T-money card and getting around Korea

A T-money card pays for subways and buses in Seoul and Busan and buses on Jeju. Buy one at a convenience store for about ₩3,000–5,000 and top it up with cash. In Seoul a subway ride costs from ₩1,550 with the card, and transfers within 30 minutes are discounted.

Which card for your trip

T-money card, Climate Card tourist pass, M-Pass and WOWPASS compared: price, where each works and where to get it
Card	Price	Works on	Where to get it
T-money card	About ₩3,000 for a standard card, about ₩4,000 for the Travel Card made for visitors. The card price is not refunded.	Seoul subways and buses. It works nationwide, including Busan, and on Jeju buses.	Convenience stores, Seoul subway-station service desks, Incheon Airport and street stalls. Top up with cash.
Check price on KlookAffiliate linkChecked Nov 6T-Money Card
Climate Card tourist pass	1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days: about ₩5,000, ₩8,000, ₩10,000, ₩15,000 or ₩20,000.	Seoul subways, city buses and Ttareungyi bikes. Not on the Shinbundang Line, airport buses or intercity buses.	Check Seoul’s Climate Card page for where to buy. The 30-day Climate Card ended on October 1, 2026; press reports say the tourist passes continue.
M-Pass	From about ₩15,000 for 1 day to about ₩64,500 for 7 days (2 days about ₩23,000, 3 days about ₩30,500, 5 days about ₩47,500), including a deposit of about ₩5,000. Cash only. Bought after 17:00 it costs about ₩3,000 less.	Subways in the Seoul area, AREX all-stop trains (not Express) and Seoul buses, night buses included, up to 20 rides a day. Not in Busan or Jeju.	Issued and returned only at Tmoney Town near Seoul Station. On return you get about ₩4,500 of the deposit back, after a fee of about ₩500.
WOWPASS	About ₩6,000 for Tmoney’s Travel Card+, which has WOWPASS payment built in.	Public transport and taxis, by tap.	Convenience stores sell the Travel Card+. Load it in the app or at self-service exchange machines; unused won can be withdrawn at the machine.

Checked Oct 4, 2026. Prices and passes change; confirm them on the operator’s page.

What a ride costs in each city

Subway and bus fares with a transit card in Seoul, Busan and Jeju
City	Subway	Bus
Seoul	From about ₩1,550 with a card for up to 10 km. A single-journey ticket costs about ₩100 more.	About ₩1,500 on trunk and branch buses, about ₩2,500 on night buses.
Busan	From about ₩1,600 with a transit card for up to 10 km, about ₩1,800 beyond that.	Not checked. Tap the same card.
Jeju	There is no subway.	About ₩1,150 with a card or about ₩1,200 in cash on trunk and branch buses, tourist loop buses included.

Checked Oct 4, 2026. Fares change; the operators’ pages are in the sources.

Seoul transfers, distance and first-train rules

Transfers: Board the next bus or subway within 30 minutes of getting off and the transfer is discounted. You can transfer up to 4 times (5 rides).
Distance: Beyond the first 10 km, the subway adds about ₩100 for every 5 km up to 50 km, then about ₩100 for every 8 km.
First trains: From the first train until 06:30 the base fare is 20% lower.

Checked Oct 4, 2026. Arriving at Incheon? The airport to Seoul guide compares the train, bus and taxi.

Your plan’s transport budget

Local transport budget per person of our ready-made plans at mid-range prices, in total and per day
Plan	Local transport, whole trip	Per day
3 days in Seoul	about $27 (₩36,000)	about $9 (₩12,000)
4 days in Seoul	about $36 (₩48,000)	about $9 (₩12,000)
7 days in Korea: Seoul and Busan	about $63 (₩84,000)	about $9 (₩12,000)
10 days in Korea: Seoul, Busan and Jeju	about $130 (₩174,000)	about $13 (₩17,400)

Per person, mid-range, as the planner budgets it for each plan. Intercity trains and flights are not in these figures. Prices as of Sep 25, 2026 · USD at the Nov 13, 2026 rate.

What the whole trip costs is in the Korea travel budget. A trip that goes on to Jeju is covered in Seoul to Jeju.

Customize this plan

Opens the planner with the 3-day Seoul plan. Change the days or the style there.

Top-ups, refunds and taxis

Top-up: Top up with cash in ₩1,000 steps, up to ₩90,000 each time; the card holds ₩500,000 at most. Use convenience stores with the T-money sticker, subway stations and street stalls.
Refund: The card price is not refunded; balance refunds carry a service fee of about ₩500. Convenience stores refund balances up to about ₩20,000–30,000, depending on the chain.
Larger balances: Refund small balances at a convenience store, or larger ones at Tmoney Town near Seoul Station; fees apply. It is on the ground floor of Seoul City Tower, by Seoul Station Exit 10, open on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00. 서울역 10번 출구 서울시티타워 1층 (티머니 타운)
Taxis in Seoul: The base fare is from about ₩4,800 for the first 1.6 km. A 20% night surcharge applies from 22:00 to 04:00, and it is 40% between 23:00 and 02:00.
Help and apps: Tmoney’s foreign-language help line is 120 (Dasan Call Center), then press 9. Mobile and Apple Wallet options change often; check the T-money site before you rely on them.

Checked Oct 4, 2026. Refund limits and fees are set by the operator and change; confirm them before you rely on a refund.

Sources

Before you go

Travel insurance

Check that your policy covers medical care in Korea, trip changes and the activities you plan.

Check price on SafetyWingAffiliate linkTravel medical insurance for visitors

eSIM or SIM card

Mobile data keeps maps, translation and transit apps working. For an eSIM, check that your phone supports it and is unlocked.

Check price on KlookAffiliate linkChecked Nov 65G Unlimited Prepaid eSIM South Korea (SKT)

The full checklist (K-ETA, T-money, airport transfers) comes with every trip you build in the planner.

Questions

Where can I buy a T-money card?

At convenience stores such as GS25, CU, 7-Eleven and Emart24, at Seoul subway-station service desks and at Incheon Airport. A standard card costs about ₩3,000 and the Travel Card made for visitors about ₩4,000. The card price is not refunded. Checked Oct 4, 2026.

Can I use T-money in Busan and Jeju?

Yes. Tmoney says the card works nationwide, including Busan, and Jeju’s bus site lists T-money among the transit cards its buses accept. A Seoul subway ride costs from ₩1,550 with the card, a Busan ride from ₩1,600 and a Jeju city bus about ₩1,150. Checked Oct 4, 2026.

T-money or Climate Card?

The Climate Card tourist pass costs about ₩5,000 for 1 day up to about ₩20,000 for 7 days and covers Seoul subways, city buses and Ttareungyi bikes, but not airport buses or the Shinbundang Line. T-money pays per ride and also works outside Seoul, so it suits a trip that leaves the capital. Checked Oct 4, 2026.