Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hyeon Een]

How much do you pay for your drinking water, and what do you use it for?

I've lived in Korea 5 years and I use my bottled water only for drinking. For tea, coffee, rice, cooking, washing salad etc. I use tap. When I first came here I drank it also, but then I moved to somewhere it tasted bad.

Depending on where I've lived I've paid between 600won and 1,000won a 2l bottle. Expensive convenience stores for the occasional purchase have cost up to 1,300 won but they are occasional only, not regular.

The amount of money I spend has not been affected by inflation, only location. I'm curious how much YOU spend for a 2l bottle of water. And do you regard it as good value?

[T-J]

I use a water purifier. We rent it for less than 20,000 a month which includes scheduled maintenance such as filter changes. Hot water always ready for the instant coffee. If you don't have one, I would recommend getting one.

[fortysixyou]

[Thunndarr]

Brita water filter. A pack of 6 refills (2 months each) costs 30k won.

[CPT]

A Korean dude comes into our apartment building and starts shouting "WATER MAN!" at around 8 am once a week.

I buy 12 x 1.8L bottles from him for 10,000. It's a bit expensive, but at least it's convenient.

[moosehead]

I pay 14,000 won for 4 cases of 6 bottles/case approx one delivery a month

they are the large 2 liter bottles - a guy down the street at a small local vege market is the one who delivers it.

I think that's cheap now after reading these posts I know it is

a school I worked at before (and lived elsewhere) hooked us up to pay 29,000 a month for delivery - I was suspicious at the time she was taking a kickback as we were paying her directly - now I'm pretty certain -

[sarbonn]

I live in the wealthier part of Seoul, so prices are a bit high for me. I pay too much for water, and I know it, but I get enough money that I really don't pay that much attention to it. I really should get myself a cheap filter and just use that, but it's convenient to have the local store deliver water directly to my apartment.

[wings]

i pay 5000 won for 20 liters of water delivered to my kitchen. Some people came and tested my water and said it was safe to drink, but it tastes like chlorine so I only use it for cooking, coffee etc, not for straight drinking.

I don�t know why anyone would buy little bottles of water they are much more expensive and horrible for the environment. Find out how to get the big bottles delivered you�ll save money and time and it�s better for the environment.

[T-J]

[bassexpander]

Go to www.puriss.co.kr and order a water cooler/heater and a few bottles a month. You can get the cooler for virtually free from just about any water company, provided you agree to a certain number of bottles per month. We got ours (used) from another teacher (no contract needed for us), and it's been awesome. I think we pay around 15,000 per month and use about 50 liters.

[Straphanger]

I bitched about the cost of bottled water, and my boss just gave me a funny look: "Why don't you just fill up the bottles here?"

[sojourner1]

I get 2L bottles of Sam Da Su fo 900 won each. I use them for drinking, coffee, and cooking. Because I'm part aquatic creature, I need 2 to 3 of them a day for a total of 60,000 to 80,000 won a month. Haven't seen any water services in my town, but I guess I could get a nice purifier or filter since the tap water doesn't seem so polluted like it does in the city. My tap water in Changwon-si stank like chemicals and crud, but where I'm at now, it doesn't smell. One rural school doesn't have purified water and they just drink tap water from a garden hose outside, but it tastes funny compared to bottled water. I prefer to use tap water for washing only.

[tzechuk]

5,000 won per 18.9l bottle, delivered to home and put on dispenser. It lasts for about 2 weeks depending on how much of it my daughter wastes.......... (she is only 4, I am trying to teach her not to waste things).

[schwa]

I get the 18.9 liter jugs delivered, 2 at a time, 5000 won each. Super convenient. The hot & cold dispenser unit is free if you order 4 containers a month but I only go through 2 or 3 so that was an additional 120000. They offered to let me pay it down 5000 a delivery but it was simpler to just pay cash. I'm on my second machine now after my first one put in 10 years good service. Or they sell electronic hand pumps for about 20 or 30000 but I prefer the hot/cold feature.

Great tasting mineral-rich water.

[weatherman]

470 won. buy them in 6 packs all wrapped in plastic with a handle to carry them back.