Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Sarawak

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $933 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
Learn more

Sarawak Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Sarawak

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

A single person spends $1,804 per month in Seoul vs $933 in Sarawak, rent included.

Seoul $1,804
Sarawak $933

A couple spends around $2,877 per month in Seoul vs $1,391 in Sarawak, rent included.

Seoul $2,877
Sarawak $1,391

A family of three spends $3,950 per month in Seoul vs $1,849 in Sarawak, rent included.

Seoul $3,950
Sarawak $1,849

Seoul costs about 93% more than Sarawak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Sarawak is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$3.65 MYR 14.88

149.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$19.77 MYR 80.6

237.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$4.75 MYR 19.38

57.68%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$2.88 MYR 11.74

45.49%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$0.81 MYR 3.29

91.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$0.39 MYR 1.61

102.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$3.60 MYR 14.68

1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$4.61 MYR 18.81

33.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$1.86 MYR 7.58

13.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$1.04 MYR 4.24

193.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$1.48 MYR 6.04

184.46%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$2.04 MYR 8.32

73.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$13.84 MYR 56.5

30.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$4.30 MYR 17.54

140.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$9.43 MYR 38.47

180.70%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$3.14 MYR 12.83

151.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$1.71 MYR 6.97

101.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$2.51 MYR 10.22

124.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$1.61 MYR 6.55

298.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$1.27 MYR 5.18

192.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$1.15 MYR 4.68

119.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$1.17 MYR 4.79

145.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$0.53 MYR 2.18

118.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$4.54 MYR 18.52

-25.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$19.12 MYR 78.0

-2.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$2.94 MYR 12.01

-22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$4.51 MYR 18.38

-26.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

$0.71 MYR 2.89

59.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

$12.15 MYR 49.57

284.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$1.25 MYR 5.10

181.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$0.51 MYR 2.07

25.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$7.21 MYR 29.41

21.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$0.82 MYR 3.34

76.83%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$42.2K MYR 172.1K

-29.69%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

-18.90%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$48.56 MYR 198

334.23%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$9.65 MYR 39.38

266.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$27.71 MYR 113

-25.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$40.76 MYR 166

41.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$7.10 MYR 28.98

128.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$4.92 MYR 20.05

131.10%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$190 MYR 775

935.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$7,067 MYR 28.8K

222.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$56.8 MYR 232

1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$34.52 MYR 141

-4.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$79.8 MYR 325

-12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$75.9 MYR 310

11.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$410 MYR 1,674

113.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$299 MYR 1,219

108.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$672 MYR 2,742

273.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$477 MYR 1,946

169.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$2,042 MYR 8,329

1387.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,074 MYR 4,381

1006.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$339 MYR 1,381

963.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.06

0.49%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Sarawak

$299 32% 52.1% $325

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Sarawak

$258 27.6% 46.3% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Sarawak

$86 9.2% 67.8% $181

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Sarawak

$110 11.8% 40.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Sarawak

$111 11.9% 0.8% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Sarawak

$51 5.4% 37.1% $30

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Sarawak

$19 2% 67.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Seoul versus $410 in Sarawak. 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 963% 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $20.00 in Sarawak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $258 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

03:15 3:15 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Sarawak 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Sarawak

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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,804 in Seoul, $933 in Sarawak – roughly 93% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,707 per month in Seoul and $1,399 in Sarawak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 285% less in Sarawak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Seoul and $190 in Sarawak. 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 Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Seoul at $1,804. In Sarawak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sarawak – 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 Sarawak. 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.