Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $887 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Kuching

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $887 in Kuching.

Seoul $1,822
Kuching $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $1,389 in Kuching.

Seoul $2,847
Kuching $1,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $1,892 in Kuching.

Seoul $3,872
Kuching $1,892

Living in Seoul is roughly 105% more expensive than in Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Kuching is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$3.33 MYR 13.60

173.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$24.53 MYR 100

173.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$4.87 MYR 19.89

52.36%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$3.17 MYR 12.93

28.71%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.74 MYR 3.04

116.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.36 MYR 1.47

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$4.51 MYR 18.43

-19.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$6.16 MYR 25.15

-3.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$2.31 MYR 9.42

-11.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.26 MYR 5.16

144.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.15 MYR 4.68

266.09%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$2.46 MYR 10.03

45.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$10.95 MYR 44.72

63.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$4.45 MYR 18.17

139.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$9.90 MYR 40.42

167.07%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.17 MYR 12.93

134.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$1.37 MYR 5.59

157.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$2.40 MYR 9.80

144.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$1.82 MYR 7.42

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$1.41 MYR 5.75

165.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$1.19 MYR 4.86

109.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$1.56 MYR 6.35

87.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.54 MYR 2.22

112.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$4.51 MYR 18.41

-27.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$21.59 MYR 88.2

-14.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$4.06 MYR 16.58

-43.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$5.19 MYR 21.19

-36.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.58 MYR 2.37

96.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$12.36 MYR 50.5

267.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$1.00 MYR 4.09

248.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$8.32 MYR 33.99

4.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$0.90 MYR 3.68

66.67%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

-28.90%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

-21.92%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$35.18 MYR 144

493.72%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$9.95 MYR 40.63

253.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$25.26 MYR 103

-16.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$30.24 MYR 123

89.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$12.38 MYR 50.6

28.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$4.83 MYR 19.72

134.58%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$135 MYR 551

1309.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

221.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$63.3 MYR 258

-6.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$37.67 MYR 154

-14.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$90.2 MYR 368

-22.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$65.8 MYR 269

25.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$360 MYR 1,471

145.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$245 MYR 1,001

154.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$647 MYR 2,642

285.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$478 MYR 1,953

166.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$2,073 MYR 8,464

1339.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$1,508 MYR 6,157

685.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$530 MYR 2,165

588.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.37

-6.64%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Kuching

$245 27.8% 60.7% $378

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Kuching

$271 30.7% 43.5% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Kuching

$70 8% 73.5% $195

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Kuching

$119 13.4% 35.5% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Kuching

$116 13.1% 5.4% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Kuching

$40 4.5% 50.1% $40

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Kuching

$22 2.5% 61.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $360 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 588% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $25.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $271 per month, with Kuching cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

12:55 12:55 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

349,147

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Kuching 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Kuching

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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 588% higher in Seoul, 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: $885 in Seoul versus $360 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $67.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,822 per month in Seoul versus $887 in Kuching – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Kuching versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Kuching 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 Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.