How Much Does Beef Cost in South Korea
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Among the many reasons people choose to travel to South Korea is the delicious cuisine. In the "Land of Kimchi," those with curious palates will find many dishes they really can't taste anywhere else – not even in the Korean neighborhoods of Los Angeles or New York. Best of all, the cost of eating a tasty meal in South Korea won't set travelers back too far on their budget.
Budget Dining Options
Street Food
Some of the cheapest food of all in South Korea is found at street food booths in the main shopping districts like Myeong-dong. But "cheap" doesn't mean travelers have to sacrifice taste and quality. These foods can cost anywhere between 1,000 and 8,000 won (about $1 to $6) and are worth every bite. Some key foods to taste are tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes), hotteok (filled pancakes) and bungeo-ppang (red bean pastries). Whether you crave spicy, sweet or salty, you'll find street foods for every taste bud.
Korean Shops
Restaurants in Korea can vary greatly in price, but it's doable to get a decent meal for no more than $3. For a low-budget meal, visit one of the "shop" restaurants, which are found on any street corner. Here travelers on a budget can grab a quick dish to eat, such as kimchi-jjigae (stew), kimchi-bokkeum-bap (fried rice), bibimbap (a savory rice dish), or a gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) for about a $1.
Fast Food
Fast-food restaurants are found all over South Korea, especially in Seoul. Everything from KFC and Pizza Hut to McDonald's and Subway are here, and the prices are commensurate to those at fast-food establishments in the United States.
There are also Korean fast-food options, which are just as tasty and generally cheaper and healthier than their American fast-food counterparts. Visit Pizza School, where travelers missing something familiar can order a creative pizza pie for $5. (Does corn and potato pizza pique your interest?) Or head to Lotteria, which is the Korean version of McDonald's.
Mid-Range Restaurants and Markets
Sit-Down Korean Restaurants
Those looking for something a bit more formal should head to a barbecue restaurant, a duck restaurant, hot-pot restaurant, seafood restaurant or even a fancy "dip a baby octopus in fondue" restaurant. These establishments charge anywhere from $10 to $30 a meal. Usually, though, the more expensive items are shared among groups of diners, which lowers the cost. Some great foods to try – in restaurants dedicated just to these items – are ttaok-galbi (short rib patties), shabu-shabu (hot-pot dish), samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), bulgogi (barbecued meat) and, of course, Korean fried chicken.
Food Shopping
Grocery stores are easy to find in South Korea and are more or less the same as those in America, set up in similar ways. For example, the produce is near the entrance, the meat is in the back and the bakery is in a corner.
The big grocery stores in South Korea are E-Mart, Homeplus and Lotte Mart, with smaller "express" versions found every couple of blocks. Some cities also have independent grocery stores, which don't have as big a selection as the larger ones. The prices here are similar to grocery store prices back home, with Korean foods obviously costing less than imported foods.
Markets
Markets are wonderful places to try and taste traditional foods, like white cabbage kimchi or gochujang (Korean chili paste). They are also, of course, great places to buy fruits and vegetables, which are perfectly safe to eat. To save money on food shopping, shop at the well-known markets such as Gwangjang Market, Garak Market and the popular Namdaemun Market.
Markets are also good places to try stews. Anything from chicken soups to spicy tofu stews can be found as low as $3 a bowl, and they are generally made right in front of you. Take the time to head to the famous Budaejjigae Street in Uijeongbu, which is famous for budae-jjigae, a Korean army stew made with Spam and ramen, which costs about $15 for a huge pot.
High-End Dining Experiences
It's somewhat of a challenge to find "expensive" Korean food, as the only reason a meal might be expensive is if you ordered more of it. For example, at barbecue restaurants, diners order meat and pay for it by the kilogram. You essentially decide how much you want to pay, then go from there.
High-end restaurants typically involve foreign-food restaurants, which are found in many neighborhoods throughout Seoul, though Itaewon has the highest concentration of them all. A meal at one of these restaurants can cost you upward of $40, for obvious reasons. There's Mexican food at Vato's, Arab food at Petra, Spanish food at Spain Club and New York bagels at Pick a Bagel in Apgujeong-dong.
References
Writer Bio
Hana LaRock is a freelance content writer from New York, currently living in Mexico. She has spent the last five years traveling the world and living abroad and has lived in South Korea and Israel. Hana has been writing about her travel experiences for several years and has been published in print magazines like Travel Ideas and Ensemble Vacations, as well as websites such as Tour Amigo, The Culture Trip, REI, and Orbitz. Hana has been to nearly 30 countries and counting. Through her experiences, she has learned to navigate the challenges that can come with visiting other countries and cultures. To learn more, visit her website at www.hanalarockwriting.com.
Source: https://traveltips.usatoday.com/cost-food-korea-12827.html
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