Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Rawang

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawang: $741 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Rawang
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Rawang Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Rawang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Rawang

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $741 in Rawang, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Rawang $741

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,183 in Rawang, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Rawang $1,183

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,624 in Rawang, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Rawang $1,624

Seoul costs about 142% more than Rawang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Rawang is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.75 MYR 15.31

134.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$19.68 MYR 80.3

247.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.04 MYR 20.55

49.60%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.99 MYR 12.20

41.47%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.83 MYR 3.38

96.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.39 MYR 1.61

89.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$4.25 MYR 17.33

-14.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$4.39 MYR 17.89

40.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.95 MYR 7.96

3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.04 MYR 4.26

200.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.76 MYR 7.19

145.45%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.23 MYR 9.08

61.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$14.15 MYR 57.7

26.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.48 MYR 18.29

133.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$9.85 MYR 40.19

161.93%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.06 MYR 12.49

150.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.84 MYR 7.49

83.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.63 MYR 10.73

120.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.44 MYR 5.89

345.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.32 MYR 5.37

184.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.33 MYR 5.43

90.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.18 MYR 4.80

140.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.57 MYR 2.34

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$4.54 MYR 18.53

-26.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$19.13 MYR 78.1

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$2.96 MYR 12.09

-18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$5.09 MYR 20.75

-33.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.77 MYR 3.12

48.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.31 MYR 50.2

274.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.66 MYR 6.77

110.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.37 MYR 1.52

70.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$6.88 MYR 28.05

28.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$0.89 MYR 3.64

69.66%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$42.4K MYR 173.0K

-30.97%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

-18.61%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$36.56 MYR 149

494.97%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.78 MYR 39.90

259.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$29.31 MYR 120

-27.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$39.87 MYR 163

45.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$7.13 MYR 29.08

125.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.90 MYR 19.99

130.82%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$301 MYR 1,227

547.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$10.9K MYR 44.6K

109.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$59.8 MYR 244

-4.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$35.75 MYR 146

-6.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$82.6 MYR 337

-13.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$70.9 MYR 289

16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$140 MYR 569

545.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$103 MYR 421

492.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$577 MYR 2,354

337.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$232 MYR 945

446.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,051 MYR 8,368

1334.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,090 MYR 4,445

992.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,035 MYR 4,223

252.65%

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 Rawang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Rawang

$103 13.9% 83.1% $509

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Rawang

$266 35.9% 44.3% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Rawang

$76 10.2% 72.4% $198

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Rawang

$116 15.6% 36.9% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Rawang

$112 15.1% 1.9% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Rawang

$50 6.7% 38.4% $31

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Rawang

$19 2.6% 67.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $140 in Rawang. 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 253% 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 Rawang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $266 – making Rawang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Rawang

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

13:47 1:47 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

50,000

💱 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 Rawang 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Rawang

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 Rawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 142% more than Rawang, 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 $1,112 in Rawang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 79% 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 $68.0 in Seoul and $20.00 in Rawang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rawang, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Rawang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rawang – 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 Rawang. 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.