Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johor Bahru and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Johor Bahru: $1,056 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Johor Bahru
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Johor Bahru Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Johor Bahru

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johor Bahru and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Johor Bahru and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,056 in Johor Bahru versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Johor Bahru $1,056
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Johor Bahru versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Johor Bahru $1,551
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,046 in Johor Bahru versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Johor Bahru $2,046
Seoul $3,931

Living in Johor Bahru costs roughly 41% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Johor Bahru is 22% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 MYR 14.53

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-59.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.68 MYR 76.2

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-72.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 MYR 20.11

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-34.62%

Cappuccino

$2.86 MYR 11.67

$4.23 ₩5,624

-32.39%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.45

$1.63 ₩2,167

-48.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$0.74 ₩985

-25.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

$3.64 ₩4,843

24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 MYR 25.31

$6.15 ₩8,175

0.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MYR 6.79

$2.01 ₩2,679

-17.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$3.13 ₩4,164

-64.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.13

$4.32 ₩5,744

-65.28%

Eggs

$1.72 MYR 7.00

$3.61 ₩4,794

-52.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.86 MYR 72.9

$17.83 ₩23.7K

0.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.58

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-56.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 MYR 42.80

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-59.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 MYR 13.28

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-57.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$3.38 ₩4,499

-49.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 MYR 15.96

$5.81 ₩7,723

-32.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.86

$6.41 ₩8,520

-73.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$3.75 ₩4,983

-60.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.74

$2.54 ₩3,375

-35.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MYR 5.37

$2.84 ₩3,782

-53.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.24

$1.11 ₩1,472

-50.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 17.01

$3.35 ₩4,455

24.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 MYR 57.1

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 MYR 11.59

$2.40 ₩3,185

18.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.68

$3.37 ₩4,480

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.90

$1.14 ₩1,521

-37.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.11 MYR 49.42

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-73.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MYR 3.90

$3.49 ₩4,643

-72.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$0.63 ₩840

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 MYR 38.75

$8.86 ₩11.8K

7.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.51 ₩2,005

-45.03%

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

$41.1K MYR 167.8K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

40.48%

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

$36.1K MYR 147.2K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

27.93%

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

$53.0 MYR 216

$218 ₩289.2K

-75.62%

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

$10.99 MYR 44.84

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-68.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 MYR 116

$21.29 ₩28.3K

33.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 MYR 161

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-32.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.63 MYR 22.97

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-65.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.08

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-56.50%

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

$161 MYR 658

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-91.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,478 MYR 18.3K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-80.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 MYR 221

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.54 MYR 67.5

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-50.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 MYR 332

$71.5 ₩95.0K

13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 MYR 397

$82.5 ₩109.7K

17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 MYR 2,109

$901 ₩1.2M

-42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MYR 1,620

$612 ₩813.5K

-35.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 MYR 3,673

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-64.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 MYR 2,548

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-50.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,019 MYR 8,238

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-93.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,167 MYR 4,759

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-90.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 MYR 4,325

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-70.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.08

-0.49%

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

Last update for Johor Bahru: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Johor Bahru

$397 37.6%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 54% $215

Groceries & Markets

Johor Bahru

$267 25.3%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 78.6% $210

Eating Out

Johor Bahru

$118 11.2%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 55.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Johor Bahru

$112 10.6%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 2.1% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johor Bahru

$92 8.8%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 196% $182

Sport & Entertainment

Johor Bahru

$49 4.7%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 63.7% $31

Getting Around

Johor Bahru

$19 1.8%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 196% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Johor Bahru and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 244% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Johor Bahru vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $477 per month, with Johor Bahru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Johor Bahru

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

12:46 12:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

1 h ahead of Johor Bahru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

858,118

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Johor Bahru Seoul 4,660 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Johor Bahru
Seoul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Johor Bahru vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johor Bahru and Seoul differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,056 vs $1,794 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 244% 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: $517 in Johor Bahru versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,056 per month in Johor Bahru versus $1,794 in Seoul – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,056 in Johor Bahru versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Johor Bahru but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Johor Bahru 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, Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.