Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle upon Tyne and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle upon Tyne and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,308 per month in Newcastle upon Tyne vs $1,752 in Seoul, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,343 per month in Newcastle upon Tyne vs $2,801 in Seoul, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,378 per month in Newcastle upon Tyne vs $3,850 in Seoul, rent included.

Newcastle upon Tyne costs about 32% more than Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Newcastle upon Tyne and Seoul sit above the global median – Newcastle upon Tyne by 68%, Seoul by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.45 £15.11

$9.76 ₩13.2K

109.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 £75.6

$65.6 ₩89.0K

55.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.39

$7.14 ₩9,685

40.06%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.65

$4.02 ₩5,453

22.89%

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

$3.43 £2.53

$1.64 ₩2,218

109.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 £1.75

$0.83 ₩1,119

185.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 £5.07

$3.59 ₩4,865

91.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 £4.93

$5.73 ₩7,772

16.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 £1.08

$2.11 ₩2,855

-30.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.39

$3.11 ₩4,217

-39.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.69

$4.25 ₩5,764

-46.12%

Eggs

$3.73 £2.76

$3.38 ₩4,579

10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 £7.52

$17.01 ₩23.1K

-40.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 £7.01

$10.06 ₩13.6K

-5.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 £11.10

$24.88 ₩33.7K

-39.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.34

$7.36 ₩9,975

-57.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$3.47 ₩4,706

-50.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 £2.16

$5.55 ₩7,520

-47.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 £2.71

$6.26 ₩8,482

-41.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$3.65 ₩4,942

-56.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 £1.09

$2.43 ₩3,298

-39.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.86

$2.73 ₩3,697

-57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.08 ₩1,464

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.97 £16.98

$3.23 ₩4,386

611.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.91

$18.34 ₩24.9K

-41.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 £2.19

$2.36 ₩3,202

25.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 £2.56

$3.12 ₩4,236

10.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.35 £2.47

$1.16 ₩1,577

188.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 £64.8

$44.79 ₩60.7K

95.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 £4.88

$3.56 ₩4,821

85.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 £1.16

$0.58 ₩793

170.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.85 £21.32

$8.88 ₩12.0K

224.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 £1.61

$1.45 ₩1,964

50.34%

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

$39.8K £29.4K

$29.1K ₩39.4M

36.69%

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

$41.6K £30.8K

$28.1K ₩38.1M

48.32%

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

$261 £193

$196 ₩266.4K

32.98%

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

$18.12 £13.39

$34.49 ₩46.8K

-47.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.89 £30.97

$19.80 ₩26.8K

111.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.18 £28.22

$57.0 ₩77.3K

-33.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.82 £15.39

$16.05 ₩21.8K

29.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 £8.14

$11.04 ₩15.0K

-0.27%

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

$1,229 £909

$1,891 ₩2.6M

-35.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.3K

$22.0K ₩29.9M

-18.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 £69.4

$56.3 ₩76.4K

66.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 £36.41

$32.45 ₩44.0K

51.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.0

$68.2 ₩92.5K

58.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 £72.2

$79.4 ₩107.7K

22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 £932

$865 ₩1.2M

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 £721

$601 ₩814.8K

62.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 £1,475

$2,497 ₩3.4M

-20.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 £1,117

$1,225 ₩1.7M

23.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,356 £3,959

$28.2K ₩38.2M

-80.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 £2,882

$11.3K ₩15.4M

-65.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,544 £2,619

$3,486 ₩4.7M

1.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

4.08

26.23%

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

Last update for Newcastle upon Tyne: August 29, 2026

Last update for Seoul: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,261 in Newcastle upon Tyne versus $865 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Newcastle upon Tyne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Newcastle upon Tyne versus $66.0 in Seoul. Groceries tell a different story – $311 in Newcastle upon Tyne vs $464 in Seoul – so Newcastle upon Tyne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Newcastle upon Tyne vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,308 in Newcastle upon Tyne, $1,752 in Seoul – roughly 32% apart. Newcastle upon Tyne costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,462 per month in Newcastle upon Tyne and $2,628 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 96% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,229 per month in Newcastle upon Tyne and $1,891 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,752, than in Newcastle upon Tyne at $2,308. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newcastle upon Tyne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Newcastle upon Tyne has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,752 in Seoul to $2,308 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Newcastle upon Tyne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.