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 $2,360 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,426 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,471 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,249 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,581 per month in United Kingdom vs $3,071 in South Korea, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 65% more than 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 6%.

United Kingdom has a wider regional cost range ($1,688–$4,005) than South Korea ($1,253–$1,784), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.50 £15.17

$7.34 ₩10.8K

179.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 £66.3

$44.05 ₩64.9K

103.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 £7.44

$5.73 ₩8,448

75.39%

Cappuccino

$4.53 £3.35

$3.66 ₩5,396

23.77%

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

$2.47 £1.83

$1.64 ₩2,412

50.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.25

$0.77 ₩1,138

120.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.89

$3.74 ₩5,515

76.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.80

$4.68 ₩6,894

38.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.24 ₩3,301

-26.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.26

$3.15 ₩4,635

-46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$2.95 ₩4,349

-25.42%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.94

$3.03 ₩4,470

31.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 £7.12

$13.95 ₩20.5K

-31.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.67

$9.38 ₩13.8K

-3.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 £10.36

$30.14 ₩44.4K

-53.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.27

$7.78 ₩11.5K

-60.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$3.48 ₩5,134

-53.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 £2.09

$5.84 ₩8,604

-51.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.65

$6.11 ₩9,009

-41.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$3.89 ₩5,730

-58.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$2.84 ₩4,179

-46.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$2.41 ₩3,554

-51.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.19 ₩1,760

26.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.28 £15.01

$3.38 ₩4,979

500.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.76 £7.96

$15.87 ₩23.4K

-32.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.14

$2.05 ₩3,025

41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.42

$2.89 ₩4,254

13.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 £2.40

$1.12 ₩1,656

190.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.6 £71.5

$46.99 ₩69.2K

105.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 £4.00

$3.29 ₩4,842

64.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 £1.14

$0.56 ₩829

176.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.40 £20.28

$8.79 ₩12.9K

211.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.48

$1.19 ₩1,755

68.07%

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

$38.6K £28.6K

$27.7K ₩40.8M

39.34%

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

$40.1K £29.7K

$24.2K ₩35.7M

65.27%

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

$324 £239

$167 ₩246.2K

93.61%

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

$17.16 £12.70

$41.36 ₩60.9K

-58.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 £31.42

$21.78 ₩32.1K

94.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.45 £34.38

$51.8 ₩76.3K

-10.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.23 £12.01

$19.40 ₩28.6K

-16.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £9.94

$11.22 ₩16.5K

19.79%

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

$1,720 £1,273

$392 ₩577.6K

338.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K £15.6K

$22.6K ₩33.3M

-6.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 £66.3

$57.9 ₩85.3K

54.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 £32.48

$47.54 ₩70.0K

-7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 £74.6

$80.6 ₩118.7K

25.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 £78.1

$109 ₩160.6K

-3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 £1,033

$625 ₩920.5K

123.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 £833

$418 ₩615.3K

169.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 £1,736

$1,564 ₩2.3M

50.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 £1,389

$963 ₩1.4M

94.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,923 £4,383

$13.0K ₩19.2M

-54.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,613 £3,413

$8,275 ₩12.2M

-44.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,374 £2,497

$2,241 ₩3.3M

50.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

4.2

36.90%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: April 28, 2026

Last update for South Korea: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,267 in United Kingdom vs $459 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,034 in London and $956 in Seoul.

Average salary: $3,209 in United Kingdom vs $1,973 in South Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 176% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 110% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 675% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 63% higher in United Kingdom.

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.