Korean Job Discussion Forums

[NoExplode]

OK, we know Korea is a major rip off on things like fruit--32,000 won limes at costco, buying 7 or 10 pears during chuseok for 50,000, outrages meat prices. But have you ever come across things that come across as fantastic deals?


I'll start with two:

1. After having a series of awful, uncomfortable, strange-sized couches here in Korea, the best sofa I've ever owned: 200,000 custom-handmade. The same guy delivers it that makes it. He doesn't make it til the order is placed, so it can take up to a week to get.

http://global.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=124249065&pos_shop_cd=SH&pos_class_cd=111111111&pos_class_kind=T&keyword_order=memphis+sofa

2. Bulliard's Louisiana Supereme Habenero Hot Sauce. After usually paying 7,000 to 8,000 for tabasco sauce these last few years, I found this stuff at my Lotte Mart for 1,200 won a bottle, same size as the Tabasco Sauce, and hotter, which I like.


With the Habenero Sauce. I'm guessing this is just a pricing mistake, though it's been this price for 3 months.

[justaguy]

Soju.

It's amazing what $3 worth that stuff can do to a person.

[Straphanger]

[cdninkorea]

I'll bite:

Dry cleaning. In Canada it costs at least fifteen tdollars for a suit.

Tailoring. A custom made suit in Canada is, at cheapest, a thousand dollars.

Maids. I don't have one, but a friend of mine hires a Filippino woman at ten thousand won per hour, and apparently she does a good job.

Vegetables. There's a street market down the street from where I live that all the neighborhood Korean grandmothers shop at, and where they shop you'll always find good prices.

Transportation. I can never get over how cheap subways, buses, and taxis are relative to where I'm from. That said, I'm glad I don't have a car to fill up with gas.

That's all I can think of for now.

[Beej]

Seeing as how a frightful 20% of high school girls prostitute themselves in Korea, Id imagine there are some bargains to be had in that area.

[Cohiba]

Internet Cigars

http://www.cigarsofhabanos.com/index.aspx

no tax, no duty, 3 day delivery

[i4NI]

As mentioned Soju, I can get drunk for around $3-5 basically

[sarbonn]

I've been buying Bennigan hot wings from Emart since I got here. They were costing me 4,500 won per package. Yeah, a bit expensive, but it's what you pay for a taste of home. Anyway, I guess I've bought so many they realized they have a good product so they dropped the price to 3,850 won yesterday. Talk about a very happy shopper. To honor their price reduction, I bought out the stock again.

[Join Me]

I will agree on tailoring. My tailor adjusted the length on my pants for 2,000 won. Eating out at Korean restaurants. It would cost you two to three times as much to eat out every night in the states. My pay as you go cell phone (had it five years now). I can text all month long and make the calls I need to for 10,000 won. The high speed internet in my apartment is dirt cheap.

The cheapest thing in my mind...healthcare. It really doesn't enter my mind here. Even with insurance in the US, I always worried about if my bills would be covered if I ever got seriously hurt. With my supplemental insurance I feel I am covered here.

[monger]

Sorry to ask a Q but I was told that you can't get pay as you go here

[Join Me]

[justaguy]

The strong Yen and weak Won have the Japanese saying everything in Korea is a great deal.

Have you seen Myung Dong in downtown Seoul recently? It looks like the Japanese have invaded.

[hagwonnewbie]

I buy these pre-made salads at lotte mart for 1600 won. Mushrooms were 200 won for one pack the other day. Hot sauce is cheap. Rice noodles are a couple thousand won for a good sized bag. The not 100% real fruit juice fruit juice is pretty cheap. You can get a liter of peach juice for like 1200 won. The big cookies at the bakeries are like 700 won each.

I don't mind getting some frozen food sometimes. I have some cheap ass frozen mandu and fish cutlet at home. It's nice to have in your freezer during the winter when you're hungry and you don't feel like going out in the cold. I also have some soy milk in the cupboard in case I run out of milk in the morning.

[Papa Smurf]

its like 3000 won for 20 tangerines right now. bargain.

[FixedGearJerk]

I get two breaded mystery meat things on a stick for 1000 won at the vendor outside my apartment. They are shaped like teddy bears and brushed with a nice red sauce. It must be beef or pork, or some special blend of animal parts. They are delicious.