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 $2,365 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,429 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,470 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,249 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,575 per month in United Kingdom vs $3,068 in South Korea, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 66% 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 78%, South Korea by 7%.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,652–$3,902) than in South Korea ($1,229–$1,770), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £14.94

$7.19 ₩10.3K

180.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 £65.6

$43.49 ₩62.6K

103.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 £7.66

$5.71 ₩8,218

80.91%

Cappuccino

$4.53 £3.36

$3.67 ₩5,283

23.43%

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

$2.38 £1.76

$1.57 ₩2,264

51.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$0.78 ₩1,122

117.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.90

$3.63 ₩5,224

82.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 £4.62

$4.89 ₩7,035

27.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.22

$2.20 ₩3,169

-25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.23

$3.06 ₩4,406

-45.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 £1.65

$3.10 ₩4,462

-28.39%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.95

$2.95 ₩4,247

34.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 £7.11

$13.86 ₩19.9K

-30.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 £6.78

$9.43 ₩13.6K

-2.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 £10.33

$30.00 ₩43.2K

-53.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.18

$7.89 ₩11.4K

-62.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$3.56 ₩5,119

-53.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.12

$5.84 ₩8,401

-51.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 £2.55

$6.33 ₩9,103

-45.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.26

$3.80 ₩5,470

-55.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$2.94 ₩4,227

-45.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.83

$2.46 ₩3,539

-54.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.20 ₩1,733

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.60 £15.27

$3.34 ₩4,801

516.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 £7.86

$14.93 ₩21.5K

-29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.13

$2.03 ₩2,919

41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.93 ₩4,219

11.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 £2.40

$1.09 ₩1,566

196.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 £69.1

$46.70 ₩67.2K

99.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.91

$3.22 ₩4,627

63.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.57 ₩824

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.79 £19.85

$8.75 ₩12.6K

206.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.19 ₩1,711

66.39%

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

$37.9K £28.1K

$27.4K ₩39.4M

38.26%

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

$40.6K £30.1K

$24.3K ₩35.0M

66.62%

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

$325 £241

$169 ₩242.4K

93.05%

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

$17.63 £13.07

$41.27 ₩59.4K

-57.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 £31.26

$22.12 ₩31.8K

90.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 £34.04

$53.1 ₩76.3K

-13.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 £11.76

$20.08 ₩28.9K

-21.02%

Cinema Ticket

$13.36 £9.91

$10.90 ₩15.7K

22.57%

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

$1,736 £1,287

$383 ₩550.2K

353.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K £15.8K

$23.2K ₩33.4M

-8.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.8 £67.3

$57.6 ₩82.8K

57.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.24 £33.53

$48.05 ₩69.1K

-5.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$80.3 ₩115.5K

27.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.5

$109 ₩157.2K

-6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 £1,047

$614 ₩882.4K

130.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 £832

$408 ₩586.7K

175.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 £1,754

$1,580 ₩2.3M

49.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 £1,354

$977 ₩1.4M

87.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,662 £4,196

$14.4K ₩20.7M

-60.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,424 £3,279

$7,535 ₩10.8M

-41.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,238 £2,400

$2,161 ₩3.1M

49.83%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for South Korea: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,266 in United Kingdom vs $457 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,021 in London and $964 in Seoul.

Average salary: $3,174 in United Kingdom vs $1,951 in South Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 177% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 110% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 667% 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 85% 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 85% 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.