Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putrajaya and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Putrajaya: $818 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Putrajaya
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Putrajaya Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Putrajaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$818

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $818 in Putrajaya versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Putrajaya $818
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,232 in Putrajaya versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Putrajaya $1,232
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,646 in Putrajaya versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Putrajaya $1,646
Seoul $3,931

Living in Putrajaya costs roughly 54% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Putrajaya is 39% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 MYR 15.41

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-57.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 MYR 75.0

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-73.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.67

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-39.26%

Cappuccino

$2.86 MYR 11.68

$4.23 ₩5,624

-32.39%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$1.63 ₩2,167

-50.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.74 ₩985

-47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 MYR 14.92

$3.64 ₩4,843

0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

$6.15 ₩8,175

-26.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MYR 6.83

$2.01 ₩2,679

-16.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.49

$3.13 ₩4,164

-64.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$4.32 ₩5,744

-65.97%

Eggs

$1.67 MYR 6.82

$3.61 ₩4,794

-53.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 MYR 32.00

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-56.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 MYR 19.09

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-55.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 MYR 39.05

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-62.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.82

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-68.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.15

$3.38 ₩4,499

-55.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$5.81 ₩7,723

-61.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.65

$6.41 ₩8,520

-74.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.37

$3.75 ₩4,983

-64.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.11

$2.54 ₩3,375

-40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$2.84 ₩3,782

-53.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$1.11 ₩1,472

-51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.50

$3.35 ₩4,455

28.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 MYR 54.1

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-28.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.10

$2.40 ₩3,185

23.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.74

$3.37 ₩4,480

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.84

$1.14 ₩1,521

-39.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.8

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-73.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MYR 3.92

$3.49 ₩4,643

-72.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.96

$0.63 ₩840

-23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 MYR 40.51

$8.86 ₩11.8K

12.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 MYR 3.01

$1.51 ₩2,005

-50.99%

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

$42.5K MYR 173.3K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

45.09%

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

$34.5K MYR 140.7K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

22.25%

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

$53.4 MYR 218

$218 ₩289.2K

-75.46%

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

$11.10 MYR 45.29

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-68.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.49 MYR 91.7

$21.29 ₩28.3K

5.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.53 MYR 145

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-38.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.63 MYR 39.28

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-40.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.88

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-56.94%

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

$506 MYR 2,063

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-74.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,463 MYR 18.2K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-80.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 MYR 225

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-3.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.63 MYR 67.9

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-50.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MYR 326

$71.5 ₩95.0K

11.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MYR 355

$82.5 ₩109.7K

5.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,420

$901 ₩1.2M

-61.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 MYR 932

$612 ₩813.5K

-62.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 MYR 2,628

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-74.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 MYR 1,516

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-70.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 MYR 10.7K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-91.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,765 MYR 7,202

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-85.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,043 MYR 4,255

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-71.43%

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 Putrajaya: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Putrajaya

$228 27.9%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 168% $383

Groceries & Markets

Putrajaya

$221 27%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 116% $256

Eating Out

Putrajaya

$110 13.5%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 66.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Putrajaya

$107 13.1%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 2.4% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putrajaya

$87 10.6%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 215% $187

Sport & Entertainment

Putrajaya

$45 5.5%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 78.2% $35

Getting Around

Putrajaya

$19 2.3%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 208% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Putrajaya and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 250% 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: $18.00 in Putrajaya vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $477 per month, with Putrajaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Putrajaya

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

14:06 2:06 PM

1 h ahead of Putrajaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,202

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Putrajaya Seoul 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Putrajaya
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

Putrajaya vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putrajaya wins on cost – living expenses run 119% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Putrajaya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 250% 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: $348 in Putrajaya versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Putrajaya runs roughly 270% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $506 in Putrajaya versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $818 in Putrajaya versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Putrajaya but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Putrajaya 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, Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.