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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Kim Jong Jordan
Joined: 13 Mar 2004
Location: The Internet
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 Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:29 pm Post subject: In regards to cost....... |
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I plan on going to Korea in September and I was wondering how much money you all brought with you to get through the first month before your first pay check. I'll probably only have $2500 (Canadian). Will this suffice. I would like to go to either Pusan, Busan, Ulsan, or Seoul (ideally).
Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas or comments about this. What was your experience? Any insight would be immensely appreciated! I'm sort of worried.
Thanx |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:52 pm Post subject: Re: In regards to cost....... |
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| Kim Jong Jordan wrote: |
I plan on going to Korea in September and I was wondering how much money you all brought with you to get through the first month before your first pay check. I'll probably only have $2500 (Canadian). Will this suffice. I would like to go to either Pusan, Busan, Ulsan, or Seoul (ideally).
Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas or comments about this. What was your experience? Any insight would be immensely appreciated! I'm sort of worried.
Thanx |
That will be far more than sufficient, especially if you've already got a job lined up. with paid accomodations, you can live very comfortably on 1000 $ here. Btw: Pusan and Busan are the same place- The romanization system has changed here, and that's why. |
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Kim Jong Jordan
Joined: 13 Mar 2004
Location: The Internet
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| Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Pusan and Busan are the same place? |
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chronicpride
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Kim Jong Jordan wrote: |
| Pusan and Busan are the same place? |
Yes. Has to do with the government changes to romanized spelling over the years. Old style is Pusan. New is Busan. People still use both, however.
Bringing $2500 to tide yourself over for the 1st month will enable you to live a a pretty phat lifestyle, considering you have no rent, airfare or startup costs to pay. Bring a smoking vest and a good appetite. 
On a tight budget, a seasoned Korean expat who knows where to shop and eat, and assuming that they don't have a nightlife or bank wiring needs, can get by on 10,000Won/day. Even less if you live like a Korean, by buying bulk kimchi and rice for home, make kimchijigae, the odd PB/J sandwichs; when eating out, only eat at street carts or the cheap kimbap restaurants, which have kimbap sets for 1000Won or larger meals for under 3500-4000. And assuming that you only take the bus, subway, or walk to work, spend an hour, at most, at the PC Bang, then you can squeeze it all under 10,000Won/day, which works out to 300,000/mnth ($350CAD). But that lifestyle takes a lot of discipline. I can't do it for a length of time. Only for when I'm tight for cash and in between paychecks. But others can and are doing this. I, personally, like to work with a 20,000Won/day budget($700/mnth CAD budget), and if I don't spend it all in one day, my surplus cash carries over to the rest of the days, and ups my daily budget for the rest of the month. So, if I keep a lid on my spending throughout the week, I have surplus cash for the weekend for nightlife or travelling within the country.
For a newb, who doesn't know where to shop and live on the cheap, you'll likely be hitting up McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, etc, more than you would at any point in your time here...It will be tough to curb your expenses for the first month, especially if you are living in Seoul. Pad yourself with a 30,000Won/day budget ($1000CAD/mnth) and keep the rest as emergency cash. |
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Kim Jong Jordan
Joined: 13 Mar 2004
Location: The Internet
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| Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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Who loves ya? I do. Thanks for the tips. Anymore from those of you out there would be super appreciated!!!
Thanks |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 11:42 am Post subject: |
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Hi KJJ!
Yep, as said 2500 is plenty for a month or two. I lived in Ulsan a few years back. Nothing great about it, but I was near the only University in that city of a million. There was a bar or two where many foreigners, mostly English teachers, went on weekends. So it was easy to meet people there, including Korean girls who like foreigners or wanted to practice English or whatever. A lot of attractive ones too.
I also visited Pusan a good few times during that year. I like the Pusan National University area. Lots of good clubs around there.
And of course Seoul. Lots of time spent there. And I think it is probably the best place to be if you don't mind crowdedness! because it can be crowded beyond anything you've ever seen.
I guess there are many more on board here who are more knowledgeable then me.
Good luck! |
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PEIGUY
Joined: 28 Mar 2004
Location: Omokgyo
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| Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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| adding onto KJJ OP, what woudl be the best way to take it over with you? i remember reading something a while back about cashiers cheques but they kinda cost a bit.. and can you exchange them at the airport? |
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chronicpride
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Or keep your reserves in your account back home and bring an ATM card. A lot easier than carrying around a whole bunch of loot. |
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PEIGUY
Joined: 28 Mar 2004
Location: Omokgyo
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| Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| that makes sense but what about service fees? we all know how Canadian banks love them plus any machine service fees themselves.... i use RBC and they have Cirrus capability alreayd on the card ( I used it in the US once). |
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Flex Bulkchest
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Location: currently?...I don't know it's a room, with a computer....
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| Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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| i draw out of my canadian account all the time...although i've always been pretty indifferent to fees like that. still, even if it's like 5 dollars a pop, and you take out 4 big wacks over the course of a month, you're still only out 20 bucks, which when you compare it to what amex takes for cheques (i think like 7%, but i could very well be wrong on that) 2500*0.07 = 175!!! |
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