Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kumacub]

Can anyone give me the average costs of living for one month?

Apartment
Landline Phone
Cell Phone
Broadband Internet
Cable TV
Gas
Electricity
Water
Transportation Commuter Pass
Food

I would really appreciate it. At present I'm living in Japan and am thinking about moving to Korea but am unsure if it is comparable. The salaries seem much lower in Korea. I am hoping the costs of living are just as low.

Thanks. Kumacub

[prosodic]

Try reading through the following post. Don't get confused by all the bravado and hyperbole about how much some individuals claim they are able to save in Korea.

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=23182

[kumacub]

Thank you Prosodic - that was useful information about what it is possible to save but was also looking for the actual costs each month for the utilities.

kumacub

[peppermint]

[Zyzyfer]

Apartment-You can go as low as 200,000 won, or you can get pretty high into the stratosphere if you go for something bigger. My current place is pretty nice, though small, and surprisingly doesn't seem to break the boss' bank. Which you should bear in mind...salaries tend to be lower here because your employer usually covers your rent, and if you opt for your own place, you'll probably have a higher salary.
Landline Phone-Uh, no idea. They're practically useless.
Cell Phone-around 40,000 per month if you use it an average amount. Cell phones themselves can be picked up cheaply, or you can go high-end and pay through the nose.
Broadband Internet-I've heard of some really cheap internet/cable deals from others, but the internet can be intermittent at times. Just standard broadband runs around 40,000 won.
Cable TV-5,500 won for the most basic cable, which isn't all that bad. You get BBC and some movie channels.
Gas-Gets pricey in the winter, if you've got to fill a boiler. Major apartments have some nominal fee that I don't recall offhand...maybe 16,000 won or something?
Electricity-Minimal.
Water-2,000 a month maybe? Again, minimal.
Transportation Commuter Pass-You just slap money on cards here. Subways cost 800 won initially, and increase incrementally the farther you go. City busses are similarly priced. I can go between nearby cities for 1,000-1,500 won. Express busses that run throughout Korea tend to get more expensive...perhaps 5,000 won upwards.
Food-You can get lunch for as little as 1,000 won if you like california rolls, all the way up to 15,000 won if you want your western food kicks. Depends on what you eat, really. I spend maybe 10,000 won a day on food, but I rarely eat at home.

Korea appears to have lower salaries, but you tend to have less expenses. If you find a prospective employer, you should discuss this in detail with them.

[prosodic]

[Son Deureo!]

Apartment

Usually paid by your school as others mentioned, but in case you're paying for your own you should be able to get a halfway decent place for 300-400,000 per month if you put down 5 million in key money. Many hogwons will give a 300,000/mo housing allowance if they don't have to provide your apartment.


Landline Phone

Definitely useful IMHO. You can talk much more cheaply on a landline than on a cellphone, plus when you use international phone cards you will pay 2-3 times more if you are using it through a mobile phone. It is also much cheaper for people calling you to call a landline than a mobile. Using it as a backup for your mobile should run you about 10-15,000.

Cell Phone

If you are stingy and use a lot of text messages plus your landline you should be able to make 20-30,000 last a month.


Broadband Internet

Fast and cheap. I pay 35,000 per month.

Cable TV

I don't have it, so I don't really know.


Gas
Electricity
Water

All of these together are costing about 35,000 per month at my place, an older "villa" style apartment. When I lived in a newer "apateuh" style apartment this was rolled into an apartment maintenance fee that was 55-75,000 per month depending on how much I ran my heat or air-conditioner. This sounds high, but it also included the cost of the security guard, the parking spot I didn't use, ultra basic cable service with 10 channels plus AFN, the ajumma who mopped the hallways, etc.

Transportation Commuter Pass

The cost of public transportation just went up with bus and subway trips now costing 800-1000 per trip within Seoul, more if you're leaving Seoul. Still pretty reasonable, but not as good as it used to be.

Food

Well, you might want to ask this guy: http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=23709

But if you don't want to live entirely on white rice and anchovies it will cost you a little more. Cheap restaurants abound with jeong-shik and kimbap restaurants serving Korean food for 3-4,000 per meal, and kalbi dinners going for 6-8,000. Most places also deliver for free. I have found it very easy to get into the habit of not cooking at all, which brings my food costs to 200-300,000 per month but if you are willing to invest the time in cooking or want to eat a lot of curry and noodles you can easily bring this cost down.

Also, in general I think it's safe to say that the cost of living is a bit higher in Seoul than outside. I live in Seoul now after two years of living in Incheon and Bucheon, and I'd say that I'm now spending about 100-200,000 more per month.

[kumacub]

Thanks to all for your helpful replies. The info is useful

kumacub

[JongnoGuru]

Kumacub,

It's always good to get a sense of your basic expenses and potential income before making the decision. But as you weigh the costs, the savings, the pros and the cons of leaving Japan for Korea, just remember there are thousands of people like yourself in Korea, and I'm sure it's working out well for a large percentage of them.

A few are saving bundles and denying themselves the slightest hint of comfort. A few are blowing every slim won they earn on God only knows what. And probably the majority manage to pay the bills, take a girl (or guy) out when the mood strikes them, buy themselves a few toys, and still salt away sums ranging from the modest to the eye-popping.

