Cost of Living Comparison Between Northampton and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between Northampton and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,414 per month in Northampton vs $1,742 in Seoul, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,387 per month in Northampton vs $2,892 in Seoul, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,360 per month in Northampton vs $4,043 in Seoul, rent included.

Northampton costs about 39% more than Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Northampton and Seoul sit above the global median – Northampton by 80%, Seoul by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 £14.93

$8.59 ₩13.0K

133.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 £59.4

$54.3 ₩82.2K

47.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 £8.10

$6.30 ₩9,550

73.02%

Cappuccino

$4.56 £3.39

$3.88 ₩5,886

17.53%

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

$1.97 £1.47

$1.72 ₩2,613

14.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.24

$0.86 ₩1,296

94.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 £4.12

$3.60 ₩5,448

53.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 £4.06

$5.94 ₩8,998

-7.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 £1.05

$2.22 ₩3,371

-36.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 £1.20

$3.45 ₩5,228

-53.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$3.13 ₩4,749

-29.39%

Eggs

$4.35 £3.24

$3.19 ₩4,830

36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 £7.54

$14.21 ₩21.5K

-28.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.51 £5.58

$10.99 ₩16.6K

-31.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.46 £10.75

$34.74 ₩52.6K

-58.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 £2.57

$7.97 ₩12.1K

-56.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$3.46 ₩5,247

-53.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 £2.47

$5.43 ₩8,229

-38.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 £2.12

$6.69 ₩10.1K

-57.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$3.80 ₩5,763

-55.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$2.95 ₩4,465

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$2.63 ₩3,978

-50.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.27 ₩1,924

43.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.45 £14.46

$3.23 ₩4,893

502.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 £8.67

$19.49 ₩29.5K

-40.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 £2.63

$2.42 ₩3,668

46.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 £2.04

$3.25 ₩4,921

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 £2.21

$1.12 ₩1,691

165.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 £87.5

$47.88 ₩72.6K

145.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 £4.52

$3.56 ₩5,396

70.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 £0.95

$0.54 ₩818

135.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.87 £22.20

$8.72 ₩13.2K

242.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.25 ₩1,889

56.00%

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

$38.6K £28.7K

$28.3K ₩42.8M

36.75%

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

$42.2K £31.3K

$25.3K ₩38.4M

66.47%

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

$390 £290

$161 ₩243.4K

142.53%

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

$17.11 £12.72

$34.38 ₩52.1K

-50.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 £27.18

$22.41 ₩34.0K

63.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.18 £21.69

$57.0 ₩86.4K

-48.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.64 £6.42

$23.23 ₩35.2K

-62.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 £11.19

$11.19 ₩17.0K

34.58%

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

$1,797 £1,336

$412 ₩624.5K

336.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.6K

$23.7K ₩35.8M

-5.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 £69.7

$58.7 ₩88.9K

59.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 £38.88

$46.80 ₩70.9K

11.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 £65.1

$78.3 ₩118.6K

11.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 £74.6

$114 ₩173.0K

-12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 £779

$957 ₩1.4M

9.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 £718

$604 ₩914.5K

60.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 £1,297

$2,580 ₩3.9M

-32.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 £1,122

$1,308 ₩2.0M

15.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,902 £2,901

$18.2K ₩27.5M

-78.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,519 £2,615

$9,223 ₩14.0M

-61.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,737 £2,777

$3,095 ₩4.7M

20.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

4.14

38.65%

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

Last update for Northampton: June 1, 2026

Last update for Seoul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,049 in Northampton versus $957 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 21% higher in Northampton, 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 $80.0 in Northampton versus $54.0 in Seoul. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in Northampton vs $500 in Seoul – so Northampton 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

Northampton vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Northampton costs about 39% more than Seoul, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,621 per month in Northampton and $2,613 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 146% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,797 per month in Northampton and $412 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 $1,742, than in Northampton at $2,414. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Northampton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seoul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Northampton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.