How much cash should you prepare? For the sample Seoul trips below, plan around ₩40,000 for three days or ₩75,000 for seven days per adult, plus the purchase price of a transport card if you need one. These are calculated examples for a card-first trip, not a daily spending average or a complete holiday budget.
The examples assume that accommodation, most meals, shopping and airport transport are paid separately by a working bank card. If your only card fails, these reserves will not fund the entire trip.
Build the amount from the things you will pay for
Seoul lists an adult subway transport-card base fare of ₩1,550. Longer trips and some services cost more. We use that published fare as a starting unit, then add a clearly labelled allowance for small purchases and a reserve. Source: Seoul’s subway fare table, checked September 7, 2026.
| Budget component | 3 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|
| Assumed paid journeys | 4 per day × 3 = 12 | 4 per day × 7 = 28 |
| Transit allowance | 12 × ₩1,550 = ₩18,600 | 28 × ₩1,550 = ₩43,400 |
| Chosen small-purchase allowance | 2 × ₩5,000 = ₩10,000 | 4 × ₩5,000 = ₩20,000 |
| Chosen contingency | ₩10,000 | ₩10,000 |
| Calculated total | ₩38,600 | ₩73,400 |
| Rounded planning amount | ₩40,000 | ₩75,000 |
The ₩5,000 purchase allowance and ₩10,000 contingency are editorial assumptions you can replace. They are not surveyed food prices or a taxi quote. Count separately charged journeys rather than every vehicle boarded: a qualifying transfer can be part of one fare calculation. Add any distance supplement shown for your actual route.
Cash in your wallet and transit balance are different
Do not count the same money twice. If you arrive with ₩40,000 and load ₩20,000 onto T-money, you now have ₩20,000 cash and ₩20,000 transit balance. A shop that needs cash cannot use the balance sitting on your transport card.
For a standard physical T-money top-up, the issuer documents Korean-won cash loading at sales locations. That is a practical reason to have some cash available even when your bank card works for meals. Other card products and mobile services can have different loading methods; check the product you actually use. T-money top-up instructions.
Adjust the example before exchanging money
- Already bought a Seoul transit pass? Remove the rides covered by that pass, but keep money for uncovered trips. Compare coverage and total cost in the travel-card guide.
- Only two journeys a day? Halve the transit line in the example; do not halve your emergency reserve automatically.
- Taking a long airport ride or a taxi? Add the operator’s route-specific price or a current quote separately. Neither is included above.
- Travelling with children? Calculate eligible child fares separately rather than multiplying the adult total. Carry the identification needed to register any discount.
- Visiting markets or travelling outside Seoul? List the planned cash purchases and local fares. Replace our assumptions with those amounts.
A simple arrival-day sequence
- Confirm that at least one bank card is enabled for overseas use. Keep a second usable payment method separate.
- Obtain the cash amount for your first few days, including card purchase if necessary. Check the displayed exchange rate or ATM fee before accepting a transaction.
- Set aside transport-loading cash and the reserve first. Spend from the remaining small-purchase allowance.
- Load only the next few days’ expected transit use. Keep the receipt or note the balance after loading.
- After the first day, compare actual transit use with the calculation and adjust the next top-up.
If an ATM or payment terminal offers to convert a charge into your home currency, read the quoted conversion and fees; do not assume the offer is free. Your bank’s charges are separate from our travel examples.
Before leaving Korea
Check both your wallet cash and card balance before the last reload. The T-money guide explains where to find refund instructions. Avoid loading a large balance just before departure.
How this guide was prepared: Official transport fares were checked on September 7, 2026. The totals above are our arithmetic using explicit assumptions, not personal spending records or a survey. No account details or financial products are required to use the calculation. Report a changed fare or unclear assumption.