Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and the United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living is cheaper in South Korea: $1,596 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
Learn more

South Korea Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
Learn more

United Kingdom Living Index

Jump to prices

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Korea and in the United Kingdom

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

A single person spends $1,596 per month in South Korea vs $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

South Korea $1,596
United Kingdom $2,462

A couple spends around $2,542 per month in South Korea vs $3,600 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

South Korea $2,542
United Kingdom $3,600

A family of three spends $3,487 per month in South Korea vs $4,738 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

South Korea $3,487
United Kingdom $4,738

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,126–$4,646) than in South Korea ($1,044–$1,848), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Korea is roughly 35% lower than in the United Kingdom on average.

Both South Korea and the United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – South Korea by 17%, the United Kingdom by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,936

$21.48 £16.04

-65.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 ₩59.5K

$85.7 £64.0

-48.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,694

$10.61 £7.92

-38.64%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₩5,113

$4.91 £3.67

-22.00%

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

$1.59 ₩2,125

$2.66 £1.99

-40.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,039

$1.87 £1.39

-58.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,122

$6.63 £4.95

-42.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₩5,906

$6.84 £5.11

-35.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,937

$1.68 £1.25

30.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 ₩3,954

$1.72 £1.28

72.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,722

$2.17 £1.62

63.13%

Eggs

$3.22 ₩4,296

$4.00 £2.99

-19.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 ₩17.8K

$9.42 £7.03

41.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 ₩11.9K

$9.19 £6.86

-3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩34.9K

$14.77 £11.03

77.18%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩11.3K

$2.97 £2.21

185.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,521

$1.62 £1.21

109.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 ₩8,565

$2.85 £2.13

125.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,840

$3.52 £2.63

66.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,196

$1.83 £1.37

112.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$1.61 £1.20

76.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,589

$1.25 £0.93

115.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.66 £1.24

-30.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,570

$23.65 £17.66

-85.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩22.1K

$10.50 £7.84

57.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₩2,837

$2.98 £2.23

-28.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,883

$3.51 £2.62

-17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,465

$3.98 £2.97

-72.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 ₩64.6K

$107 £80.2

-54.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,694

$5.18 £3.87

-32.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩872

$2.35 £1.75

-72.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 ₩12.2K

$26.84 £20.04

-65.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₩1,844

$1.99 £1.48

-30.65%

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

$30.3K ₩40.4M

$39.4K £29.5K

-23.30%

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

$30.0K ₩40.0M

$40.5K £30.2K

-25.92%

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

$210 ₩280.0K

$327 £244

-35.90%

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

$40.27 ₩53.8K

$18.21 £13.60

121.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 ₩32.3K

$43.60 £32.56

-44.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 ₩71.8K

$42.36 £31.63

26.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ₩22.4K

$18.22 £13.60

-7.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.4K

$13.85 £10.34

-16.97%

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

$985 ₩1.3M

$1,868 £1,395

-47.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$22.6K £16.9K

4.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.6K

$92.9 £69.4

-36.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.48 ₩60.7K

$45.92 £34.29

-0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩104.6K

$102 £75.9

-22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ₩130.4K

$102 £76.3

-4.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₩861.1K

$1,342 £1,002

-51.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₩595.3K

$1,073 £801

-58.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 ₩2.3M

$2,231 £1,666

-23.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 ₩1.3M

$1,742 £1,301

-42.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K ₩21.1M

$5,601 £4,182

181.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,299 ₩11.1M

$4,265 £3,185

94.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,345 ₩3.1M

$3,349 £2,501

-29.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

5.32

-20.49%

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

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

South Korea

$451 28.3%

United Kingdom

$307 12.5% 31.9% $144

Accommodation & Living

South Korea

$446 27.9%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 43.6% 141% $627

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Korea

$274 17.2%

United Kingdom

$389 15.8% 41.9% $115

Eating Out

South Korea

$163 10.2%

United Kingdom

$328 13.3% 102% $165

Clothing & Footwear

South Korea

$126 7.9%

United Kingdom

$154 6.3% 22.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

South Korea

$77 4.8%

United Kingdom

$70 2.9% 8.8% $6.7

Getting Around

South Korea

$60 3.7%

United Kingdom

$140 5.7% 136% $81

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $493 in South Korea vs $1,287 in the United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $924 in Seoul and $2,811 in London.

Average salary: $2,148 in South Korea vs $3,251 in the United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 161% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 98% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 51% higher in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇰🇷 South Korea

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

23:24 11:24 PM

9 h behind South Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,466,201

67,326,569

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

South Korea United Kingdom 8,860 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

South Korea
United Kingdom

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

South Korea vs United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 35% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 versus $493 in South Korea.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Korea, but in the United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

South Korea is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.