Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kuala Belait

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Belait: $1,699 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Belait
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Kuala Belait Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,699

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Kuala Belait

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $1,699 in Kuala Belait, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Kuala Belait $1,699

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $2,569 in Kuala Belait, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Kuala Belait $2,569

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $3,438 in Kuala Belait, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Kuala Belait $3,438

Seoul costs about 7% more than Kuala Belait, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Kuala Belait sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Kuala Belait by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$7.91 BND 10.12

15.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$46.43 BND 59.4

44.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$7.85 BND 10.05

-5.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 BND 3.06

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$4.41 BND 5.64

-7.48%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.89 BND 1.15

79.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.50 BND 0.64

60.00%

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

$2.43 BND 3.12

26.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$2.25 BND 2.88

87.11%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$2.58 BND 3.31

38.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$18.59 BND 23.80

-3.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$9.85 BND 12.61

8.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$24.88 BND 31.85

6.27%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$4.69 BND 6.00

58.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.17 BND 2.78

62.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$4.83 BND 6.18

21.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$2.47 BND 3.17

157.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$1.71 BND 2.19

119.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.90 BND 3.71

-14.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$5.54 BND 7.09

-47.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.93 BND 1.19

23.66%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.59 BND 14.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.99 BND 7.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$7.86 BND 10.07

-58.14%

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

$3.99 BND 5.11

-12.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$3.43 BND 4.39

-82.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$11.59 BND 14.84

-24.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$0.35 BND 0.45

328.57%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$30.7K BND 39.3K

-5.12%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$27.2K BND 34.9K

3.48%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$38.45 BND 49.23

443.22%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$21.58 BND 27.63

62.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$64.4 BND 82.4

-67.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$95.9 BND 123

-40.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$27.34 BND 35.00

-41.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$5.51 BND 7.05

105.63%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$217 BND 278

774.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$9,398 BND 12.0K

139.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$74.8 BND 95.8

-21.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$101 BND 129

-68.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$153 BND 196

-54.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$71.4 BND 91.4

15.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$753 BND 964

17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$771 BND 987

-19.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$1,193 BND 1,527

109.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,177 BND 1,506

8.34%

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

$3,398 BND 4,350

7.38%

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 Kuala Belait: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Kuala Belait

$771 45.3% 23.7% $148

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Kuala Belait

$354 20.8% 26.1% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Kuala Belait

$124 7.3% 53.1% $141

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Kuala Belait

$145 8.5% 20.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Kuala Belait

$180 10.6% 64.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Kuala Belait

$107 6.3% 33.7% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2% 62.6% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $753 in Kuala Belait. 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 7% 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $46.00 in Kuala Belait. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $354 – making Kuala Belait the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

31,178

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Brunei Dollar BND $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.697 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 = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.43 BND (1 BND = 0.697 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Kuala Belait 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Kuala Belait

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 Kuala Belait: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,822 in Seoul, $1,699 in Kuala Belait – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $2,549 in Kuala Belait. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,822 in Seoul and $1,699 in Kuala Belait. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $217 in Kuala Belait. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Belait, where all-in costs run around $1,699, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Kuala Belait it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Belait – 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 Kuala Belait. 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.