Seoul Subway Fares: Base Fare, Extra Charges and Transfers

Start with the passenger and payment method

The cards below show the city’s ordinary adult starting fares. A rechargeable transport card and a single-use card are different products. These figures are not unlimited-ride passes or a promise that every journey costs the base fare.

This guide keeps to ordinary adult fares. Check the official rules for children, teenagers, early-morning discounts and concession eligibility rather than applying an adult example to everyone in a group.

Why a longer trip can cost more

The ordinary metropolitan rail rule groups chargeable distance into bands. A partly used additional band still counts. Station fare distance is what matters; a road distance or the straight line between two places is not a substitute.

Check the exact route if it uses a line with a separate charge or a special regional section. The airport section of AREX has its own fare structure. These standard bands alone do not price every service across the network.

Three worked examples, not three route quotes

The distances here are invented to explain the bands. The first sits inside the base band; the next uses one extra band; the last uses two. None is the measured fare for an airport, hotel or named station pair.

We calculate these examples using the adult transport-card rule without discounts or separate charges. Compare the pattern with the fare shown for your real departure and arrival stations, not just with the smallest number on the page.

Keep the single-use deposit separate from the fare

When buying a single-use card, the purchase screen includes a refundable deposit as well as the journey fare. That can make the amount you pay at the machine look higher than the fare alone.

After the journey, tap out and use a deposit refund machine with the used card. Do not treat the deposit as an extra distance fee, or add it again to a rechargeable-card example.

Changing lines and changing services are different checks

For an ordinary subway line change, follow the interchange signs inside the station instead of treating the street exit as a transfer route. A line change does not mean you should simply add two full base fares; the final charge still depends on the journey and any separate fees.

A linked bus-and-subway journey has time and payment conditions. The window below is measured to boarding the next service after alighting, not from the first tap of the day. Use the same card for yourself and tap on and off; a single-use subway card is not a rechargeable bus-transfer card.

A transfer discount can still leave an extra charge for distance or a higher base fare. It does not mean all later travel is free.

A practical check before entering the gate

Save the departure and destination station names together. Neighbourhood names can match more than one station; confirm the destination shown on the ticket screen before paying.

If a charge differs from your expectation, first check whether you compared the same passenger type, payment method, route and deposit. Ask station staff to check the card or ticket; this page does not decide whether a particular charge was incorrect.

1. Identify the exact station pair and the date you will travel.
2. Check whether the route includes an airport or other separately charged service.
3. Compare the fare for your card type with the machine or official station-fare lookup.
4. Keep enough balance for the journey and keep the same card ready when changing services.
5. Follow the exit signs only at your destination; if a transfer gate is unclear, ask staff before going through.

Continue planning

• How to Buy and Top Up a Transit Card
• Incheon Airport to Hongdae or Myeongdong: Choose Your Rail Route

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