Korean Job Discussion Forums

the noodles · Joined: 27 Oct 2006

Hello Korean Forum,

How much fun can you have in a city like Busan or the Seoul on KW965,189 per month. This money would just be for leisure and the like including food, clubs, bars, shopping etc. In other words, I have already calculated and taken away money that I intend to save. The above figure would be what is left over! It's about �500/$1000 which would make me think that I can have a whale of a time!

I don't really eat that much western food, and I'm happy to drink in a variety of different bars. I can have expensive taste when it comes to clothes, but I don't go clothes shopping too often.

Your feedback would be great

Cheers

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

If you get an apartment provided, you can live on less than 500,000 won a month for everything in your life like food, transportation and additional necessities. If you have 500,000 won a month simply for having fun, like bars, you are well set.

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

If you're in Busan you can go to Japan once a month. Work on your Japanese and enjoy the food, women, and culture.

Otherside · Joined: 06 Sep 2007

It's plenty for a good time.
In my relativly short time in Korea, I've only spent over W800K/month twice. Buying a laptop and a week in Hong Kong were what put me over the edge. I have a pretty comfortable lifestyle.

Obviously, if you have expensive taste and like shopping regularly for "brand" clothing etc, you might struggle, but for regular going out, shopping and having a good time...you might even have some change.

Watch out for utilities though, in summer your electricity bill can be pretty high thanks to aircon...and in winter gas is a killer (over W100K is not uncommon for a 1 room apartment..)

DaeguKid · Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Location: Daegu

thats great...but what are you going to do tomorrow when the exchange rate changes... Wink

Here is what I did my first couple of years in Korea. The day you get paid, send your cash home. Whatever you have left is what you got. Wasn't having pizza or night outs towards the end of the month, but the bank account adds up pretty fast.
Good luck.
DK

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

30 per day or less man. Weekends a bit more.

blaseblasphemener · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject:

Did you really say, "have a whale of a time?" Who are you, one of the Little Rascals?

the noodles · Joined: 27 Oct 2006

the noodles · Joined: 27 Oct 2006

So if my calculations are correct,and it is easy to live on 965,000 Won a month, a lot of you must be saving around $20 000 or 10 000 pounds a year.

How did I come up with that figure? Well lets say you work for a public school and get paid 2400000 a month. That roughly works out to just over $2 400 000 US a month. As I understand, your first 2 years is tax free. So, you spend $1000 on fun and games and whatever else. you save $1 400. send it back each month. After 12 months equals $16 800. Plus the months salary when you complete your contract boosts it up to brings it up to $19 200. Lets say you decide to go back then and there. so you get your flight back paid for. You walk out of JFK airport about $2o 000 richer then when you went in...

Ok now someone show me where I went wrong coz that just can't be possible.

PokerZero · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: theultimatetrek.com/forum

I lived on between 800k-1mil a month last year, worked 13 months and came home with 14 million won.

That included going out drinking 3-4 nights a week (mostly local though one night a week in Seoul), eating out most nights, paying for my KT internet, Cable TV, Apt. bills, Cell phone and a few weekends away in Korea.

If you were getting paid 2.4 a month (I only got 2.0) then you should be able to save 20 mill and still have a great time.

the noodles · Joined: 27 Oct 2006

Wow Poker,

You sound as though you did pretty well. So it is possible as far as you're concerned. That makes me think how hard people in the West have it. Especially when it comes to trying to save a sizeable chunk of money and have a good standard of living.

PokerZero · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: theultimatetrek.com/forum

Yeah I did okay. I saved about 3 times as much as I would have in the UK doing a job that paid about twice as much. Most of the savings come from getting a free apartment, but having no car, satellite TV, etc. all make a difference too.

the noodles · Joined: 27 Oct 2006

i'm not really that bothered about TV... Buy, I wonder if it's as easy to get pirated DVDs in Korea as it is in China. ! DVD there would cost between 30 -50p!

PokerZero · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: theultimatetrek.com/forum

In my experience they are a bit more pricey in Korea - I was paying 10k for 3 or 4 in my neighbourhood.