Korean Job Discussion Forums

itaewonguy · Joined: 25 Mar 2003

ok I have been here since 97.. It was cheap back in those days but showed a strong force on its way to becoming an expensive place to live.
it might have already been there..

But over the years here, I have met people who told me about the 80's and early 90's .. they said it was dead cheap!!
everything was cheap.. too many to list.. but everything.. they even said hookers on the hill would do you for 10.000won. now its 20.000 A DRINK!.
ok bad example but I thought I would throw it in there..

now.. we have all heard about youngsan. yeah cheap DVD'S...!!!!
are they?? 10.000 won a DVD a pirated DVD, is that cheap???
nikes priced at 70.000 won.. is that cheap???
I heard back in the days nikes were like 20 bucks here..
everything seems to be far to expensive.. ok somethings are cheap..
transportation, buses and subways..

so my point is.. I hear about CHINA.. DVD'S 1 dollar,.. cheap clothes.. nikes, etc.. all way cheaper than here.. even thailand is cheaper than here. what is happening to korea? is it becoming to expensive to live here on a normal teachers salary? or will it??

is it time to move to china?

back in the day teachers made good money , compared to the economy.
now it seems like things are getting more expensive around us. but our salaries are not moving...

VanIslander · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 4:57 am Post subject:

You can compare prices in Korea with a country where you'd make a comparable wage (Japan), or with a country where you come from (Canada). Either way I win big time.

peppermint · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 5:04 am Post subject:

Yeah, things are cheap in China, but the pay for an ESL er is around half according to some teachers from Shanghai I met when I was in Beijing.

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

SuperFly · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Location: In the doghouse

They nickel and dime you to death. Ha, I taught that colloquial to my students once..

Itaewondude,

Those pirated cd's used to cost 5K won in 1996-97 as I remember.

Gwangjuboy · Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Location: England

The best way to measure this, is to look at one's disposable income. I have a disposable income of 1 million won per month. In the UK I would have to be earning considerably more to save that kind of money each month. So, comparitavely, Korea is a cheap place to live. (even if I were to consider the free housing, the UK would be a lot more expensive.)

batman · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 6:29 am Post subject:

Cheap for some things (500cc's of beer, soju, crappy vodka, art supplies, cable service, transportation - scooters, taxi's, trains, buses).
Expensive for other things (imported products, decent clothing, vegetables, fruit, good bread, rice, baby clothes, baby food, diapers).

Right now I am working at home as a stay-at-hom dad.
My son and I rely upon the money that my wife brings home from her teaching job.
We figure, while in Korea, the three of us can live nicely on, about, 800,000 won a month and save the rest.
Don't know if we could do that back home.

But, then, life is about more than money.
If you are not enjoying where you are and what you are doing, who cares how much you are making.

dominic · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

seoul is the 5th most expensive country to live in the world. meat is rediculous here especailly beef. Bread is outragous and so is cheese, electronics are expensive too. cheap my ass

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

I can still get a good sized bowl of meaty bone soup for 4,000. That's cheap enough for me.

Gwangjuboy · Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Location: England

itaewonguy · Joined: 25 Mar 2003

[quote="batman"]

bundangbear · Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: www.youtube.com/bundangbear

One thing about prices in Korea,

IT IS NOT JAPAN. After living there for 1 1/2 years, I'm moving to Korea. I was in Korea on vacation for a month, and I was astounded at the low cost of food, transportation, taxis, and fun plastic junk.

As far as most teachers go, in Korea, providing you with a paid apartment is the norm; in Japan, it's an abberation. I paid 72,000 yen (=720,000won) for a closet in the Tokyo suburbs! No joke.

So, I've been convinced by friends to cross that Sea of Japan (YES, from now on, I'll refer to it as the East Sea) and make Bundang my home.

Cthulhu · Joined: 02 Feb 2003

Itaewonguy wrote:

Zyzyfer · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 8:31 am Post subject:

Korea costs as much as my hometown, which is neither cheap nor expensive. I spend slightly more per month(rent excluded) than I did back home, but I also actually go to bars here.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

YES Korea is cheap to live in. I've been to other countries where the average salary is a fraction of the cost here, but the cost of other things is not a fraction of the cost here.

I have no idea how things work that most things are so cheap in combination with being a foreigner, no one is trying to rip you off the difference of the cost savings.