Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Miri

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $814 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Miri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $814 in Miri.

Seoul $1,822
Miri $814

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $1,247 in Miri.

Seoul $2,847
Miri $1,247

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $1,680 in Miri.

Seoul $3,872
Miri $1,680

Living in Seoul is roughly 124% more expensive than in Miri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Miri is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$3.43 MYR 14.02

165.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$12.16 MYR 49.65

451.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$4.55 MYR 18.58

63.08%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$2.30 MYR 9.40

77.39%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.78 MYR 3.17

105.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.30 MYR 1.24

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$2.96 MYR 12.10

23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$3.82 MYR 15.59

55.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.40 MYR 5.72

46.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.81 MYR 7.40

70.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$0.94 MYR 3.85

347.87%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$3.50 MYR 14.27

2.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$4.79 MYR 19.58

122.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$15.10 MYR 61.6

75.10%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$1.96 MYR 8.01

80.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.36 MYR 1.47

219.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$4.35 MYR 17.77

-24.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$19.28 MYR 78.7

-4.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$3.08 MYR 12.59

-25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$2.41 MYR 9.85

36.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.51 MYR 2.09

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$14.41 MYR 58.8

215.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$1.19 MYR 4.87

192.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.64 MYR 2.60

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$6.05 MYR 24.71

43.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$0.65 MYR 2.64

130.77%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$51.0K MYR 208.3K

-42.92%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

-13.66%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$49.79 MYR 203

319.50%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$9.53 MYR 38.91

268.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$33.24 MYR 136

-36.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$29.63 MYR 121

93.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$6.17 MYR 25.21

157.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$4.45 MYR 18.18

154.61%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$102 MYR 416

1765.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$6,641 MYR 27.1K

239.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$44.13 MYR 180

33.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$22.74 MYR 92.9

41.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$56.2 MYR 230

24.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$42.80 MYR 175

92.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$341 MYR 1,390

159.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$280 MYR 1,145

122.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$596 MYR 2,435

318.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$594 MYR 2,425

114.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$1,219 MYR 4,977

2348.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$671 MYR 2,741

1664.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$692 MYR 2,826

427.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.12

-0.97%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Miri: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Miri

$280 35.2% 55% $343

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Miri

$194 * 24.4% 59.5% $285

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Miri

$93 11.6% 65.1% $173

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Miri

$96 12% 48% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Miri

$75 9.4% 31.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Miri

$39 4.8% 51.8% $41

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Miri

$21 2.6% 63.1% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $341 in Miri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 427% 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 $12.00 in Miri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $194 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Miri

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

13:16 1:16 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

248,877

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Seoul Miri 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Miri

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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 124% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 427% 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 $341 in Miri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Miri – a meal for two runs $12.00 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 $814 in Miri – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $814 in Miri versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Miri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.