Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,391 per month in South Korea vs $2,401 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,187 per month in South Korea vs $3,517 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,983 per month in South Korea vs $4,632 in United Kingdom, rent included.

The cost of living in South Korea is roughly 42% lower than in United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Korea and United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – South Korea by 2%, United Kingdom by 76%.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,129–$4,094) than in South Korea ($1,029–$1,757), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 ₩10.4K

$21.78 £16.28

-65.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.89 ₩61.9K

$86.7 £64.8

-48.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 ₩8,821

$11.00 £8.22

-41.82%

Cappuccino

$3.93 ₩5,418

$4.79 £3.58

-17.95%

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

$1.64 ₩2,258

$2.60 £1.94

-36.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₩1,151

$1.83 £1.37

-54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ₩4,970

$6.60 £4.93

-45.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,968

$6.83 £5.10

-36.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₩2,941

$1.73 £1.30

23.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₩4,172

$1.73 £1.29

75.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,761

$2.26 £1.69

52.65%

Eggs

$3.09 ₩4,255

$4.12 £3.08

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 ₩20.0K

$9.52 £7.11

52.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 ₩12.0K

$9.42 £7.04

-7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.71 ₩34.0K

$14.83 £11.08

66.62%

Apples (1kg)

$8.31 ₩11.5K

$3.10 £2.32

168.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 ₩4,719

$1.69 £1.26

102.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.16 ₩8,489

$2.88 £2.15

113.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩8,206

$3.36 £2.51

77.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.83 ₩5,282

$1.85 £1.38

107.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 ₩3,689

$1.57 £1.17

70.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,706

$1.26 £0.94

113.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,611

$1.70 £1.27

-31.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 ₩4,492

$23.75 £17.75

-86.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 ₩20.6K

$10.95 £8.18

36.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₩2,814

$2.95 £2.21

-30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₩4,090

$3.46 £2.58

-14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,494

$3.34 £2.50

-67.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.28 ₩63.8K

$106 £78.9

-56.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 ₩4,869

$5.44 £4.06

-35.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩892

$2.29 £1.71

-71.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 ₩12.0K

$26.80 £20.03

-67.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,825

$1.96 £1.47

-32.65%

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

$29.6K ₩40.9M

$39.2K £29.3K

-24.33%

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

$30.4K ₩41.9M

$40.9K £30.6K

-25.70%

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

$201 ₩276.4K

$328 £245

-38.83%

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

$38.78 ₩53.4K

$18.19 £13.60

113.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.39 ₩32.2K

$43.01 £32.14

-45.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ₩77.8K

$46.44 £34.70

21.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.31 ₩22.5K

$18.15 £13.56

-10.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 ₩15.1K

$13.61 £10.17

-19.69%

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

$928 ₩1.3M

$1,773 £1,325

-47.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩31.4M

$23.4K £17.5K

-2.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ₩76.7K

$92.7 £69.3

-39.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 ₩60.8K

$46.67 £34.88

-5.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ₩105.1K

$103 £76.9

-25.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 ₩133.4K

$101 £75.7

-4.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₩809.0K

$1,372 £1,025

-57.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 ₩560.3K

$1,111 £830

-63.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 ₩2.1M

$2,206 £1,648

-30.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₩1.2M

$1,808 £1,351

-49.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.4K ₩21.2M

$5,687 £4,250

170.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,205 ₩11.3M

$4,425 £3,307

85.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,288 ₩3.2M

$3,419 £2,555

-33.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

5.33

-21.01%

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

Last update for South Korea: September 15, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $420 in South Korea vs $1,274 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $891 in Seoul and $2,976 in London.

Average salary: $2,121 in South Korea vs $3,281 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 203% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 105% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 617% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 55% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

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 87% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in South Korea, contributing to the overall 87% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Korea, but in 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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.