Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Sibu

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibu: $866 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Sibu

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

A single person spends $1,804 per month in Seoul vs $866 in Sibu, rent included.

Seoul $1,804
Sibu $866

A couple spends around $2,877 per month in Seoul vs $1,293 in Sibu, rent included.

Seoul $2,877
Sibu $1,293

A family of three spends $3,950 per month in Seoul vs $1,720 in Sibu, rent included.

Seoul $3,950
Sibu $1,720

Seoul costs about 108% more than Sibu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Sibu is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$2.16 MYR 8.82

321.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$19.47 MYR 79.4

242.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$4.21 MYR 17.18

77.91%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$2.38 MYR 9.70

76.05%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$0.67 MYR 2.74

131.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$0.23 MYR 0.93

243.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$2.92 MYR 11.92

24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$4.40 MYR 17.96

39.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$1.80 MYR 7.33

17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$0.89 MYR 3.65

242.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$1.67 MYR 6.80

152.10%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$2.24 MYR 9.16

58.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$11.65 MYR 47.53

54.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$3.84 MYR 15.66

169.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$9.69 MYR 39.55

173.17%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$3.72 MYR 15.16

112.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$1.53 MYR 6.26

124.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$2.34 MYR 9.55

141.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$1.38 MYR 5.62

364.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$1.12 MYR 4.58

231.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$1.30 MYR 5.29

93.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$1.17 MYR 4.76

145.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$0.54 MYR 2.22

114.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$4.53 MYR 18.48

-25.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$18.28 MYR 74.6

2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$2.85 MYR 11.64

-20.00%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.40

36.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

$13.85 MYR 56.5

237.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$1.40 MYR 5.70

151.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$0.54 MYR 2.18

18.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$8.01 MYR 32.68

9.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$0.80 MYR 3.28

81.25%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$49.1K MYR 200.3K

-39.59%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$35.6K MYR 145.4K

-20.90%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$49.59 MYR 202

325.21%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$7.14 MYR 29.14

395.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$26.47 MYR 108

-22.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$26.94 MYR 110

114.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$6.44 MYR 26.26

151.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$3.74 MYR 15.24

204.01%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$181 MYR 739

985.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$6,906 MYR 28.2K

229.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$55.4 MYR 226

3.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$30.48 MYR 124

8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$89.2 MYR 364

-21.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$75.2 MYR 307

12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$340 MYR 1,386

158.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$282 MYR 1,150

121.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$597 MYR 2,437

320.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$451 MYR 1,841

185.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$1,782 MYR 7,272

1603.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$966 MYR 3,941

1129.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$496 MYR 2,021

626.20%

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 Sibu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Sibu

$282 32.6% 54.8% $342

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Sibu

$247 28.5% 48.5% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Sibu

$83 9.6% 68.8% $184

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Sibu

$85 9.9% 53.9% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Sibu

$113 13% 2.2% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Sibu

$34 4% 57.2% $46

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Sibu

$21 2.5% 63.3% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Seoul versus $340 in Sibu. 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 626% 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 $19.00 in Sibu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $247 – making Sibu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Sibu

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

198,239

💱 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

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Between locations

Seoul Sibu 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Sibu

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 Sibu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 108% more than Sibu, 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 $2,707 per month in Seoul and $1,299 in Sibu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 237% less in Sibu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Seoul and $181 in Sibu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sibu, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Seoul at $1,804. In Sibu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sibu – 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 Sibu. 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.