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: $2,385 in Exeter versus $1,742 in Seoul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,900 in Exeter versus $2,892 in Seoul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,415 in Exeter versus $4,043 in Seoul.

Living in Exeter is roughly 37% more expensive than Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Exeter 78% above, Seoul 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 £14.94

$8.59 ₩13.0K

133.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 £66.7

$54.3 ₩82.2K

65.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 £7.56

$6.30 ₩9,550

61.43%

Cappuccino

$4.59 £3.42

$3.88 ₩5,886

18.30%

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

$3.05 £2.27

$1.72 ₩2,613

77.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$0.86 ₩1,296

102.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 £5.64

$3.60 ₩5,448

110.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 £4.66

$5.94 ₩8,998

5.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.27

$2.22 ₩3,371

-22.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 £1.37

$3.45 ₩5,228

-46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 £1.30

$3.13 ₩4,749

-44.41%

Eggs

$4.63 £3.44

$3.19 ₩4,830

45.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 £6.11

$14.21 ₩21.5K

-42.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 £5.08

$10.99 ₩16.6K

-37.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.76 £14.69

$34.74 ₩52.6K

-43.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 £1.79

$7.97 ₩12.1K

-69.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 £0.96

$3.46 ₩5,247

-62.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 £1.68

$5.43 ₩8,229

-58.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 £2.34

$6.69 ₩10.1K

-52.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 £0.82

$3.80 ₩5,763

-71.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.97

$2.95 ₩4,465

-55.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 £0.74

$2.63 ₩3,978

-61.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.08

$1.27 ₩1,924

14.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.66 £16.10

$3.23 ₩4,893

570.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.20 £6.84

$19.49 ₩29.5K

-52.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 £1.95

$2.42 ₩3,668

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$3.25 ₩4,921

-23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$1.12 ₩1,691

139.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £76.7

$47.88 ₩72.6K

115.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.59 £4.90

$3.56 ₩5,396

85.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 £1.21

$0.54 ₩818

201.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.71 £16.14

$8.72 ₩13.2K

148.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.25 ₩1,889

52.00%

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

$38.4K £28.5K

$28.3K ₩42.8M

35.73%

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

$38.6K £28.7K

$25.3K ₩38.4M

52.50%

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

$342 £254

$161 ₩243.4K

112.75%

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

$16.31 £12.12

$34.38 ₩52.1K

-52.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.85 £34.08

$22.41 ₩34.0K

104.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.53 £29.39

$57.0 ₩86.4K

-30.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.05 £10.45

$23.23 ₩35.2K

-39.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 £8.93

$11.19 ₩17.0K

7.42%

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

$1,472 £1,094

$412 ₩624.5K

257.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K £15.7K

$23.7K ₩35.8M

-10.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 £58.2

$58.7 ₩88.9K

33.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.38 £24.81

$46.80 ₩70.9K

-28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 £75.3

$78.3 ₩118.6K

29.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 £81.7

$114 ₩173.0K

-3.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 £984

$957 ₩1.4M

38.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 £742

$604 ₩914.5K

65.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,590 £1,925

$2,580 ₩3.9M

0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 £1,841

$1,308 ₩2.0M

89.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,395 £4,010

$18.2K ₩27.5M

-70.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,667 £4,956

$9,223 ₩14.0M

-27.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,090 £2,297

$3,095 ₩4.7M

-0.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.72

4.14

38.16%

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

Last update for Exeter: June 1, 2026

Last update for Seoul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,324 in Exeter and $957 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Exeter vs $54.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $500, 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 37% in total monthly costs ($2,385 vs $1,742 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Seoul earns 0% less. 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: $1,324 in Exeter versus $957 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 $54.0 versus $90.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,385 per month in Exeter versus $1,742 in Seoul – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,742 in Seoul versus $2,385 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 37% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.