Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,804 a month against $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
Learn more

Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,954

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,804 in Seoul.

Saint John, New Brunswick $1,954
Seoul $1,804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,938 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,877 in Seoul.

Saint John, New Brunswick $2,938
Seoul $2,877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,922 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $3,950 in Seoul.

Saint John, New Brunswick $3,922
Seoul $3,950

Living in Saint John, New Brunswick is roughly 8% more expensive than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint John, New Brunswick 44% above, Seoul 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 CA$26.08

$9.10 ₩12.1K

102.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 CA$86.2

$66.7 ₩88.6K

-8.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$7.49 ₩9,959

44.59%

Cappuccino

$2.96 CA$4.18

$4.19 ₩5,569

-29.36%

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

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.55 ₩2,067

14.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 CA$1.52

$0.79 ₩1,055

35.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$3.64 ₩4,846

23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CA$7.06

$6.14 ₩8,164

-18.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.16

$2.11 ₩2,811

5.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$3.05 ₩4,051

-7.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.23

$4.21 ₩5,599

-28.98%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$3.54 ₩4,709

0.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 CA$19.05

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-25.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.04 CA$17.02

$10.35 ₩13.8K

16.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 CA$18.14

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-51.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.00 CA$7.07

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-36.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$3.44 ₩4,578

-56.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 CA$5.88

$5.64 ₩7,493

-26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.70

$6.41 ₩8,517

-37.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.86

$3.71 ₩4,938

-45.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CA$3.12

$2.52 ₩3,345

-12.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.50

$2.87 ₩3,816

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.16 ₩1,536

18.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 CA$20.12

$3.37 ₩4,480

322.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 CA$13.67

$18.72 ₩24.9K

-48.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.52

$2.28 ₩3,036

-21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.93

$3.31 ₩4,397

-37.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 CA$2.95

$1.13 ₩1,497

84.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 CA$79.8

$46.73 ₩62.1K

20.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$3.52 ₩4,684

-20.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 CA$1.48

$0.64 ₩849

64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.60 CA$24.89

$8.76 ₩11.7K

100.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.45 ₩1,930

-11.72%

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

$26.4K CA$37.3K

$29.7K ₩39.4M

-11.10%

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

$21.4K CA$30.3K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-24.00%

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

$122 CA$173

$211 ₩280.4K

-42.10%

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

$42.20 CA$59.7

$35.36 ₩47.0K

19.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 CA$91.2

$20.57 ₩27.4K

213.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.4

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-7.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.52 CA$50.2

$16.20 ₩21.5K

119.26%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.83

$11.37 ₩15.1K

10.91%

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

$372 CA$526

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-81.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K CA$16.0K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

-50.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 CA$71.4

$57.5 ₩76.4K

-12.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.95 CA$50.8

$33.08 ₩44.0K

8.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$143

$70.1 ₩93.2K

43.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$151

$84.3 ₩112.0K

26.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 CA$1,366

$878 ₩1.2M

10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 CA$1,168

$624 ₩829.7K

32.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 CA$2,275

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-35.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 CA$1,913

$1,287 ₩1.7M

5.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,035 CA$2,876

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-93.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,131 CA$3,013

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-82.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,596 CA$3,670

$3,599 ₩4.8M

-27.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

4.08

14.95%

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

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: October 17, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John, New Brunswick

$826 42.3%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 24.5% $202

Groceries & Markets

Saint John, New Brunswick

$356 18.2%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 34.8% $124

Eating Out

Saint John, New Brunswick

$259 13.3%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 28.5% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John, New Brunswick

$229 11.7%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 16.6% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John, New Brunswick

$132 6.8%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 16.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John, New Brunswick

$79 4%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 2.4% $1.9

Getting Around

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.7%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 20.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $966 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $878 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $480 per month, with Saint John, New Brunswick cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

19:52 7:52 PM

12 h ahead of Saint John, New Brunswick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,063

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 20, 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint John, New Brunswick Seoul 10,710 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint John, New Brunswick
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

Saint John, New Brunswick vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% 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: $966 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $878 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seoul – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,954 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,804 in Seoul – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,804 in Seoul versus $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Saint John, New Brunswick. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul 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, Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Saint John, New Brunswick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.