Entry into Seoul's Top 1% Apartments Costs 4.6 Billion Won… While Regions Stand at 500 Million, Widening Gap Between Capital and Provinces

Analysis of actual transaction data since 2020 reveals a significant disparity in 'top 1%' apartment prices by region. Based on the first half of 2026, purchasing a top 1% apartment in Seoul requires at least 4.6 billion won, whereas entry is possible in the 500 million won range in the provinces. Gyeonggi Province's threshold for the top 1% was 1.85 billion won, the second highest following Seoul. Daegu's threshold was 1.58 billion won, and Busan was 1.525 billion won, while Sejong recorded 1.28 billion won, and Daejeon and Incheon were in the 1.1 billion won range. Gwangju, Chungbuk, and Gyeongnam ranged around 700 to 900 million won, while Chungnam and Jeonbuk stood at the 700 million won level. In Gangwon and Gyeongbuk, entry into the top 1% was possible in the 500 to 600 million won range.

The trend of high-value transactions differed between the greater Seoul area, which is expanding its scope to include new luxury complexes in Gwacheon, Bundang, and Pangyo, and the provinces, where transactions are concentrated in landmark complexes.

Seoul's threshold for the top 1% peaked at 4.98 billion won in the first half of 2025 before declining to 4.64998 billion won in the first half of 2026. The average transaction price of the top 1% also fell from 6.88334 billion won in the first half of 2025 to 6.3059 billion won in the first half of 2026. Gyeonggi Province's threshold also adjusted slightly from 2.01 billion won in the first half of 2025 to 1.85 billion won in the first half of 2026.