Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jerudong

For one person, living is cheaper in Jerudong: $733 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Jerudong
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Jerudong Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Jerudong

🇧🇳 Brunei

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jerudong

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 Jerudong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $733 in Jerudong, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Jerudong $733

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $1,145 in Jerudong, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Jerudong $1,145

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $1,557 in Jerudong, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Jerudong $1,557

Seoul costs about 149% more than Jerudong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Jerudong is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$3.81 BND 4.88

138.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$23.83 BND 30.51

181.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$6.25 BND 8.01

18.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 BND 2.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 BND 3.03

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$4.02 BND 5.15

1.49%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.96 BND 1.23

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.53 BND 0.68

50.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.84 BND 2.36

11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.69 BND 2.16

82.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.20 BND 1.53

250.83%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$2.08 BND 2.66

71.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$9.20 BND 11.77

95.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$4.62 BND 5.92

130.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$10.88 BND 13.93

143.01%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.05 BND 3.91

143.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.17 BND 2.77

62.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$2.94 BND 3.77

99.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$2.57 BND 3.29

147.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$1.72 BND 2.20

118.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.07 BND 2.65

20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$3.21 BND 4.11

-9.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.92 BND 1.18

25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$23.20 BND 29.70

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 BND 4.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$15.47 BND 19.81

-78.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$3.86 BND 4.95

-9.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$3.41 BND 4.36

-82.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$11.52 BND 14.75

-24.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$0.42 BND 0.54

257.14%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$42.9K BND 54.9K

-32.07%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$36.3K BND 46.5K

-22.38%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$61.2 BND 78.4

241.24%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$22.31 BND 28.56

57.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$65.6 BND 83.9

-67.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$77.7 BND 99.5

-26.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$3.94 BND 5.04

187.56%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$216 BND 276

782.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$9,845 BND 12.6K

128.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$77.6 BND 99.4

-24.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$92.2 BND 118

-65.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$101 BND 129

-30.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$73.4 BND 94.0

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.88

5.15%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Jerudong: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Jerudong

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Jerudong

$218 29.8% 54.5% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Jerudong

$149 20.4% 43.8% $116

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Jerudong

$104 14.2% 43.7% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Jerudong

$155 21.2% 41.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Jerudong

$86 11.7% 7% $5.6

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Jerudong

$21 * 2.9% 63% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Seoul versus $24.00 in Jerudong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $218 – making Jerudong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇧🇳 Jerudong

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

16:06 4:06 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

11,000

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.696 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Jerudong 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Jerudong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 149%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $1,099 in Jerudong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Seoul and $24.00 in Jerudong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 120% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jerudong, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Jerudong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jerudong – 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 Jerudong. 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.