Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ni(c)k]

Hi there,

I tried to do some searching on the topic but the search function seems to be a little inept.

I'll be travelling to the country for the first time and was just wondering if people could give me a ballpark figure of how much money they spend monthly in terms of food, toiletries, needs etc.

Also if anybody could throw out some figures on what they would roughly spend on entertainment that would be great as well.

I realize there will be a wide range of numbers, so any additional info you care to give will be great. I'm trying to set myself up a budget before I arrive.

Cheers

[spliff]

1mill

[bobbyhanlon]

in seoul i spent about 650,000 a month on rent and bills, and 1million on general living. of that, most of it went on drinking or general going out. only about 400,000 or so was on basic stuff like food. despite that ridiculous survey claiming seoul is the 5th most expensive city in the world, i think its pretty cheap. i'm in london now and i feel like i'm being screwed every time i have to buy anything!

[sheba]

Here you are..

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=129124&highlight=

[Zutronius]

700,000 won a month easily. 100,000 of that is my apt bills and cell bill. The rest is for food and fun. The rest goes towards paying off student loans and savings.

[SirFink]

You could probably get by on 400,000 a month -- even less if you live like a monk. Most likely you won't be paying rent, won't have/need a car. Typical utility bill is $20-$30, though some month's my gas and electric are 6,000-8,000 each!

Entertainment, on the other hand, can be just as expensive as back home. If you're like me and can't stand the watery swill that passes for domestic beer here, then you can easily spend $6-$8 for a beer, glass of wine, or mixed drink at a bar. Western-style meals are also quite pricey. On the other hand, if you stick to soju and noodles you can be "entertained" for cheap.

[ni(c)k]

[ni(c)k]

[sheba]

[nolegirl]

Edit - I don't know monthyl expenses yet. Bring lots of money to set up house though!!

[maddog]

Without beer, I could probably get by on 400K including gym and utils. In reality, I spend 1 mil a month.