Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kota Bharu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Bharu: $692 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Kota Bharu

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $692 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Kota Bharu $692

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,072 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Kota Bharu $1,072

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,452 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Kota Bharu $1,452

Seoul costs about 159% more than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Kota Bharu is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.18 MYR 8.90

303.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$19.41 MYR 79.2

252.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.58 MYR 18.70

64.63%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.18 MYR 8.89

94.04%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.48 MYR 1.94

239.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.26 MYR 1.05

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$4.24 MYR 17.29

-14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$4.49 MYR 18.33

36.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.62 MYR 6.62

24.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$0.92 MYR 3.74

240.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.83 MYR 3.39

420.48%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.61 MYR 6.58

124.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$13.74 MYR 56.1

29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$2.94 MYR 12.00

255.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.65 MYR 27.13

287.97%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.91 MYR 11.88

163.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.50 MYR 6.12

125.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.73 MYR 11.15

112.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.13 MYR 4.60

467.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.97 MYR 3.94

286.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.12 MYR 4.59

126.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.14 MYR 4.64

149.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.45 MYR 1.84

146.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.34 MYR 13.61

0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$19.00 MYR 77.5

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$2.91 MYR 11.88

-17.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$5.32 MYR 21.71

-36.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.77 MYR 3.12

48.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.33 MYR 50.3

273.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.73 MYR 7.05

101.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.37 MYR 1.53

70.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$3.69 MYR 15.04

140.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$0.52 MYR 2.14

190.38%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

-7.04%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

-2.62%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$37.43 MYR 153

481.14%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$8.65 MYR 35.27

306.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$25.39 MYR 104

-16.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$49.63 MYR 202

16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.48 MYR 18.26

152.46%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$125 MYR 508

1463.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

111.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$54.5 MYR 222

4.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.29 MYR 78.7

73.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$79.0 MYR 322

-9.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$69.6 MYR 284

18.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$248 MYR 1,010

263.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$122 MYR 499

399.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$673 MYR 2,745

275.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$224 MYR 913

465.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$299 MYR 1,221

1119.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.04

0.99%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7% 80% $489

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2% 51.9% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3% 73.9% $202

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1% 50.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5% 9% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5% 27.4% $22

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8% 66.9% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $248 in Kota Bharu. 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 1120% 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 $19.00 in Kota Bharu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $230 – making Kota Bharu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

08:55 8:55 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

568,900

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Kota Bharu 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Kota Bharu

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 Kota Bharu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 159% more than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,037 in Kota Bharu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 274% less in Kota Bharu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $125 in Kota Bharu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kota Bharu, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Kota Bharu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kota Bharu – 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 Kota Bharu. 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.