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

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 73% higher than in South Korea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

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

$21.78 £16.28

$7.57 ₩10.4K

187.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 £64.8

$44.89 ₩61.9K

93.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.22

$6.40 ₩8,821

71.87%

Cappuccino

$4.79 £3.58

$3.93 ₩5,418

21.88%

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

$2.60 £1.94

$1.64 ₩2,258

58.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.37

$0.84 ₩1,151

117.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 £4.93

$3.61 ₩4,970

82.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 £5.10

$4.33 ₩5,968

57.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 £1.30

$2.13 ₩2,941

-18.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$3.03 ₩4,172

-42.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 £1.69

$3.45 ₩4,761

-34.49%

Eggs

$4.12 £3.08

$3.09 ₩4,255

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.11

$14.49 ₩20.0K

-34.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £7.04

$8.68 ₩12.0K

8.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 £11.08

$24.71 ₩34.0K

-39.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 £2.32

$8.31 ₩11.5K

-62.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$3.42 ₩4,719

-50.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 £2.15

$6.16 ₩8,489

-53.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 £2.51

$5.95 ₩8,206

-43.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 £1.38

$3.83 ₩5,282

-51.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.68 ₩3,689

-41.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$2.69 ₩3,706

-53.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.17 ₩1,611

45.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.75 £17.75

$3.26 ₩4,492

628.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 £8.18

$14.93 ₩20.6K

-26.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 £2.21

$2.04 ₩2,814

44.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 £2.58

$2.97 ₩4,090

16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.50

$1.08 ₩1,494

209.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £78.9

$46.28 ₩63.8K

128.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 £4.06

$3.53 ₩4,869

54.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 £1.71

$0.65 ₩892

252.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.80 £20.03

$8.73 ₩12.0K

206.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.47

$1.32 ₩1,825

48.48%

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

$39.2K £29.3K

$29.6K ₩40.9M

32.14%

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

$40.9K £30.6K

$30.4K ₩41.9M

34.59%

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

$328 £245

$201 ₩276.4K

63.48%

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

$18.19 £13.60

$38.78 ₩53.4K

-53.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.01 £32.14

$23.39 ₩32.2K

83.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.44 £34.70

$56.4 ₩77.8K

-17.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 £13.56

$16.31 ₩22.5K

11.28%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 £10.17

$10.93 ₩15.1K

24.52%

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

$1,773 £1,325

$928 ₩1.3M

90.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K £17.5K

$22.8K ₩31.4M

2.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 £69.3

$55.7 ₩76.7K

66.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.67 £34.88

$44.13 ₩60.8K

5.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.9

$76.3 ₩105.1K

34.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £75.7

$96.8 ₩133.4K

4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 £1,025

$587 ₩809.0K

133.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 £830

$407 ₩560.3K

173.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 £1,648

$1,536 ₩2.1M

43.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 £1,351

$906 ₩1.2M

99.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,687 £4,250

$15.4K ₩21.2M

-63.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,425 £3,307

$8,205 ₩11.3M

-46.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,419 £2,555

$2,288 ₩3.2M

49.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.21

26.60%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: September 13, 2026

Last update for South Korea: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $3,281 in United Kingdom vs $2,121 in South Korea. 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

United Kingdom vs South Korea: 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.