Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Seoul

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.

43

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$866

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sibu and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sibu and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Sibu $866
Seoul $1,804

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

Sibu $1,293
Seoul $2,877

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

Sibu $1,720
Seoul $3,950

Sibu is about 52% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 MYR 8.82

$9.10 ₩12.1K

-76.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.47 MYR 79.4

$66.7 ₩88.6K

-70.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.18

$7.49 ₩9,959

-43.79%

Cappuccino

$2.38 MYR 9.70

$4.19 ₩5,569

-43.20%

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

$0.67 MYR 2.74

$1.55 ₩2,067

-56.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$0.79 ₩1,055

-70.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MYR 11.92

$3.64 ₩4,846

-19.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MYR 17.96

$6.14 ₩8,164

-28.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.33

$2.11 ₩2,811

-14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 MYR 3.65

$3.05 ₩4,051

-70.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$4.21 ₩5,599

-60.33%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.16

$3.54 ₩4,709

-36.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 MYR 47.53

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-35.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 MYR 15.66

$10.35 ₩13.8K

-62.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.55

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-63.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 MYR 15.16

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-52.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.26

$3.44 ₩4,578

-55.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$5.64 ₩7,493

-58.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.62

$6.41 ₩8,517

-78.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.58

$3.71 ₩4,938

-69.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.29

$2.52 ₩3,345

-48.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.76

$2.87 ₩3,816

-59.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$1.16 ₩1,536

-53.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$3.37 ₩4,480

34.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.28 MYR 74.6

$18.72 ₩24.9K

-2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 MYR 11.64

$2.28 ₩3,036

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$3.31 ₩4,397

36.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.13 ₩1,497

-26.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.85 MYR 56.5

$46.73 ₩62.1K

-70.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$3.52 ₩4,684

-60.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.64 ₩849

-15.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.01 MYR 32.68

$8.76 ₩11.7K

-8.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$1.45 ₩1,930

-44.83%

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

$49.1K MYR 200.3K

$29.7K ₩39.4M

65.54%

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

$35.6K MYR 145.4K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

26.42%

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

$49.59 MYR 202

$211 ₩280.4K

-76.48%

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

$7.14 MYR 29.14

$35.36 ₩47.0K

-79.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.47 MYR 108

$20.57 ₩27.4K

28.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.94 MYR 110

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-53.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.44 MYR 26.26

$16.20 ₩21.5K

-60.25%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 MYR 15.24

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-67.11%

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

$181 MYR 739

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-90.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,906 MYR 28.2K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

-69.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 226

$57.5 ₩76.4K

-3.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.48 MYR 124

$33.08 ₩44.0K

-7.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 MYR 364

$70.1 ₩93.2K

27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 MYR 307

$84.3 ₩112.0K

-10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 MYR 1,386

$878 ₩1.2M

-61.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 MYR 1,150

$624 ₩829.7K

-54.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 MYR 2,437

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-76.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 MYR 1,841

$1,287 ₩1.7M

-64.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,782 MYR 7,272

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-94.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$966 MYR 3,941

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-91.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 MYR 2,021

$3,599 ₩4.8M

-86.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.08

-0.49%

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

Last update for Sibu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sibu

$282 32.6%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 121% $342

Groceries & Markets

Sibu

$247 28.5%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 94.3% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Sibu

$113 13%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 2.2% $2.4

Eating Out

Sibu

$85 9.9%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 117% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibu

$83 9.6%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 221% $184

Sport & Entertainment

Sibu

$34 4%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 134% $46

Getting Around

Sibu

$21 2.5%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 173% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in Sibu versus $878 in Seoul. 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 $19.00 in Sibu versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $247 vs $480 – making Sibu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sibu

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

1 h ahead of Sibu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,239

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

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).

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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sibu Seoul 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sibu
Seoul

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

Sibu vs Seoul: 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 $1,299 per month in Sibu and $2,707 in Seoul. 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 $181 per month in Sibu and $1,967 in Seoul. 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.