Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Langkawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Langkawi: $537 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Langkawi
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Langkawi Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Langkawi

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$537

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Langkawi

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $537 in Langkawi, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Langkawi $537

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $770 in Langkawi, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Langkawi $770

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,003 in Langkawi, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Langkawi $1,003

Seoul costs about 234% more than Langkawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Langkawi is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.27 MYR 13.33

169.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$19.71 MYR 80.4

246.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$6.38 MYR 26.04

18.18%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$1.65 MYR 6.72

156.36%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$0.82 MYR 3.36

98.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.53 MYR 2.18

39.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$1.72 MYR 7.03

111.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$2.26 MYR 9.22

172.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.74 MYR 7.10

15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$1.31 MYR 5.36

138.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$1.79 MYR 7.30

101.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$17.48 MYR 71.3

2.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.02 MYR 8.23

279.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$0.99 MYR 4.05

241.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$1.68 MYR 6.86

245.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$1.67 MYR 6.83

283.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$0.76 MYR 3.09

234.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$3.69 MYR 15.04

-9.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$8.82 MYR 35.99

109.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$0.94 MYR 3.82

155.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$1.19 MYR 4.87

183.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$0.88 MYR 3.57

71.59%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$24.4K MYR 99.6K

19.89%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$36.65 MYR 149

493.51%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$24.82 MYR 101

133.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$308 MYR 1,255

192.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$244 MYR 997

150.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$374 MYR 1,528

574.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$320 MYR 1,304

296.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$1,168 MYR 4,764

2418.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,240 MYR 5,059

194.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Langkawi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Langkawi

$244 45.5% 60.1% $367

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Langkawi

$148 * 27.5% 69.1% $329

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Langkawi

$37 * 6.8% 86.6% $237

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Langkawi

$84 15.6% 54.5% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Langkawi

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Langkawi

$25 * 4.6% 69.2% $56

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Langkawi

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $308 in Langkawi. 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 194% 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 $20.00 in Langkawi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $148 – making Langkawi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Langkawi

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

05:34 5:34 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

30,212

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Langkawi 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Langkawi

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 Langkawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $537 in Langkawi – roughly 234% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $806 in Langkawi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Langkawi, 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 $20.00 in Langkawi. 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 $537 in Langkawi. That's a gap of about 234%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Langkawi, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Langkawi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Langkawi – 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 Langkawi. 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.