What a night out in Seoul actually costs
Door prices, drinks, the food you have to order, cover charges, table minimums and the late-night taxi surcharge — in real numbers. Checked August 2026, nothing rounded up to sound dramatic.
It is the question visitors ask most, and most answers stop at "it is cheap." In practice a single night in the same city can cost ₩100,000 or ₩550,000. Knowing which one you are walking into is the entire difference.
The door
| Area | Entry | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hongdae | ₩10,000 | Most doors sit here. Some are free before midnight. |
| Itaewon | ₩5,000–20,000 | Often doubles after midnight. A few doors are cash only. |
| Gangnam · weekday | ₩15,000–20,000 | |
| Gangnam · weekend | ₩20,000–35,000 | The single biggest price gap in the city. |
What one drink costs
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Soju · convenience store | ₩1,900 | Unchanged since 2024. |
| Soju · bar or pocha | ₩5,000–6,000 | |
| Soju · Gangnam restaurant | ₩10,000–12,000 | The same bottle. Six times the shop price. |
| Draft beer 500cc | ₩5,000 | Range ₩4,000–7,000. |
| Cocktail | ₩12,000 | City average. Club lists run ₩10,000–30,000. |
Anju — you cannot just order drinks
This is the line visitors miss most. At a Korean bar you do not order drinks on their own. A table orders 안주 (anju) — a dish everyone shares — and it currently runs ₩18,000–23,000.
The cover charge — only at the serious cocktail bars
| Where | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| High-end cocktail bar | ₩10,000 per person | Buys a welcome drink, a small snack and water. |
| Lounge bar · after 23:00 | ₩10,000 | Some waive it earlier in the night. |
| Ordinary bar or pocha | ₩0 | No seat charge at all. |
It confuses people because it exists at exactly the kind of bar a visitor gets recommended — the award-list places. ₩10,000 a head, and it buys you something. Everywhere else, sitting down is free.
The table — where the real money goes
| Tier | Minimum spend |
|---|---|
| Mid-tier club | ₩300,000–400,000 |
| Gangnam standard table | ₩500,000–1,000,000 |
| Gangnam VIP | ₩2,000,000+ |
It is a minimum spend, not a fee — it buys bottles. But it is also a door policy: at gender-ratio venues, men without a table can be turned away after midnight while women walk in free. That is the real reason tables get booked.
The nightclub — the only place tipping is real
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Booth + whisky | ₩98,000–209,000 |
| Table for eight | ₩198,000–248,000 |
| Room · all night | ₩298,000–656,000 |
| Waiter tip · seating | ₩20,000 |
| Waiter tip · active 부킹 | ₩50,000–100,000 |
Korea does not tip. This is the exception, and it is the one a visitor actually walks into, because the waiter is the person running your night.
Getting home
| When | Surcharge | Base fare |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime | — | ₩4,800 |
| 22:00–23:00 | +20% | ₩5,800 |
| 23:00–02:00 | +40% | ₩6,700 |
| 02:00–04:00 | +20% | ₩5,800 |
| Leaving Seoul | +20% more | Capped at +60% combined |
Five things that surprise people
- Hotel bars add 20% — 10% service plus 10% VAT. Menu prices elsewhere already include VAT.
- Some club doors are cash only in a country that is otherwise near-universally card. Carry ₩20,000.
- 1인 1메뉴 — one item per person is enforced. Sharing a single order between two people gets refused.
- Cover ≠ drink. No rule. Ask at the door.
- No tipping, anywhere — except that nightclub waiter.
The total — same city, two receipts
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Two soju and a beer at a bar | ₩17,000 |
| Anju for the table | ₩20,000 |
| Cocktail bar cover + one drink | ₩22,000 |
| Hongdae club entry | ₩10,000 |
| Two drinks inside | ₩30,000 |
| First train home · 05:30 | ₩1,550 |
| Total | ₩100,550 |
Both nights are completely normal here. Knowing which one you are walking into is the whole difference.
Places where the ₩100,000 night starts
- 벨레어 청담 (Belreeo Cheongdam)Gangnamgu
- 이태원 혼술바 달밤 서울본점 (Itaewon Honsulba Dalbam Seoulbonjeom)Yongsangu
- 부토 (Buto)Yongsangu Hannamdaero27Ga
- 바 남산 (Ba Namsan)Yongsangu
- 스프링시그널 (Seupeuringsigeuneol)Junggu
- 홍대 혼술바 우우 (Hongdae Honsulba Uu)Mapogu
- 혼술바 제주보름 서울 을지로점 (Honsulba Jejuboreum Seoul Euljirojeom)Junggu
- 구아바 (Guaba)Seongdonggu
How much is club entry in Seoul?
Hongdae is usually ₩10,000. Itaewon runs ₩5,000–20,000 and often doubles after midnight. Gangnam is ₩15,000–20,000 on a weekday and ₩20,000–35,000 at the weekend. Whether a drink is included varies by venue.
Do I have to order food at a Korean bar?
In practice, yes. It is not a written rule, but ordering drinks alone is unusual and many places will ask you to add a dish. Anju is a shared plate for the table and runs ₩18,000–23,000. The small 기본안주 that arrives unasked is a separate thing and is free.
Is there a cover charge at Korean bars?
Not at ordinary bars or pochas. High-end cocktail bars and some lounge bars charge about ₩10,000 per person, and it buys you a welcome drink, a snack and water.
How much more is a taxi late at night?
The surcharge is 20% from 22:00–23:00 and 02:00–04:00, and 40% from 23:00–02:00. Leaving Seoul adds another 20%, capped at 60% combined. The ₩4,800 base fare becomes ₩6,700 after 23:00.
Do I tip in Korea?
No. Not in restaurants, bars or taxis. The one exception is a nightclub waiter, where ₩20,000 for seating and ₩50,000–100,000 for active 부킹 is expected on top of the bill.