Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Exeter Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Exeter

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,742 in Seoul versus $2,385 in Exeter.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,892 in Seoul versus $3,900 in Exeter.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,043 in Seoul versus $5,415 in Exeter.

Living in Seoul costs roughly 27% less than in Exeter, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 30% above, Exeter 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.59 ₩13.0K

$20.10 £14.94

-57.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 ₩82.2K

$89.7 £66.7

-39.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 ₩9,550

$10.17 £7.56

-38.05%

Cappuccino

$3.88 ₩5,886

$4.59 £3.42

-15.47%

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

$1.72 ₩2,613

$3.05 £2.27

-43.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₩1,296

$1.74 £1.29

-50.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₩5,448

$7.58 £5.64

-52.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩8,998

$6.27 £4.66

-5.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩3,371

$1.71 £1.27

29.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 ₩5,228

$1.84 £1.37

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 ₩4,749

$1.74 £1.30

79.89%

Eggs

$3.19 ₩4,830

$4.63 £3.44

-31.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.21 ₩21.5K

$8.22 £6.11

72.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 ₩16.6K

$6.84 £5.08

60.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.74 ₩52.6K

$19.76 £14.69

75.81%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 ₩12.1K

$2.40 £1.79

232.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 ₩5,247

$1.29 £0.96

168.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.43 ₩8,229

$2.26 £1.68

140.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.69 ₩10.1K

$3.15 £2.34

112.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₩5,763

$1.10 £0.82

245.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,465

$1.30 £0.97

126.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 ₩3,978

$1.00 £0.74

163.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₩1,924

$1.46 £1.08

-13.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ₩4,893

$21.66 £16.10

-85.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.49 ₩29.5K

$9.20 £6.84

111.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,668

$2.62 £1.95

-7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₩4,921

$2.50 £1.86

30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,691

$2.68 £1.99

-58.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.88 ₩72.6K

$103 £76.7

-53.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ₩5,396

$6.59 £4.90

-45.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₩818

$1.63 £1.21

-66.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 ₩13.2K

$21.71 £16.14

-59.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,889

$1.90 £1.41

-34.21%

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

$28.3K ₩42.8M

$38.4K £28.5K

-26.32%

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

$25.3K ₩38.4M

$38.6K £28.7K

-34.42%

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

$161 ₩243.4K

$342 £254

-53.00%

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

$34.38 ₩52.1K

$16.31 £12.12

110.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 ₩34.0K

$45.85 £34.08

-51.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 ₩86.4K

$39.53 £29.39

44.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.23 ₩35.2K

$14.05 £10.45

65.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 ₩17.0K

$12.02 £8.93

-6.91%

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

$412 ₩624.5K

$1,472 £1,094

-72.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩35.8M

$21.1K £15.7K

11.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 ₩88.9K

$78.3 £58.2

-25.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.80 ₩70.9K

$33.38 £24.81

40.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩118.6K

$101 £75.3

-22.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₩173.0K

$110 £81.7

3.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 ₩1.4M

$1,324 £984

-27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 ₩914.5K

$998 £742

-39.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 ₩3.9M

$2,590 £1,925

-0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₩2.0M

$2,476 £1,841

-47.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K ₩27.5M

$5,395 £4,010

236.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,223 ₩14.0M

$6,667 £4,956

38.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,095 ₩4.7M

$3,090 £2,297

0.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

5.72

-27.62%

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

Last update for Seoul: June 2, 2026

Last update for Exeter: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Seoul and $1,324 in Exeter. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Seoul vs $90.0 in Exeter. Groceries flip the comparison at $500 vs $287, with Exeter cheaper for home cooking.

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 Exeter: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Exeter differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,742 vs $2,385 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Seoul pays 0% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $957 in Seoul versus $1,324 in Exeter. 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 $54.0 versus $90.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,742 per month in Seoul versus $2,385 in Exeter – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,742 in Seoul versus $2,385 in Exeter, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Exeter. 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, Seoul and Exeter 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 37% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.