Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,478 in Exeter versus $1,783 in Seoul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,906 in Exeter versus $2,868 in Seoul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,333 in Exeter versus $3,952 in Seoul.

Living in Exeter is roughly 39% more expensive than in Seoul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Exeter 80% above, Seoul 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.42 £15.09

$9.84 ₩13.2K

107.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.5

$69.1 ₩92.6K

45.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 £6.80

$7.57 ₩10.2K

21.66%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.71

$4.04 ₩5,419

24.26%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 £2.37

$1.60 ₩2,151

100.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 £1.81

$0.78 ₩1,052

214.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 £5.64

$3.75 ₩5,026

103.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 £4.66

$6.11 ₩8,190

3.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 £1.14

$2.15 ₩2,880

-28.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.21

$3.11 ₩4,176

-47.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 £1.34

$4.20 ₩5,635

-56.67%

Eggs

$4.41 £3.26

$3.41 ₩4,568

29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 £6.54

$17.49 ₩23.5K

-49.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 £6.32

$9.84 ₩13.2K

-13.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.16 £17.85

$25.26 ₩33.9K

-4.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 £2.29

$7.80 ₩10.5K

-60.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.07

$3.34 ₩4,477

-56.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 £1.93

$5.81 ₩7,792

-55.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 £2.28

$6.20 ₩8,309

-50.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 £1.64

$3.57 ₩4,784

-37.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 £1.54

$2.50 ₩3,348

-16.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 £1.20

$2.79 ₩3,745

-41.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.12 ₩1,499

75.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.12 £17.83

$3.26 ₩4,373

639.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 £7.09

$18.26 ₩24.5K

-47.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 £2.68

$2.40 ₩3,219

51.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 £3.32

$3.14 ₩4,217

42.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 £2.99

$1.12 ₩1,506

260.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £80.3

$45.94 ₩61.6K

136.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 £4.37

$3.64 ₩4,885

62.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 £1.89

$0.63 ₩843

306.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.19 £17.88

$8.96 ₩12.0K

169.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 £1.49

$1.51 ₩2,023

33.77%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.2K £29.0K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

31.37%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.8K £30.9K

$28.0K ₩37.6M

49.27%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$481 £356

$201 ₩268.9K

139.96%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.44 £12.15

$34.79 ₩46.7K

-52.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.45 £35.07

$19.70 ₩26.4K

140.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.47 £32.87

$56.9 ₩76.4K

-21.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.77 £10.18

$16.20 ₩21.7K

-15.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.86 £9.50

$11.04 ₩14.8K

16.49%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,463 £1,081

$1,915 ₩2.6M

-23.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K £13.2K

$22.7K ₩30.5M

-21.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 £50.9

$56.7 ₩76.1K

21.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.50 £24.02

$32.56 ₩43.7K

-0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £77.2

$69.3 ₩92.9K

50.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 £82.9

$80.9 ₩108.5K

38.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 £890

$891 ₩1.2M

35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 £687

$616 ₩825.9K

50.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,456 £1,815

$2,555 ₩3.4M

-3.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 £1,558

$1,260 ₩1.7M

67.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,439 £4,020

$28.4K ₩38.1M

-80.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,544 £4,837

$11.6K ₩15.5M

-43.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,129 £2,313

$3,457 ₩4.6M

-9.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

4.08

25.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Exeter: September 6, 2026

Last update for Seoul: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,204 in Exeter and $891 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Exeter vs $69.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $469, with Exeter cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Exeter vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Exeter and Seoul differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,478 vs $1,783 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,204 in Exeter versus $891 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seoul – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $101 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,478 per month in Exeter versus $1,783 in Seoul – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,783 in Seoul versus $2,478 in Exeter, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Exeter. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Exeter and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.