Tokyo vs Seoul
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day — Tokyo $90–150, Seoul $80–160 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Apr–May, Oct–Nov, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇯🇵 Tokyo | 🇰🇷 Seoul | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $90–150 | $80–160 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $4–8cheaper | $5–8 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $100–200 | $70–140cheaper |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $1.20–2.20 | $1.05–1.20cheaper |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $2,200 | ≈ $2,730 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇯🇵 Tokyo
The world's biggest city, and somehow its most orderly. Cheaper than you expect, cleaner than you imagined, and impossible to see in one trip.
- Golden Gai$$Nightlife
- Tsukiji Outer Market$$Restaurants
- Kabukiza Theatre$$Theater & shows
- Bar High Five$$$Nightlife
- Ichiran (Shibuya)$Restaurants
🇰🇷 Seoul
Six-hundred-year-old palaces between glass towers, mountains at the end of the subway line, and a city that genuinely does not sleep. The easiest big Asian city for a first-timer, and cheaper than Tokyo.
- Gyeongbokgung Palace$Palaces & history
- Gwangjang Market$Markets & food
- Hongdae$Neighbourhoods
- Jjimjilbang$Korean experiences
- Changdeokgung & the Secret Garden$Palaces & history
Practicalities
| Tokyo | Seoul | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Japanese. English signage is good in stations; spoken English is limited — translation apps work fine. | Korean. English signage is excellent on transport and at sights; conversational English is patchier than in Japan's tourist areas |
| Currency | Japanese yen (¥). US$1 ≈ ¥150 | Korean won (₩). Around ₩1,450 = $1 in mid-2026, but the won moves — check before you convert |
| Time zone | JST (UTC+9), no daylight saving | KST (UTC+9). No daylight saving |
| Power | Type A/B plugs, 100V (US plugs fit) | 220V, Type C/F — the round two-pin European plug, not the flat Japanese one |
| Tap water | Safe to drink everywhere | Safe to drink, though most Koreans drink filtered water at home and from office dispensers |
| Emergency | 110 police · 119 fire/ambulance | 112 police · 119 fire and ambulance · 1330 tourist helpline (24h, English) |