Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Sungai Petani

For one person, living is cheaper in Sungai Petani: $806 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Sungai Petani
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Sungai Petani Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Sungai Petani

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Sungai Petani

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $806 in Sungai Petani, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Sungai Petani $806

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,201 in Sungai Petani, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Sungai Petani $1,201

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,596 in Sungai Petani, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Sungai Petani $1,596

Seoul costs about 123% more than Sungai Petani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Sungai Petani is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.43 MYR 9.93

262.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.1K

$16.94 MYR 69.1

303.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.28 MYR 17.46

76.17%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,635

$2.50 MYR 10.20

69.20%

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

$1.63 ₩2,171

$0.73 MYR 2.96

123.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩987

$0.38 MYR 1.56

94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,852

$3.67 MYR 14.99

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,190

$4.46 MYR 18.18

37.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,684

$1.84 MYR 7.52

9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,172

$1.05 MYR 4.26

198.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,755

$1.70 MYR 6.92

154.12%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,802

$2.21 MYR 9.00

63.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$9.55 MYR 38.96

86.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.42 MYR 18.04

136.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$8.60 MYR 35.07

200.00%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.04 MYR 12.42

151.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,507

$1.63 MYR 6.66

107.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,737

$2.62 MYR 10.68

121.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,535

$1.42 MYR 5.78

351.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,992

$1.06 MYR 4.34

253.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,382

$1.07 MYR 4.36

137.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,790

$1.08 MYR 4.41

162.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,475

$0.57 MYR 2.33

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,463

$4.30 MYR 17.54

-22.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$19.13 MYR 78.0

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,191

$2.93 MYR 11.95

-18.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,488

$5.34 MYR 21.78

-36.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,523

$0.75 MYR 3.04

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.4K

$12.48 MYR 50.9

269.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,652

$1.67 MYR 6.83

108.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩841

$0.41 MYR 1.66

53.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$7.38 MYR 30.13

20.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,009

$0.48 MYR 1.95

214.58%

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

$29.3K ₩39.0M

$42.1K MYR 171.8K

-30.48%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

-21.24%

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

$218 ₩289.8K

$37.72 MYR 154

476.67%

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

$35.15 ₩46.8K

$9.73 MYR 39.71

261.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$19.90 MYR 81.2

6.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.3K

$24.69 MYR 101

135.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$14.83 MYR 60.5

8.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$2.88 MYR 11.77

292.71%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$418 MYR 1,704

366.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

111.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.0K

$58.8 MYR 240

-2.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$35.57 MYR 145

-6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.2K

$73.9 MYR 302

-3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.9K

$69.7 MYR 284

18.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$186 MYR 760

383.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩815.0K

$244 MYR 995

150.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$494 MYR 2,015

411.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$365 MYR 1,488

246.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.2M

$1,236 MYR 5,042

2280.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$480 MYR 1,958

2380.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$492 MYR 2,008

641.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.04

0.99%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sungai Petani: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Sungai Petani

$244 30.3% 60.1% $368

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Sungai Petani

$244 30.2% 48.9% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Sungai Petani

$67 8.4% 75.4% $207

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Sungai Petani

$94 11.7% 48.8% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Sungai Petani

$107 13.3% 2.7% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Sungai Petani

$30 3.8% 62.2% $50

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Sungai Petani

$19 2.4% 66.5% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $186 in Sungai Petani. 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 642% 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 $17.00 in Sungai Petani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $244 – making Sungai Petani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇾 Sungai Petani

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

00:01 12:01 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

545,053

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.51 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1,332 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.51 USD). 1 EUR = 1,494 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Sungai Petani 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Sungai Petani

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 Sungai Petani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 123% more than Sungai Petani, 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 $1,209 in Sungai Petani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 269% less in Sungai Petani. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $418 in Sungai Petani. 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 Sungai Petani, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Sungai Petani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sungai Petani – 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 Sungai Petani. 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.