Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kulim

For one person, living is cheaper in Kulim: $891 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kulim
Learn more

Kulim Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Kulim

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Kulim

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $891 in Kulim, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Kulim $891

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $1,374 in Kulim, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Kulim $1,374

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $1,857 in Kulim, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Kulim $1,857

Seoul costs about 107% more than Kulim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Kulim is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.0K

$3.72 MYR 15.21

143.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩90.7K

$19.45 MYR 79.5

251.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,751

$4.53 MYR 18.50

62.25%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,464

$2.89 MYR 11.80

42.56%

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

$1.64 ₩2,181

$0.78 MYR 3.20

110.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,070

$0.42 MYR 1.71

92.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,921

$3.90 MYR 15.95

-4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,138

$4.61 MYR 18.82

32.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,709

$1.96 MYR 7.99

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,260

$1.23 MYR 5.02

160.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,822

$1.30 MYR 5.31

237.69%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,765

$2.23 MYR 9.10

60.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.2K

$12.68 MYR 51.8

43.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩13.9K

$3.85 MYR 15.75

172.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩35.7K

$10.72 MYR 43.82

150.84%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.4K

$3.05 MYR 12.46

157.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,683

$1.89 MYR 7.71

86.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,569

$2.55 MYR 10.40

123.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,198

$1.44 MYR 5.90

329.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩4,993

$1.19 MYR 4.85

215.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,333

$1.36 MYR 5.55

84.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,735

$1.08 MYR 4.42

161.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.53 MYR 2.16

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,379

$4.47 MYR 18.28

-26.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩24.7K

$21.05 MYR 86.1

-11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,209

$3.07 MYR 12.53

-21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,456

$3.90 MYR 15.95

-13.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,581

$0.75 MYR 3.06

58.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.2K

$12.64 MYR 51.7

264.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,713

$1.04 MYR 4.24

241.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩801

$0.56 MYR 2.29

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.0K

$8.26 MYR 33.75

9.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,908

$0.74 MYR 3.01

94.59%

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

$30.3K ₩40.2M

$48.9K MYR 199.7K

-38.07%

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

$28.9K ₩38.3M

$30.9K MYR 126.3K

-6.52%

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

$213 ₩282.0K

$45.19 MYR 185

370.30%

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

$35.83 ₩47.5K

$8.70 MYR 35.55

311.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.4K

$25.83 MYR 106

-17.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩81.8K

$36.10 MYR 148

70.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩21.8K

$7.37 MYR 30.13

122.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.1K

$4.46 MYR 18.22

156.05%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$268 MYR 1,094

627.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.2M

$7,096 MYR 29.0K

220.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩79.3K

$62.2 MYR 254

-3.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.4K

$30.78 MYR 126

11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩87.6K

$77.2 MYR 315

-14.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩108.7K

$70.8 MYR 290

15.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$419 MYR 1,713

120.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩874.6K

$265 MYR 1,082

148.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$763 MYR 3,119

294.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$497 MYR 2,032

189.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.0M

$2,141 MYR 8,749

1168.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.0M

$1,272 MYR 5,200

787.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.7M

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kulim: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Kulim

$265 29.7% 59.8% $394

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Kulim

$262 29.4% 45.9% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Kulim

$80 9% 70.4% $190

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Kulim

$112 12.5% 39.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Kulim

$108 12.2% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Kulim

$45 5.1% 46.7% $39

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Kulim

$19 2.2% 66.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $419 in Kulim. 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 in Seoul versus $19 in Kulim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $262 – making Kulim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Kulim

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

21:17 9:17 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

319,056

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD). 1 EUR = 1,477 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Kulim 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Kulim

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 Kulim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 107% more than Kulim, 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 $2,771 per month in Seoul and $1,336 in Kulim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kulim, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Groceries cost about 85% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul and $19 in Kulim. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,848 in Seoul and $891 in Kulim. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kulim – 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.

For expats, Kulim is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 107% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.