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 $2,353 per month in St. Andrews vs $1,752 in Seoul, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,993 per month in St. Andrews vs $2,801 in Seoul, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,633 per month in St. Andrews vs $3,850 in Seoul, rent included.

St. Andrews costs about 34% more than Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both St. Andrews and Seoul sit above the global median – St. Andrews by 71%, Seoul by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.49 £15.90

$9.76 ₩13.2K

120.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 £65.0

$65.6 ₩88.7K

33.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 £7.87

$7.14 ₩9,651

48.88%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.46

$4.02 ₩5,433

16.42%

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

$2.60 £1.92

$1.64 ₩2,211

58.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.50

$0.83 ₩1,115

144.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.93

$3.59 ₩4,848

85.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 £4.87

$5.73 ₩7,745

15.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.11 ₩2,845

-24.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 £1.35

$3.11 ₩4,202

-41.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 £1.43

$4.25 ₩5,744

-54.59%

Eggs

$4.61 £3.41

$3.38 ₩4,563

36.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 £5.60

$17.01 ₩23.0K

-55.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 £7.23

$10.06 ₩13.6K

-2.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 £11.67

$24.88 ₩33.6K

-36.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 £1.87

$7.36 ₩9,939

-65.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$3.47 ₩4,689

-60.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$5.55 ₩7,493

-49.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 £2.08

$6.26 ₩8,452

-54.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.35

$3.65 ₩4,925

-49.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$2.43 ₩3,286

-36.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$2.73 ₩3,684

-54.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 £1.85

$1.08 ₩1,459

132.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.68 £16.78

$3.23 ₩4,370

602.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 £8.46

$18.34 ₩24.8K

-37.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 £2.01

$2.36 ₩3,190

15.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 £2.36

$3.12 ₩4,221

2.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 £3.57

$1.16 ₩1,571

315.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.79 ₩60.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 £3.09

$3.56 ₩4,804

17.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$0.58 ₩790

308.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.58 £18.19

$8.88 ₩12.0K

176.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.52

$1.45 ₩1,957

42.07%

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

$38.9K £28.8K

$29.1K ₩39.3M

33.69%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$28.1K ₩37.9M

45.34%

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

$249 £184

$196 ₩265.4K

26.53%

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

$13.41 £9.92

$34.49 ₩46.6K

-61.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.84 £31.70

$19.80 ₩26.8K

116.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.0 £71.0

$57.0 ₩77.0K

68.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 ₩21.7K

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 £10.10

$11.04 ₩14.9K

23.73%

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

$1,809 £1,338

$1,891 ₩2.6M

-4.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K £17.5K

$22.0K ₩29.8M

7.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 £74.0

$56.3 ₩76.1K

77.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.36 £36.52

$32.45 ₩43.8K

52.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.4

$68.2 ₩92.2K

57.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 £67.5

$79.4 ₩107.3K

14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 £1,024

$865 ₩1.2M

60.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 £788

$601 ₩812.0K

77.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 £2,312

$2,497 ₩3.4M

25.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,718 £2,011

$1,225 ₩1.7M

121.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,205 £4,590

$28.2K ₩38.1M

-77.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,743 £2,029

$11.3K ₩15.3M

-75.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,424 £2,533

$3,486 ₩4.7M

-1.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.41

4.08

32.60%

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

Last update for St. Andrews: September 1, 2026

Last update for Seoul: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,384 in St. Andrews versus $865 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 2% higher in Seoul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in St. Andrews versus $66.0 in Seoul. Groceries tell a different story – $312 in St. Andrews vs $464 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 34% 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 $3,529 per month in St. Andrews and $2,628 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,353 in St. Andrews and $1,752 in Seoul. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $1,809 per month in St. Andrews and $1,891 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 $1,752, than in St. Andrews at $2,353. 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.