Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Saint John, New Brunswick

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,804 a month against $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
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Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Saint John, New Brunswick

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 Saint John, New Brunswick actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,804 in Seoul versus $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Seoul $1,804
Saint John, New Brunswick $1,954

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,877 in Seoul versus $2,938 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Seoul $2,877
Saint John, New Brunswick $2,938

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,950 in Seoul versus $3,922 in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Seoul $3,950
Saint John, New Brunswick $3,922

Living in Seoul costs roughly 8% less than in Saint John, New Brunswick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 33% above, Saint John, New Brunswick 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$18.44 CA$26.08

-50.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$61.0 CA$86.2

9.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$10.83 CA$15.31

-30.84%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$2.96 CA$4.18

41.55%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$1.77 CA$2.50

-12.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$1.07 CA$1.52

-26.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$4.49 CA$6.35

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$5.00 CA$7.06

22.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$2.23 CA$3.16

-5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$2.81 CA$3.97

8.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$2.99 CA$4.23

40.80%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$3.56 CA$5.03

-0.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$13.47 CA$19.05

33.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$12.04 CA$17.02

-14.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$12.83 CA$18.14

106.31%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$5.00 CA$7.07

58.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$1.48 CA$2.10

132.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$4.16 CA$5.88

35.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$4.03 CA$5.70

59.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$2.03 CA$2.86

82.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$2.21 CA$3.12

14.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$2.48 CA$3.50

15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$1.38 CA$1.95

-15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$14.23 CA$20.12

-76.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$9.67 CA$13.67

93.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$1.78 CA$2.52

28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$2.08 CA$2.93

59.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

$2.09 CA$2.95

-45.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

$56.4 CA$79.8

-17.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$2.81 CA$3.97

25.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$1.05 CA$1.48

-39.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$17.60 CA$24.89

-50.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$1.28 CA$1.80

13.28%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$26.4K CA$37.3K

12.49%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$21.4K CA$30.3K

31.58%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$122 CA$173

72.72%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$42.20 CA$59.7

-16.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$64.5 CA$91.2

-68.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$53.3 CA$75.4

8.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$35.52 CA$50.2

-54.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$12.61 CA$17.83

-9.83%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$372 CA$526

428.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$11.3K CA$16.0K

100.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$50.5 CA$71.4

13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$35.95 CA$50.8

-7.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$101 CA$143

-30.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$107 CA$151

-20.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$966 CA$1,366

-9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$826 CA$1,168

-24.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$1,609 CA$2,275

56.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$1,353 CA$1,913

-4.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$2,035 CA$2,876

1392.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,131 CA$3,013

457.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$2,596 CA$3,670

38.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.69

-13.01%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$826 42.3% 32.4% $202

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$356 18.2% 25.8% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$229 11.7% 14.2% $38

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$259 13.3% 39.9% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$132 6.8% 20% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$79 4% 2.4% $1.9

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.7% 25.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $878 in Seoul and $966 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 vs $356 per month, with Saint John, New Brunswick cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

08:41 8:41 AM

12 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

70,063

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Saint John, New Brunswick 10,710 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Saint John, New Brunswick

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 Saint John, New Brunswick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $878 in Seoul versus $966 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seoul – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,804 per month in Seoul versus $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,804 in Seoul versus $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Saint John, New Brunswick. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul 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 Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Saint John, New Brunswick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.