Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Andrews and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Andrews and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,131 per month in St. Andrews vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,942 per month in St. Andrews vs $2,920 in Seoul, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,754 per month in St. Andrews vs $4,047 in Seoul, rent included.

St. Andrews costs about 19% more than Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both St. Andrews and Seoul sit above the global median – St. Andrews by 58%, Seoul by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.67 £16.06

$8.87 ₩13.0K

144.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 £60.2

$55.8 ₩82.1K

45.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.41

$6.39 ₩9,399

56.49%

Cappuccino

$4.39 £3.25

$3.80 ₩5,592

15.53%

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

$2.12 £1.57

$1.67 ₩2,454

26.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.01

$0.81 ₩1,190

67.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 £4.28

$3.61 ₩5,316

59.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 £4.48

$5.91 ₩8,697

2.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.25

$2.16 ₩3,177

-21.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 £1.14

$3.43 ₩5,049

-55.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$3.27 ₩4,805

-43.43%

Eggs

$4.01 £2.97

$3.19 ₩4,689

25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 £6.04

$14.41 ₩21.2K

-43.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 £7.30

$10.69 ₩15.7K

-7.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 £10.22

$34.03 ₩50.0K

-59.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 £2.40

$7.87 ₩11.6K

-58.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$3.55 ₩5,222

-34.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 £2.00

$5.53 ₩8,126

-51.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 £3.03

$6.63 ₩9,752

-38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$3.86 ₩5,675

-43.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 £1.45

$2.95 ₩4,337

-33.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$2.63 ₩3,874

-52.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.32 ₩1,935

59.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.32 £14.31

$3.39 ₩4,989

469.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 £8.41

$19.46 ₩28.6K

-41.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 £1.60

$2.45 ₩3,608

-11.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 £1.71

$3.25 ₩4,777

-29.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.01

$1.12 ₩1,641

263.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.0 £58.5

$46.79 ₩68.8K

68.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 £3.48

$3.50 ₩5,148

34.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 £1.04

$0.57 ₩835

145.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.59 £25.63

$9.01 ₩13.3K

283.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.20 ₩1,772

61.67%

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

$38.5K £28.5K

$27.6K ₩40.6M

39.26%

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

$42.1K £31.2K

$25.3K ₩37.3M

66.08%

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

$232 £172

$164 ₩240.6K

42.11%

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

$14.07 £10.43

$34.58 ₩50.9K

-59.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.77 £33.17

$22.01 ₩32.4K

103.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 £31.36

$58.1 ₩85.5K

-27.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.47 £15.17

$23.08 ₩33.9K

-11.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 £9.24

$10.89 ₩16.0K

14.51%

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

$1,628 £1,207

$410 ₩602.5K

297.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K £11.1K

$23.9K ₩35.1M

-37.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 £62.3

$59.6 ₩87.6K

41.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.61 £30.10

$47.19 ₩69.4K

-13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 £69.2

$79.9 ₩117.4K

16.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 £89.4

$117 ₩171.9K

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 £918

$952 ₩1.4M

30.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 £645

$598 ₩878.9K

45.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 £2,020

$2,515 ₩3.7M

8.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,831 £2,098

$1,296 ₩1.9M

118.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,258 £4,637

$18.3K ₩26.9M

-65.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,754 £2,041

$9,948 ₩14.6M

-72.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,351 £2,483

$3,041 ₩4.5M

10.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.14

42.51%

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

Last update for St. Andrews: April 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,239 in St. Andrews versus $952 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 10% higher in St. Andrews, 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 $81 in St. Andrews versus $56 in Seoul. Groceries tell a different story – $311 in St. Andrews vs $498 in Seoul – so St. Andrews wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

St. Andrews vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Andrews costs about 19% more than Seoul, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,196 per month in St. Andrews and $2,691 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 69% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,628 per month in St. Andrews and $410 in Seoul. 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 Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in St. Andrews at $2,131. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Andrews it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seoul – 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 Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, St. Andrews makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.