Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sentul and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $878 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
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Sentul Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$878

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $878 in Sentul versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Sentul $878
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,334 in Sentul versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Sentul $1,334
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,790 in Sentul versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Sentul $1,790
Seoul $3,931

Living in Sentul costs roughly 51% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sentul is 35% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.84

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-58.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 MYR 90.1

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-67.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MYR 20.53

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-33.29%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$4.23 ₩5,624

-29.31%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.63 ₩2,167

-49.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.10

$0.74 ₩985

-31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.38

$3.64 ₩4,843

-9.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 MYR 23.93

$6.15 ₩8,175

-4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MYR 6.92

$2.01 ₩2,679

-15.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$3.13 ₩4,164

-67.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.80

$4.32 ₩5,744

-67.13%

Eggs

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$3.61 ₩4,794

-51.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.66 MYR 39.39

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-45.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.94

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-69.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 MYR 38.56

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-63.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 MYR 13.26

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-57.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.87

$3.38 ₩4,499

-50.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 MYR 10.81

$5.81 ₩7,723

-54.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.53

$6.41 ₩8,520

-75.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.97

$3.75 ₩4,983

-61.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.70

$2.54 ₩3,375

-35.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MYR 5.38

$2.84 ₩3,782

-53.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$1.11 ₩1,472

-54.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 16.99

$3.35 ₩4,455

24.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 MYR 56.7

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MYR 10.81

$2.40 ₩3,185

10.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.68

$3.37 ₩4,480

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MYR 3.31

$1.14 ₩1,521

-28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.06 MYR 49.19

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-73.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MYR 3.91

$3.49 ₩4,643

-72.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.57

$0.63 ₩840

-39.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 MYR 36.60

$8.86 ₩11.8K

1.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.54

$1.51 ₩2,005

-42.38%

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

$41.2K MYR 168.2K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

40.82%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

15.33%

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

$49.70 MYR 203

$218 ₩289.2K

-77.15%

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

$8.10 MYR 33.04

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-76.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 MYR 112

$21.29 ₩28.3K

28.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 MYR 168

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-29.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.45 MYR 30.40

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-53.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 MYR 20.57

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-55.44%

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

$161 MYR 658

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-91.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,446 MYR 18.1K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-80.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 MYR 206

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.38 MYR 66.8

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-50.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 MYR 315

$71.5 ₩95.0K

7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 MYR 349

$82.5 ₩109.7K

3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,419

$901 ₩1.2M

-61.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 MYR 1,150

$612 ₩813.5K

-53.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 MYR 2,883

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-72.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 MYR 1,976

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-61.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,147 MYR 8,759

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-92.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,058 MYR 4,315

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-91.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$890 MYR 3,631

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-75.61%

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 Sentul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sentul

$282 32.1%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 117% $330

Groceries & Markets

Sentul

$224 25.6%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 113% $252

Eating Out

Sentul

$114 12.9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 61.7% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Sentul

$103 11.8%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 6.5% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sentul

$85 9.7%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 222% $189

Sport & Entertainment

Sentul

$51 5.8%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 57.6% $30

Getting Around

Sentul

$18 2.1%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 215% $39

Cost Breakdown

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

Seoul pays 310% 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: $22.00 in Sentul vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $477 per month, with Sentul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sentul

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

1 h ahead of Sentul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

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

Sentul Seoul 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sentul
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

Sentul vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sentul wins on cost – living expenses run 104% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sentul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 310% 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 Sentul versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Sentul versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $878 in Sentul versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sentul but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Sentul 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, Sentul 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 Sentul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.