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 $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,425 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,249 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,584 per month in United Kingdom vs $3,073 in South Korea, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 66% 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 ($1,675–$3,930) than South Korea ($1,246–$1,761), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 £15.00

$7.18 ₩10.9K

181.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 £64.6

$43.22 ₩65.6K

101.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 £7.67

$5.82 ₩8,842

77.15%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.47

$3.83 ₩5,817

21.93%

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

$2.45 £1.82

$1.58 ₩2,400

55.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.30

$0.78 ₩1,184

124.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.92

$3.64 ₩5,535

81.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 £4.70

$4.72 ₩7,169

33.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.24 ₩3,399

-26.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$3.14 ₩4,768

-45.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.71

$3.05 ₩4,636

-24.92%

Eggs

$4.14 £3.08

$3.11 ₩4,719

33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 £7.41

$14.06 ₩21.4K

-29.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 £6.60

$9.59 ₩14.6K

-7.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 £10.52

$30.17 ₩45.8K

-53.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.21

$8.02 ₩12.2K

-62.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$3.52 ₩5,343

-52.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.12

$5.81 ₩8,816

-50.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.53

$6.29 ₩9,556

-45.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$3.68 ₩5,587

-54.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$2.96 ₩4,495

-48.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$2.52 ₩3,820

-53.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.19 ₩1,811

26.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.73 £15.41

$3.29 ₩4,994

530.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 £8.07

$16.53 ₩25.1K

-34.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 £2.10

$2.11 ₩3,200

34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.46

$2.98 ₩4,518

11.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 £2.37

$1.07 ₩1,630

198.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 £70.5

$46.80 ₩71.1K

102.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 £4.06

$3.36 ₩5,110

62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.58 ₩876

163.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.66 £19.83

$8.73 ₩13.3K

205.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.24 ₩1,883

54.03%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$27.9K ₩42.4M

36.74%

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

$41.1K £30.5K

$24.1K ₩36.6M

70.60%

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

$327 £243

$168 ₩255.6K

94.12%

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

$17.50 £13.01

$41.60 ₩63.2K

-57.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.25 £31.41

$21.62 ₩32.8K

95.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 £34.15

$52.0 ₩79.0K

-11.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 £11.82

$19.62 ₩29.8K

-18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 £10.01

$11.10 ₩16.9K

21.26%

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

$1,735 £1,290

$383 ₩581.5K

353.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K £15.4K

$22.7K ₩34.4M

-8.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 £66.5

$58.6 ₩88.9K

52.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 £33.19

$48.36 ₩73.4K

-7.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £77.1

$79.7 ₩121.0K

30.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.7

$108 ₩164.3K

-5.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 £1,055

$626 ₩951.3K

126.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 £847

$413 ₩627.8K

175.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,313 £1,720

$1,569 ₩2.4M

47.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 £1,366

$979 ₩1.5M

87.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,858 £4,355

$13.8K ₩21.0M

-57.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,550 £3,383

$7,144 ₩10.8M

-36.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,230 £2,402

$2,077 ₩3.2M

55.50%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for South Korea: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,265 in United Kingdom vs $457 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,031 in London and $962 in Seoul.

Average salary: $3,192 in United Kingdom vs $1,931 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 675% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 65% 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 86% 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 86% 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.