How To Save Money On Plastic Surgery In Korea (2025)

If you plan on having plastic surgery in Korea, this guide will have everything you need to know about saving money.

Because of the high demand for plastic surgery in Korea, it’s important to know how to save money while still getting top-notch treatment.

This guide will provide useful tips for saving on surgeries and accommodations, transportation, and everyday expenses while you’re in Korea.

From choosing the right clinic to finding budget-friendly places to stay, these tips will help you save money in Korea and enjoy a smooth, stress-free trip.

Saving Money In Korea

Before we can even talk about giving out some tips, it’s important to outline all the possible expenses while staying in Korea for plastic surgery.

To better understand and plan everything accordingly, you first have to know what to even plan for.

Korea is considered one of the more budget-friendly Asian countries. You can enjoy everything and still stay within your budget.

However, if you are having plastic surgery there, you have to plan for everything differently. You will have expenses that you usually won’t have while on vacation.

To give you at least some perspective, check out this budget breakdown of a 2-week vacation to Korea – without flights and surgery.

Before talking about saving money in Korea, let’s dive into what are some of the things you should expect to pay for if you are having plastic surgery there:

Surgery Cost

If you are having plastic surgery in Korea, then the first expense is obvious. You have to take into account the cost of your surgery.

Plastic surgery in Korea is not as expensive as you might think. In fact, Korea is one of the cheaper countries in terms of plastic surgery.

If you have a major surgery, expect to pay anywhere from 6,000,000 KRW (= 4,500$) to 20,000,000 KRW (= 15,000$). 

For minor procedures, the prices can be as low as a few bucks (dermal fillers, Botox, etc.).

Now this again depends on the type of surgery, extent of the procedure, complexity, how many procedures you have, etc.

We have guides on lots of popular procedures in Korea, where we break down the cost of them too.

Meds And Recovery Aids

Depending on the type of surgery, you might have to buy a few recovery aids or medication to help with pain, swelling, etc.

These are not as expensive as you might think since some clinics give you a discount to use at partnered pharmacies.

Sometimes, clinics will provide certain bandages or garments, but you should expect to pay for them. For example, you will need to buy a compression garment for liposuction recovery.

Accomodation

You have to stay somewhere in Korea after the surgery since you will be released from the clinic on the same day. This is the second largest expense because you will be staying in Korea for at least 2 weeks. 

You can get accommodation for about 50$ per night, but this will be on the lower end. If you want a top hotel, expect to pay from 150$ – 200$.

We suggest you pick a place that is somewhat near the clinic you are going to or near major public transport stations.

Pick a place where you will feel comfortable spending your initial recovery and that offers food service or is near restaurants or food markets.

Air B&B’s are a good budget-friendly option if you don’t feel like spending a lot on accommodation.

Food And Drinks

Nothing special about this expense, as it’s something you will have everywhere you go. 

Food in Korea is not that expensive as you can get a good meal for around 5$. If you eat out, you can expect to pay no more than 50$ for food and drinks per day (3 meals + drinks).

You might have some dietary restrictions after plastic surgery, but you can manage those very well in Korea.

If you want to save money on food, don’t eat out, visit local food markets and make food yourselves.

Flights

On average, a return flight from the US to Korea can cost about 2,000$. This is if you fly from Los Angeles to Incheon Airport near Seoul.

If you are flying from Europe (we take Germany as an example here), you can expect to pay around 1,500$ for a round trip to Korea.

You can, of course, save some money on flights if you do lots of layovers. However, those flights usually take over 24 hours and are very tiring.

Local Transportation

We recommend using local transportation like subways, buses, trams, etc. instead of taxis and Uber. Seoul has a very good system in place for it.

For a 2-week trip, you can expect to pay around $ 70 for a pass, which can get you pretty much anywhere in Seoul.

If you are lucky, you might get some discounted rates from the clinic for your surgery. Some do offer great deals and even include chauffeur services.

Translation Services

If you don’t speak Korean, you will need translation services at least for your time at the clinic.

You can use the one the clinics have, which can be quite expensive. In some cases, translators are included in the price but not always.

You can also ask around forums if someone is prepared to help you during your stay at the clinic and translate for you. This is the cheaper option.

