Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Cheras

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheras: $1,130 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
Learn more

Cheras Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Cheras

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seoul and in Cheras actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $1,130 in Cheras, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Cheras $1,130

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,541 in Cheras, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Cheras $1,541

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,952 in Cheras, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Cheras $1,952

Seoul costs about 59% more than Cheras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Cheras is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.58 MYR 14.62

145.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$24.28 MYR 99.1

181.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.80 MYR 19.57

57.08%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.08 MYR 12.55

37.34%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.93 MYR 3.79

75.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.60 MYR 2.44

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-16.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$6.25 MYR 25.50

-1.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.93 MYR 7.88

4.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.02 MYR 4.18

206.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.44 MYR 5.89

200.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.77 MYR 7.23

103.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$17.85 MYR 72.8

-0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.56 MYR 18.60

129.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$10.81 MYR 44.09

138.67%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.55 MYR 14.50

115.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.94 MYR 7.91

74.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.63 MYR 10.73

120.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.67 MYR 6.80

283.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.08 MYR 8.48

80.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.65 MYR 6.72

53.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.38 MYR 5.63

105.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.51 MYR 2.07

117.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$4.24 MYR 17.30

-20.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$13.88 MYR 56.6

33.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$2.77 MYR 11.30

-13.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.15 MYR 12.83

6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.70 MYR 2.87

62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.03 MYR 49.08

283.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.01 MYR 4.13

245.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.35 MYR 1.44

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$8.96 MYR 36.57

-1.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$0.88 MYR 3.58

71.59%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$40.9K MYR 167.0K

-28.51%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$34.0K MYR 138.7K

-17.03%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$49.67 MYR 203

337.93%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$11.06 MYR 45.10

217.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$27.31 MYR 111

-22.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$39.42 MYR 161

47.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$7.14 MYR 29.13

125.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.99 MYR 20.36

126.65%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$164 MYR 667

1090.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$4,451 MYR 18.2K

413.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$54.3 MYR 221

5.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$29.39 MYR 120

13.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$81.5 MYR 332

-12.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$98.6 MYR 402

-16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$409 MYR 1,669

120.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$467 MYR 1,906

30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$687 MYR 2,803

267.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$485 MYR 1,977

161.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,052 MYR 8,372

1333.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,103 MYR 4,501

978.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,189 MYR 4,851

206.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.06

0.49%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cheras: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Cheras

$467 41.4% 23.6% $145

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Cheras

$268 23.8% 43.7% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Cheras

$88 7.8% 67.9% $186

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Cheras

$120 10.7% 34.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Cheras

$119 10.5% 7.9% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Cheras

$49 4.4% 38.8% $31

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Cheras

$18 1.6% 69.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $409 in Cheras. 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 207% higher in Seoul, 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $24.00 in Cheras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $268 – making Cheras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Cheras

🕒 Local time

13:07 1:07 PM

12:07 12:07 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

440,000

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

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).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Cheras 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Cheras

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

Seoul vs Cheras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,695 in Cheras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 78% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $24.00 in Cheras. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cheras, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Cheras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cheras – 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 Cheras. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.