Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Seoul

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

49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Selangor $1,020
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,469 in Selangor versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Selangor $1,469
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,918 in Selangor versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Selangor $1,918
Seoul $3,931

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.33 MYR 17.67

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-50.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 MYR 78.3

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-71.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.04 MYR 16.46

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-46.42%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$4.23 ₩5,624

-46.57%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$1.63 ₩2,167

-52.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.74 ₩985

-36.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.08

$3.64 ₩4,843

21.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MYR 20.24

$6.15 ₩8,175

-19.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$2.01 ₩2,679

-3.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.30

$3.13 ₩4,164

-66.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$4.32 ₩5,744

-64.58%

Eggs

$1.92 MYR 7.82

$3.61 ₩4,794

-46.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 MYR 58.2

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-20.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-58.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 39.16

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-62.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.04

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-55.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.52

$3.38 ₩4,499

-45.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$5.81 ₩7,723

-59.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.49

$6.41 ₩8,520

-75.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.45

$3.75 ₩4,983

-64.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$2.54 ₩3,375

-59.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$2.84 ₩3,782

-60.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$1.11 ₩1,472

-51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$3.35 ₩4,455

34.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.53 MYR 79.7

$18.49 ₩24.6K

5.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$2.40 ₩3,185

49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.81

$3.37 ₩4,480

44.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$1.14 ₩1,521

4.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 50.0

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-73.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$3.49 ₩4,643

-64.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$0.63 ₩840

98.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MYR 17.72

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-51.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.99

$1.51 ₩2,005

-51.66%

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

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

43.16%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

24.96%

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

$63.4 MYR 258

$218 ₩289.2K

-70.87%

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

$8.50 MYR 34.69

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-75.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.97 MYR 106

$21.29 ₩28.3K

21.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 MYR 168

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-29.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 MYR 28.04

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-57.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MYR 20.59

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-55.35%

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

$122 MYR 499

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-93.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-68.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MYR 289

$57.0 ₩75.8K

24.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MYR 169

$33.39 ₩44.4K

23.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 MYR 315

$71.5 ₩95.0K

7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 MYR 339

$82.5 ₩109.7K

0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,083

$901 ₩1.2M

-43.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 MYR 1,413

$612 ₩813.5K

-43.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 MYR 3,589

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-65.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MYR 1,963

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-61.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 MYR 6,438

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-94.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$705 MYR 2,875

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-94.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,019 MYR 4,157

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-72.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

4.08

-2.94%

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

Last update for Selangor: 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

Selangor

$346 34%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 76.7% $266

Groceries & Markets

Selangor

$266 26.1%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 79.1% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Selangor

$123 12%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 10.2% $13

Eating Out

Selangor

$111 10.9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 65.6% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selangor

$98 9.6%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 180% $176

Sport & Entertainment

Selangor

$51 5%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 57.6% $30

Getting Around

Selangor

$25 2.4%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 134% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Selangor and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 258% 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: $19.00 in Selangor vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $477 per month, with Selangor cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Selangor

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

1 h ahead of Selangor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

281,717

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

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Highest

Between locations

Selangor Seoul 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Selangor
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

Selangor vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selangor and Seoul differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($1,020 vs $1,794 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 258% 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: $511 in Selangor versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Selangor – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,020 in Selangor versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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, Selangor 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 Selangor 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.