You can also hire one yourself, but it can cost you the same as getting one from the clinic.

Saving Money In Korea: Tips For Lowering Cost

Now that we have done a breakdown of the most important expenses you will have while in Korea, it’s time to give you some tips for saving money in Korea.

You can save the biggest amount of money on your surgery in Korea. Surgery is also the more specific part of the cost breakdown.

The way we came up with these tips, is either by using them ourselves for surgery or by researching forums, and reviews, asking patients and locals, etc.

Not every tip will work for everything but we can guarantee that at least one will save you some money. Let’s dive in:

Paying In Full

You can pay either in full or, if the clinic offers it, in monthly installments. Always pay for your surgery in full, as clinics prefer this over paying in installments.

Now this might not always get you a discount, but it’s worth a try. You might get a nice discount of up to 10%, which paired with the tax refund, is a lot of money.

We always recommend offering to pay in full and asking for a discount.

Writing Reviews

This one is a more controversial way of saving money on surgery in Korea but it works. 

If you offer to write a positive review about the clinic, you might get a very nice discount. Of course, do this only if you are actually satisfied with the results.

This tip feels a bit scammy and can feel like a fake review to readers, so try to write it as sincerely as you can. However, it has to be only positive if you want to get these reviews.

You can check multiple forums to see examples of such reviews.

Modeling For The Clinic

Clinics like to show off their results online so modeling for them is one of the best ways to save money on surgery.

If you are having multiple procedures done together, you might even get one procedure for free if you let them publish your before and after photos.

However, don’t do this if you are not okay with having your photos posted across various social media and websites.

We recommend only doing this if you are comfortable enough and not just for the discount. If you are up for it, you can simply volunteer for it at your consultation.

Combining Procedures

Having multiple procedures done together at the same clinic means that the clinic will save a ton of money on surgery costs.

If you do this, then the clinic might give you a big discount on the final price of your surgeries. There are lots of procedures that go hand in hand and give you better results.

For example, you can combine eye-related procedures with some anti-aging ones and get more natural-looking and distinct results.

Having A Friend Translate

Translators can cost a lot of money if you get one through the clinic. To avoid this, we recommend having someone you know or a local translate during your time at the clinic.

You can ask around on forums, Reddit, etc. to try and find someone who is ready to do this for you.

Not only will you save money on translation services, but you might also get a discounted rate because of the help from a Korean.

Tax Refund

If you are having plastic surgery in Korea, then you are, as a foreigner, eligible for a VAT refund when leaving.

This is a great way of getting a chunk of money back since the only requirement is that you are not a Korean citizen.

Keep all the invoices for the services and get a refund at special tax refund kiosks or tax refund machines. You can them across Seoul and at airports, train stations, etc.

Saving Money In Korea By Getting A Tax Refund At Tax Refund Machines

Conclusion

In conclusion, having surgery in Korea is not the cheapest, but there are ways to save money.

There are plenty of expenses you have to account for if planning to have plastic surgery in Korea. The biggest ones are the surgery, flight, and accommodation.

However, with a little research and patience, you can save a lot of money on your surgery. From getting a tax refund to modeling for clinics, there are ways for you to lower the cost of your surgery in Korea.

We hope that you can use the tips from our guide to save some money and that you now have a better look at all the costs regarding a plastic surgery trip to Korea.

If you have any questions or need help planning, booking, etc., feel free to contact us. We have plenty of experience and can give you valuable advice which can help you.

FAQ

How much should I save for plastic surgery in Korea?

It’s hard to give an exact number as there are a ton of factors that influence this. For example, for Rhinoplasty, we recommend saving at least 8,000$.

While flight, accommodation, food, etc. are roughly the same for everything, surgery is what influences the amount the most. If you have a lot done, you should have at least 15,000$ saved up.

How to pay for plastic surgery in Korea?

Most clinics accept cash, major credit/debit cards, or you can do a wire transfer. However, if you decide to pay in cash, we recommend exchanging to KRW, since not all clinics accept other currencies.

How can I save money on plastic surgery?

Look for promotions, and deals, volunteer to model for clinics, pay for your surgery in full, write positive reviews, combine procedures, etc.

There are a ton of tips for saving money in Korea. You can also get a VAT refund if you are not a Korean citizen.

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