One of the most frequent questions I see is, "how much should I estimate for food?".
South Korea is still fairly cheap when it comes to food and drinks although the prices have increased.
How much you should estimate really comes down to each individual.
For someone coming on a vacation just for a couple of weeks, I would recommend you to set a budget for each day to at least 60 - 80 000 won, more if you plan to visit high end restaurants.
I know there will be people saying this is too high, but hear me out. This is simply to eliminate restrictions when it comes trying different foods in Korea. Whether or not you spend you budget each day, it is just pin pointer.
I know you can eat well and good on far lower costs per day, but one thing I don`t want to save on while on vacation is my food budget.
However, like many other countries in Asia, South Korea also offers a wide variety for people who have a little bit tighter budget.
In this post I will try to give you a pointer on how much things cost, so you can make your own estimates easier.
Coffee!
The gold in the morning that makes most of us wake up from our snooze.
There are tons of coffee shops to choose from. Brands like Twosome place, Coffee Bean, Blue bottle, Angel in us, Starbucks are all easy accessible, down to local shops.
Prices for coffee at the big brands starts from around 4500 won and reaches 6000 won+ for other beverages like smoothies etc.
Smaller local coffee shops usually starts their coffee offers at 2000 won.
Keep your eyes open as some of the smaller local coffee shops offers a regular americano for 1 500 won but only for certain periods or period of the day.
Food!
You can divide the food scenery into several groups. Korean food, street food, foreign food and junk food.
Korean - Hansik - Korean traditional food is often one of the reasons why people visit South Korea.
A dish can cost as little as 7000 won or 35 000 won ++ depending on what you`re having.
Sets are often sold, especially durring lunch. The price ranges from 11 000 won and up to 24 000 won.
You will usually recieve a small broth soup, some side dishes alongside your main dish.
When it comes the famously known Korean BBQ, the range is wide and you pay according to type of meat, what cut of meat and portions. There are all you can eat restaurants to high end restaurants. Anything in between.
Pork is the cheapest and beef will be more expensive. I would estimate to set aside around 50 000 - 80 000 won for 2 to 3 people at an average place. This example is by no means the standard and you could come across places that are cheaper and still amazing. Some bbq restaurants starts their serving price at 17 000 won for pork, where you need to order at least two servings, or one serving of meat and some sides.
Chicken and beer is another popular and a must try when you visit Korea. Again you`ll find several brands offering the golden crispy fried chicken. Often served as a shared platter. Price starts from 30 000 won. What you should keep in mind is, if you go in a group of 3 or more people it is normal to order maybe one or two dishes to share. Not one each, unless you are super hungry and craving a full platter yourself hehe.
Food Courts are always easily found in shopping malls in Korea. Often located in B1 or on the higher floors. Price is often reflected by what kind of mall you`re at. Lotte World Tower offer a wide range but for a higher average price than for example Starfield Malls. For lunch you should estimate a budget starting from 12 000 won and up per person.
Although eating at a mall can become a little pricey quick, there are also other alternatives to settle your hunger. Convenience stores sells water for 500 won a bottle, where sodas and other sparkling beverages is between 1 500 - 2 300 won. A great thing about Korean conveniece stores are their 1+1 or 2+1 deals. Keep you eyes open for those labels !
For cup nuddles or simple bites, the price is very cheap. Price starts from 2000 won and goes up. If you happen to know anyone who can order through delivery app, you can get nuddles for 1000 won! woooaooow!
Fast food !
In Korea, fast food like pizza and burger have become expensive in my opinion and comparing to previous years before covid. Still it might be cheap for visitors.
Pizza starts from around 22 000 won and goes up and can reach almost 40 000 won easily these days.
Pizza hut, Papa Johns, Domions and other brands dp pffer their own special offers from time to time so if you crave a pizza, sometimes you might save a few bucks by having it for lunch instead of dinner.
There are also local pizza shops, although these are getting similare priced like the big brands. Don`t get me wrong, they are still cheaper, but price is increasing.
Burger will probably always be popular. The amount of burger shops around Seoul and Seongnam alone is insainly many. McDonalds and Burger King, including the local brand Lotteria, are still fairly cheap, but still as a cheap fast food brand, these are getting pricier every 6 months. Or so it feels.
Other "homemade" burger shops are very expensive and very often not worth the price.
Mcdonalds and Burger King Medium sets starts from 8500 won for a Big Mac and a Whopper jr. set starts from 8200 won.
Where as maybe other well established burger shops charges 12 000 won or more just for the burger itself. Some places they don`t sell sets so be aware as it can become pricey real quick.
I hope this small introduction will be helpful. If you have any specific topics or more food related things you wish to ask about please leave a comment.