Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Newcastle upon Tyne Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Newcastle upon Tyne

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,742 per month in Seoul vs $2,234 in Newcastle upon Tyne, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,892 per month in Seoul vs $3,368 in Newcastle upon Tyne, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,043 per month in Seoul vs $4,501 in Newcastle upon Tyne, rent included.

Seoul is about 22% cheaper than Newcastle upon Tyne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Seoul and Newcastle upon Tyne sit above the global median – Seoul by 30%, Newcastle upon Tyne by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.59 ₩13.2K

$20.69 £15.41

-58.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 ₩83.2K

$84.2 £62.7

-35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 ₩9,657

$10.21 £7.60

-38.30%

Cappuccino

$3.88 ₩5,952

$4.83 £3.60

-19.67%

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

$1.72 ₩2,643

$3.23 £2.41

-46.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₩1,311

$2.19 £1.63

-60.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₩5,509

$6.63 £4.94

-45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩9,098

$6.64 £4.94

-10.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩3,409

$1.69 £1.26

31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 ₩5,286

$1.94 £1.45

77.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 ₩4,802

$2.14 £1.59

46.26%

Eggs

$3.19 ₩4,884

$3.59 £2.67

-11.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.21 ₩21.8K

$8.83 £6.58

60.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 ₩16.8K

$9.10 £6.78

20.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.74 ₩53.2K

$12.63 £9.41

175.06%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 ₩12.2K

$3.66 £2.72

117.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 ₩5,305

$2.22 £1.65

55.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.43 ₩8,321

$2.61 £1.94

108.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.69 ₩10.2K

$3.90 £2.91

71.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₩5,828

$1.99 £1.49

90.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,514

$1.60 £1.19

84.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 ₩4,023

$1.18 £0.88

122.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₩1,946

$1.90 £1.42

-33.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ₩4,947

$19.05 £14.19

-83.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.49 ₩29.9K

$10.86 £8.09

79.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,709

$2.69 £2.00

-10.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₩4,976

$2.87 £2.14

13.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,710

$3.30 £2.46

-66.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.88 ₩73.4K

$77.9 £58.0

-38.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ₩5,456

$6.75 £5.03

-47.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₩827

$1.35 £1.01

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 ₩13.4K

$22.52 £16.77

-61.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,910

$1.92 £1.43

-34.90%

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

$28.3K ₩43.3M

$38.2K £28.5K

-26.03%

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

$25.3K ₩38.8M

$43.5K £32.4K

-41.83%

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

$161 ₩246.1K

$275 £205

-41.55%

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

$34.38 ₩52.7K

$19.77 £14.72

73.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 ₩34.3K

$45.76 £34.08

-51.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 ₩87.3K

$60.2 £44.86

-5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.23 ₩35.6K

$22.55 £16.79

3.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 ₩17.1K

$10.97 £8.17

2.01%

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

$412 ₩631.5K

$1,248 £930

-66.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩36.2M

$18.7K £13.9K

26.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 ₩89.9K

$83.1 £61.9

-29.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.80 ₩71.7K

$45.06 £33.56

3.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩120.0K

$82.8 £61.7

-5.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₩175.0K

$81.5 £60.7

40.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 ₩1.5M

$1,131 £842

-15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 ₩924.7K

$916 £682

-34.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 ₩4.0M

$1,902 £1,417

35.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₩2.0M

$1,551 £1,155

-15.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K ₩27.8M

$6,979 £5,198

160.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,223 ₩14.1M

$5,015 £3,735

83.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,095 ₩4.7M

$3,686 £2,745

-16.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

5.7

-27.37%

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

Last update for Seoul: June 2, 2026

Last update for Newcastle upon Tyne: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Seoul versus $1,131 in Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 19% higher in Newcastle upon Tyne, 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 $54.0 in Seoul versus $84.0 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Groceries tell a different story – $500 in Seoul vs $308 in Newcastle upon Tyne – so Newcastle upon Tyne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Newcastle upon Tyne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,742 in Seoul, $2,234 in Newcastle upon Tyne – roughly 28% apart. Newcastle upon Tyne costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,613 per month in Seoul and $3,351 in Newcastle upon Tyne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 63% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $412 per month in Seoul and $1,248 in Newcastle upon Tyne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,742, than in Newcastle upon Tyne at $2,234. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newcastle upon Tyne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Newcastle upon Tyne has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,742 in Seoul to $2,234 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Newcastle upon Tyne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.