Travel
Metro / Bus in Seoul
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New base fare (2025) for a subway ride with a transport card: KRW 1'550 → around CHF 0.9 per ride.
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Daily spend if you move around a lot: KRW 3'000–6'000 KRW → ~ CHF 2–4
There are also unlimited passes and city cards, but even paying per trip, public transport is far cheaper than in Swiss cities for similar distances.
Intercity trains & buses
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High-speed KTX (e.g. Seoul–Busan): roughly USD 40–60 USD → around KRW 60'000–90'000, so about CHF 35–50 one way.
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Intercity buses are often cheaper than KTX for similar routes.
If you only visit Seoul + one more city (like Busan or Gyeongju), you will probably spend:
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Around CHF 70–120 total on long-distance transport for a one-week trip.
4.5 Activities, SIM, Extras
Activities & Entrance Fees
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Many palaces, parks and museums are cheap or even free
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Palace tickets: often KRW 3'000–4'000 → ~ CHF 2–3 CHF
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Full-day tours (e.g. DMZ, food tours): usually KRW 50'000–100'000 → ~ CHF 30–60
SIM / eSIM & data
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Travel SIM or eSIM for 7 days: often around USD 7–20 → roughly KRW 10'000–30'000 KRW (CHF 6–18), depending on data volume.
Shopping
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Highly variable – K-beauty, fashion, souvenirs can be as cheap or as expensive as you decide
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As a Swiss K-beauty fan, you might want to set a separate “shopping budget” (e.g. CHF 100–300) so your daily budget is not destroyed by Olive Young and duty-free skincare.
5. Example Budgets for Swiss Travellers
These examples exclude flights, which you can add based on your actual ticket price.
5.1 7 Days in Korea – Budget Traveller
Travel style: hostel, local food, metro, mostly free sights
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Daily budget: ~ CHF 50
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7 days → ≈ CHF 350
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Plus 1 intercity return trip (e.g. Seoul–Busan by KTX): ≈ CHF 70–100
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Small buffer (SIM, occasional tour, coffee etc.): ≈ CHF 80–100
👉 Total (7 days, excluding flights): ~ CHF 500–550
5.2 7 Days in Korea – Midrange Swiss City-Trip
Travel style: simple hotel, cafés, some tours, one more city
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Daily budget: CHF 80–90
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7 days → ≈ CHF 560–630
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Intercity train(s): ≈ CHF 70–120
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Extra activities, DMZ tour, shopping buffer: ≈ CHF 150–250
👉 Total (7 days, excluding flights): ~ CHF 800–1,000
5.3 14 Days in Korea – Mixed Cities & Jeju (Midrange)
If you stay two weeks and visit Seoul, Busan and maybe Jeju:
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Daily midrange budget: ≈ CHF 80–100
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14 days → ≈ CHF 1'120–1'400
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Several intercity trips (KTX + bus + one domestic flight): ≈ CHF 150–250
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Activities, SIMs, cafés, shopping: ≈ CHF 250–400
👉 Total (14 days, excluding flights): ~ CHF 1'500–2'000
Even at this level, it is common that your total spend in Korea (per day) is lower than what you are used to in Switzerland, especially when you compare meals, cafés, public transport and basic accommodation.
6. Tips to Keep Your Korea Travel Budget Low (for Swiss People)
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Travel in shoulder seasons
Spring (except peak cherry blossom weeks) and autumn often have cheaper accommodation and flights than summer. -
Use public transport as much as possible
Metro and buses are efficient and cheap; taxis are still cheaper than in Switzerland but add up quickly. -
Eat like locals
Look for kimbap shops, set-menu restaurants and street food instead of international chains – you’ll eat well for a fraction of Swiss prices. -
Book accommodation early in Seoul & Busan
Early booking locks in lower rates, especially in popular areas like Hongdae, Myeongdong or Haeundae. -
Decide a separate “shopping budget”
Especially if you love K-beauty and fashion. Decide in advance: “I allow myself CHF 200–300 just for shopping”, so it doesn’t blur your daily essentials budget.
Final Thoughts: Is Korea Expensive for Swiss Travellers?
From a Swiss perspective, the cost of travel in Korea is usually a pleasant surprise:
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Flights are the biggest single cost (often CHF 600–800 incl. return).
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On the ground, Korea is generally much cheaper than Switzerland for transport, food and many types of accommodation.
If you are used to paying Swiss prices, a daily budget of CHF 40–55 (budget) or CHF 80–100 (midrange) in Korea will feel comfortable, not restrictive.
7. Travel Hacks
If you wanna get the best price value for booking hotels, you should ask a korean to help you. They have special the following applications that offer you the better price than you will find yourself. The only problem usually this apps are in Korean and also they only allow korean payment services. Here the following apps koreans use mostly:
- 여기어때-호텔-모텔-숙소-항공권-여행-최저가
- nol-야놀자
- www.yeogi.com
For Swiss or Europeans I can recommend "agoda.com" it's the cheapest at the moment as of my knowledge.
I wish you a save travel!!!