Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Matman]

I know the received wisdom is that Seoul is more expensive but is it really for an English teacher? You get your accommodation paid so we can ignore that. If you wanted to live exactly the same lifestyle in Seoul compared to say Daegu, you'd be paying pretty much the same wouldn't you? Of course the temptation is there in Seoul to blow all your money in expensive restaurants and bars but that's a personal choice. If you lived a life of unsociable obscurity, eating from the local Kimbap shop and cooking food you'd bought in Tesco and spending your free time arguing with people on Dave's about beef, your living expenses would be the same whether you lived in Seoul or Daegu wouldn't they?

[sojourner1]

Yes, you got the right idea about how it is. It can cost the same to live in Changwon as Seoul due to food, alcohol, and cigarettes costing the same all over Korea though in Seoul, there is the largest availability of things to spend money on. I believe people spend more in Seoul due to it having many things from home and then a whole lot more that the rest of Korea. Western restaurants and bars are not cheap and you can blow wads of cash if eating and drinking out regularly. Even in smaller cities like Changwon, where I lived, I knew teachers who were always broke while I was saving 1 million Won a month with no privates so it goes to say that it's how you live and manage your money; not where you live. In Changwon, a smaller city with western restaurants and bars, you can spend a fortune eating out at TGIF and Outback steakhouse which do cost the same as in the big city. I believe you can still go out regularly and save money if you walk and talk more than you eat and drink.

[Otherside]

I pretty much agree. The biggest expense for us, housing, is already covered so that cuts the fluctuation down greatly. (Though, you might get a much nicer apartment out of Seoul..at the same cost to your employer).
Other things which are more expensive in Seoul are things like taxi's, however I believe the savings from these (for the average person) would more than be cancelled out by a long weekend in Seoul (transport, accomodation etc) for an out of towner. Not to mention, certain purchases (electronics specifically spring to mind, but I'm sure there are others) are actually cheaper in Seoul, so overall living in Seoul may be cheaper. Then again, many hagwons and SMOE (atleast at the starting rate) offer lower salaries for Seoul, this is due to demand for Seoul being much higher than the rest of the country, so you might come out with a bit more if placed outside of Seoul.

[Matman]

Thanks. The average hagwon salary does seem to be around 100,000 less in Seoul but there's a lot of variation with some higher salaries in Seoul and some lower salaries outside so that's not really a factor. I think you can save more than a million a month wherever you are in Korea if you're frugal and you can also blow most of your salary regardless of where you are. Last time I was in Korea I was right out in Geoje island and managed to save about 1.5 million a month from a 1.9 million (tax free) salary but as soon as I'd befriended a couple of Korean girls the savings dried up. The only potential problem is if you're somewhere like Gangnam there might not be too many 2000 won gimbap shops around but the supermarket prices should be the same so it's possible to cook for yourself and spend no more than someone out in the boonies.

Walking and talking more than eating and drinking is good advice and is probably more interesting in Seoul than outside.

[IncognitoHFX]