Every number has a source and date. Unpublished values such as production cost or brand margin are never invented and show as Unknown. Drinks are not rated good or bad — only what differs and what that means for price, taste and health.
WATER
Same water — why several times the price?
In KCA’s 2026 survey, bottled waters with the same source, maker and minerals ranged from ₩43 to ₩72 per 100 mL — up to 1.7× by brand.
Product
Per 100 mL
vs cheapest
Gaya Water
Cheapest in the Sangju-source group (KCA survey)
₩43
1.00×
Tamsasu (label-free)
Same Sangju-source group (KCA survey)
₩48
1.12×
Icis 8.0
Highest price among products with the same source, maker and minerals — 1.7× (67.4%) Tamsasu
₩72
1.67×
Minerals (maker-published, mg/L)
Jeju Samdasoo
pH 7.8
The maker cites vanadium, silica and pH 7.8, but per-mineral values were not found on its official pages (see the bottle label).
evian
Ca 80 · Mg 26 · Na 6.5 · HCO₃ 360 · TDS 345 · pH 7.2
Perrier
Values not verified
The official product page now redirects to a brand site without a mineral table, so values are left blank until verified.
Chemical difference
Real: evian has 80 mg/L calcium, far above Korean soft waters.
Taste difference
Blind tests found people near chance at telling waters (or tap vs bottled) apart — see studies below.
Health difference
Mineral make-up differs, but this page found no evidence of added health effects from the choice of water.
The rest of the price
With 1.7× between identical waters, brand, packaging and distribution can drive much of the price; their shares are not public.
Sugar and caffeine per 100 mL · Reference values for regular cola in the KCA report; no product price given.
Coca-Cola Zero
₩2,000 / 355mL · ₩563 per 100 mL · Sugar 0 g
Sugar and caffeine per 100 mL
Pepsi Zero Sugar Lime
₩2,000 / 355mL · ₩563 per 100 mL · Sugar 0 g · Caffeine 13.0 mg
Sugar and caffeine per 100 mL · Highest caffeine of the colas tested (46 mg per can)
No Brand Cola Zero
₩480 / 355mL · ₩135 per 100 mL · Sugar 0 g · Caffeine 3.1 mg
Sugar and caffeine per 100 mL · Cheapest product tested; 11 mg caffeine per can
The same 355 mL of zero cola ranged from ₩480 to ₩2,000 — over 4×. Whether sweetener cost explains price cannot be checked, as production costs are not public.
Aspartame
IARC Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic, limited evidence); JECFA kept the ADI at 40 mg/kg. A 70 kg adult would need more than 9–14 cans a day of a 200–300 mg drink to exceed it (WHO example).
Sweeteners tested
Acesulfame-K 7–20 mg/100 mL (3–13% of a 60 kg adult’s ADI), sucralose 14–27 mg; all met sugar and safety standards.
Aspartame vs ADI (40 mg/kg)
At 200 mg per can, one can = 8% of the ADI; about 12 cans reach it
KCA’s test of 20 energy drinks found caffeine from 1.0 to 162.4 mg (mean 58.1 mg) per product; few labelled their taurine. Current product prices will be added once verified.
Official i-Moutai direct price (from Jan 2026): 1,499 CNY(2026-01)
Reports describe a wide gap between the 1,499-yuan guide price and 2,500–3,000-yuan street prices, with wholesale near 1,500 yuan in 2026. Production cost is not public.
Restaurant prices include rent, staff, seating, service and profit, so the multiple is not the margin on the drink. Restaurants’ actual purchase prices are not public, so no multiple versus purchase price is shown.
This analyses prices, production and tax; it does not encourage drinking.
Factory price (after the 2024 tax-base cut) · 2024-01
45g
₩250
Chamisul Fresh (diluted soju)
Hypermarket · 2024-02
45g
₩309~₩332
Chamisul Fresh (diluted soju)
Convenience store · 2024-02
45g
₩437~₩471
Chamisul Fresh (diluted soju)
Restaurant · 2024-02
45g
₩1,121~₩1,570
Hwayo 25 (distilled soju)
One liquor retailer (sample) · 2026-10
74g
₩1,595
Absolut Vodka
Systembolaget (Swedish state retailer) · 2026-10
221g
11.5 SEK
Kweichow Moutai Feitian 53%
Official i-Moutai direct price (from Jan 2026) · 2026-01
209g
71.7 CNY
IMPORT TAX
Import tax calculator for alcohol
Customs value
₩30,000
Tariff
₩6,000
Liquor tax
₩25,920
Education tax
₩7,776
VAT 10%
₩6,970
Total with taxes
₩76,666
Taxes are 61% of the total — 2.56× the customs value
Tariffs depend on HS code, origin and FTA proof — check UNI-PASS before declaring. Domestic spirits get a reduced tax base via the standard sales ratio. Importer, wholesale and retail margins are not included.
100+ participants were only slightly better than chance at telling four bottled waters apart; price and rating were unrelated or weakly negative, and telling tap from bottled was at chance level.
Tap vs bottled beliefs
Neither tap-water nor bottled-water drinkers could tell the two apart blind.
Do pricier wines taste better?
6,175 blind tastings: a small negative price–rating correlation; trained tasters may be the exception.