Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kajang, Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Kajang, Selangor: $988 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Kajang, Selangor
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Kajang, Selangor Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Kajang, Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Kajang, Selangor

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $988 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Kajang, Selangor $988

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,448 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Kajang, Selangor $1,448

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,909 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Kajang, Selangor $1,909

Seoul costs about 82% more than Kajang, Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Kajang, Selangor is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.76 MYR 15.34

134.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$18.63 MYR 76.0

266.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.81 MYR 19.62

56.76%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.96 MYR 12.09

42.91%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.80 MYR 3.26

103.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.47 MYR 1.92

57.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$4.35 MYR 17.76

-16.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$6.08 MYR 24.81

1.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.69 MYR 6.88

18.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.05 MYR 4.28

198.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.43 MYR 5.84

202.10%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.66 MYR 6.78

117.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$17.84 MYR 72.8

-0.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.56 MYR 18.62

129.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$9.80 MYR 39.98

163.27%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.41 MYR 13.91

124.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.69 MYR 6.88

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.32 MYR 9.48

150.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.53 MYR 6.23

318.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.34 MYR 5.46

179.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.65 MYR 6.73

53.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.13 MYR 4.60

151.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.51 MYR 2.09

117.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$4.36 MYR 17.79

-23.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$13.93 MYR 56.8

32.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$2.86 MYR 11.65

-16.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.11 MYR 12.68

8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.76 MYR 3.08

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.29 MYR 50.1

275.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.21 MYR 4.92

188.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.71 MYR 2.91

-11.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$4.94 MYR 20.16

79.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$0.82 MYR 3.35

84.15%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$42.3K MYR 172.7K

-30.85%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

-20.01%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$52.5 MYR 214

314.56%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.92 MYR 40.45

254.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$26.35 MYR 107

-19.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$44.80 MYR 183

29.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$7.53 MYR 30.73

113.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.91 MYR 20.05

130.35%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$166 MYR 677

1073.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$4,418 MYR 18.0K

417.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$54.6 MYR 223

4.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$16.33 MYR 66.6

104.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$81.6 MYR 333

-12.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$97.2 MYR 396

-15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$396 MYR 1,615

127.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$337 MYR 1,375

81.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$744 MYR 3,035

239.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$502 MYR 2,047

152.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$1,919 MYR 7,828

1433.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,012 MYR 4,129

1076.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

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 Kajang, Selangor: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Kajang, Selangor

$337 34.1% 44.9% $275

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Kajang, Selangor

$256 25.9% 46.3% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Kajang, Selangor

$89 9% 67.6% $185

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Kajang, Selangor

$119 12.1% 35.2% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Kajang, Selangor

$112 11.4% 2.1% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Kajang, Selangor

$55 5.5% 32.3% $26

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Kajang, Selangor

$20 2% 65% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $396 in Kajang, Selangor. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $256 – making Kajang, Selangor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Kajang, Selangor

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

13:15 1:15 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,047,356

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Kajang, Selangor 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Kajang, Selangor

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 Kajang, Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $988 in Kajang, Selangor – roughly 82% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,482 in Kajang, Selangor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $988 in Kajang, Selangor. That's a gap of about 82%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kajang, Selangor, where all-in costs run around $988, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Kajang, Selangor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kajang, Selangor – 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 Kajang, Selangor. 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.