Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Puchong

For one person, living is cheaper in Puchong: $958 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Puchong
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Puchong Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Puchong

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Puchong

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $958 in Puchong, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Puchong $958

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,421 in Puchong, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Puchong $1,421

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,884 in Puchong, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Puchong $1,884

Seoul costs about 87% more than Puchong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Puchong is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.61 MYR 14.75

143.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$18.21 MYR 74.3

275.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.86 MYR 19.81

55.14%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.17 MYR 12.91

33.44%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.84 MYR 3.44

94.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.56 MYR 2.29

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$4.33 MYR 17.66

-15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$6.25 MYR 25.51

-1.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.95 MYR 7.97

3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.12 MYR 4.56

179.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.49 MYR 6.07

189.93%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.56 MYR 6.35

131.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$14.26 MYR 58.2

25.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.32 MYR 17.62

141.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$9.76 MYR 39.81

164.34%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.31 MYR 13.52

131.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.74 MYR 7.08

94.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.26 MYR 9.24

157.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.52 MYR 6.22

321.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.47 MYR 5.99

155.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.34 MYR 5.48

89.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.20 MYR 4.90

136.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.55 MYR 2.25

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$4.32 MYR 17.63

-22.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$14.40 MYR 58.8

28.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$2.99 MYR 12.21

-19.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.09 MYR 12.60

9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.85 MYR 3.47

34.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.15 MYR 49.57

279.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.00 MYR 4.10

249.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.75 MYR 3.05

-16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$4.94 MYR 20.14

79.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$0.87 MYR 3.57

73.56%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

-29.84%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$34.9K MYR 142.2K

-19.07%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$52.1 MYR 212

317.83%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.85 MYR 40.18

256.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$28.12 MYR 115

-24.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$32.08 MYR 131

80.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$7.13 MYR 29.08

125.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.98 MYR 20.33

127.11%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$223 MYR 911

771.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$12.5K MYR 50.9K

83.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$65.1 MYR 266

-12.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$41.91 MYR 171

-20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$86.6 MYR 353

-17.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$97.2 MYR 396

-15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$432 MYR 1,762

108.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$304 MYR 1,242

101.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$670 MYR 2,735

276.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$477 MYR 1,948

165.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,002 MYR 8,167

1369.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,093 MYR 4,458

989.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,352 MYR 5,515

169.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.18

-2.39%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Puchong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Puchong

$304 31.8% 50.2% $307

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Puchong

$249 26% 47.8% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Puchong

$90 9.4% 67.1% $184

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Puchong

$121 12.7% 34% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Puchong

$131 13.7% 19% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Puchong

$42 4.4% 47.9% $39

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Puchong

$20 2.1% 64.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $432 in Puchong. 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 170% 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 $18.00 in Puchong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $249 – making Puchong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Puchong

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

14:44 2:44 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

400,000

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Puchong 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Puchong

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 Puchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 87% more than Puchong, 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 $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,436 in Puchong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puchong, 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 $18.00 in Puchong. 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 $958 in Puchong. That's a gap of about 87%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puchong, where all-in costs run around $958, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Puchong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puchong – 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 Puchong. 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.