I recall from my comparatively short while in Japan that, much like Korea, "going out" is one thing that's guaranteed to either make or break anyone's budget. How often you do it, where do you go, what do you do/eat/drink...

Unless things have changed dramatically for the better in Japan, you can look forward to two pleasant surprises if and when you come to Korea. One, your range of options for going out -- even on a limited budget -- will be just so much broader and richer here. Two, your time in Japan has probably been THE BEST education in this regard. You've already learned how to control your impulse to just "go out" whenever and wherever and do whatever like we might back home.

When I lived in Japan, I remember having to budget well in advance for simple things, like a few rounds of beer and side-dishes with the staff after work. Here, I can just do it when the mood or occasion suits me, without fear of having to eat instant noodles by candlelight for the rest of the month.

The Guru

[teachingld2004]

hard to say about expenses. Where I am, the partentis paid for by the school Gas, and I cook alot cost abotu 20.000 for 5 months, Gas is only for cooking,. Then again, I pay for oil and I need that for hot water. heat,. and the shower. Warmer weather, when I pay no heat, cost 144,000 for about 3 or 4 months. As I said,thtis real expensivehere. Water cost 7,000 a month, and the internet cost 40,000/ Phone cost about 25,-000 a month, and that is because I use phone cards and it cost money when I call a cell phone, We have a care phone and that cost 10,000 a month cause we hardly use it, only for emergencies. Foos can cost as little as 200,000 a month for 2 people or more,l depends on what u eat and how much you drink. Harsd to say, and alot depends on where you live.

[teachingld2004]

hard to say about expenses. Where I am, the partentis paid for by the school Gas, and I cook alot cost abotu 20.000 for 5 months, Gas is only for cooking,. Then again, I pay for oil and I need that for hot water. heat,. and the shower. Warmer weather, when I pay no heat, cost 144,000 for about 3 or 4 months. As I said,thtis real expensivehere. Water cost 7,000 a month, and the internet cost 40,000/ Phone cost about 25,-000 a month, and that is because I use phone cards and it cost money when I call a cell phone, We have a care phone and that cost 10,000 a month cause we hardly use it, only for emergencies. Foos can cost as little as 200,000 a month for 2 people or more,l depends on what u eat and how much you drink. Harsd to say, and alot depends on where you live.

[blah]

I live with my wife. So just to give you an idea of what it costs for two – perhaps adding perspective to things:

Internet: My wife and I are both addicted, so the computer is being used by one of us just about every waking hour, 35,000.

Electricity: I think our 17-inch monitor being on all the time adds quite a lot as I recall this bill being much less before we got our computer. Plus my wife is a Filipina and likes to use a rice cooker every day. We also use a blow dryer, and the TV is on almost all the time too. OK, so you get the point we are electricity hogs, 25 – 40,000. In the summer this can easily double or triple if we use the air conditioner a lot. But a fan does the trick most of the time.

Gas: Heat and hot water are both gas-powered in our apartment. In the summer our bill is about 12,000. In the winter it works out to be around 45,000. But this depends on how often we turn on the (wonderfully cozy and efficient) heat. We could double this if we wanted to.

Phone: I personally think a landline is the way to go. Unless you do a lot of privates, you don��t really need a cell phone. And as a previous poster mentioned, it��s cheaper to make long distance calls this way. We use ours a lot and pay about 10 –15000. I did, however, get my wife a used cell so she could feel secure when she��s out without me. It��s been 6 months since we bought it and have never paid a dime (the guy we bought it from must have loaded it up before he sold it to us). I pay 13,000 for a phone card that gives me 180 minutes to Canada – at no extra cost to my phone.

Water
Cable: Both covered by a monthly maintenance fee that also includes light bulbs, and cleaning in the common stairways and front entrance. 20,000.

Food and other groceries: I��d say once we factor in all types of groceries including cleaning supplies, razor blades (I like expensive triple blades), laundry detergent, blank CDs, printer ink, and other items we need but always forget to include in a budget, it averages to about 300,000.

Transportation: We have a motorcycle, and gas comes to about 20,000. Regular maintenance and repair is a fraction of what it would cost in the West. We take a taxi once in a while when it is raining or on a cold winter day. It��s about a quarter of the rate I paid in Vancouver.

Entertainment: This can be next to nothing, or eat up all your money. One McDonalds meal is about 5,000; One nice meal at Outback Steakhouse is about 40,000 (not sure about this one because my boss pays when we go there); Movie for my wife and I comes to about 15,000, plus popcorn and drink for two is about 10,000. I��m not a drinker, so I��m not sure of prices at the bar. But a Kahlua and Milk is about 6,000. Or you can buy a bottle at a store for about 25 -30,000 (So, I��m a girl-drink drunk, laugh it up).

If you want to save a lot of money and live like a student for a year or two, this can definitely be done. I did it in Taiwan before getting married and saved quite a bit. Or you can live a little more comfortably and still save enough to make it all worthwhile. Or if you��re so inclined, you can live very comfortably, enjoying many luxuries, and return home breaking even. I support a wife who does not work and am still able to put at least a million won in the bank every month.

I hope this is helpful.