Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Labuan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Labuan: $1,020 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Labuan 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 Labuan and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Labuan $1,020
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,487 in Labuan versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Labuan $1,487
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,953 in Labuan versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Labuan $1,953
Seoul $3,931

Living in Labuan costs roughly 43% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Labuan is 24% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 MYR 22.53

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-37.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.16 MYR 98.6

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-64.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 MYR 27.19

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-11.67%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MYR 16.05

$4.23 ₩5,624

-7.09%

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

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$1.63 ₩2,167

-34.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.74 ₩985

-39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$3.64 ₩4,843

2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$6.15 ₩8,175

-26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.43

$2.01 ₩2,679

-9.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$3.13 ₩4,164

-66.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$4.32 ₩5,744

-65.51%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.58

$3.61 ₩4,794

-41.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 MYR 68.6

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-5.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-57.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MYR 38.76

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-63.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.95

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-58.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$3.38 ₩4,499

-45.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$5.81 ₩7,723

-58.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$6.41 ₩8,520

-72.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$3.75 ₩4,983

-62.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$2.54 ₩3,375

-59.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$2.84 ₩3,782

-58.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$1.11 ₩1,472

-51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 MYR 20.57

$3.35 ₩4,455

50.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 MYR 66.5

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 MYR 13.11

$2.40 ₩3,185

33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MYR 17.90

$3.37 ₩4,480

30.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$1.14 ₩1,521

-31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.66 MYR 43.48

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-76.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MYR 5.47

$3.49 ₩4,643

-61.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$0.63 ₩840

-23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 MYR 26.43

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-26.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.58

$1.51 ₩2,005

-41.72%

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

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

50.31%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

15.32%

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

$48.90 MYR 199

$218 ₩289.2K

-77.52%

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

$9.68 MYR 39.49

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-72.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.69 MYR 113

$21.29 ₩28.3K

30.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.60 MYR 170

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-28.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 MYR 31.32

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-52.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-62.07%

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

$208 MYR 849

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-89.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-69.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MYR 228

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.07 MYR 123

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 355

$71.5 ₩95.0K

21.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 MYR 334

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-0.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 MYR 1,768

$901 ₩1.2M

-51.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 MYR 1,397

$612 ₩813.5K

-44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,614

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-74.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,892

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-63.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,282 MYR 9,308

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-92.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MYR 4,636

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-90.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$374 MYR 1,525

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-89.76%

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 Labuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Labuan

$342 33.6%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 78.7% $269

Groceries & Markets

Labuan

$264 25.9%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 80.5% $213

Eating Out

Labuan

$145 14.2%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 26.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Labuan

$115 11.2%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 4% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Labuan

$86 8.5%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 218% $188

Sport & Entertainment

Labuan

$50 4.9%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 60.7% $30

Getting Around

Labuan

$18 1.7%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 227% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Labuan and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 876% 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: $24.00 in Labuan vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $477 per month, with Labuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Labuan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

12:16 12:16 PM

1 h ahead of Labuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,120

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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Between locations

Labuan Seoul 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Labuan
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

Labuan vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 876% 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: $433 in Labuan versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Labuan versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan 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, Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.