Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Grim Ja]

Whenever I read this forum, people talk about the low cost of living of Korea versus the west.

I don't see it.

Apartment rents are sky high compared to 99% of other places in the world.

Oil prices are amazing.

Last month I paid W90,000 for my water bill and that doen't even include drinking water.

At the Marriott Hotel a room costs W300,000 a night, a meal is about W40,000 (not including wine) and a glass of milk is W9,000.

I guess if a school provides a house for you, you eat at Kimbab World, don't drive or shower, then this is a cheap country to live in.

Yet, if you want to have a life that is anyway close to that of the West, then it is expensive.

Any thoughts?

[wylde]

i'm having an anti-korean week again.. but..

apartments are free if you lay down a good deposit..

only somebody with more dollars than sense would stay in a marriott hotel here.

there are some things here that are great value.. ice cream, snacks, videos, busses, subway, alcohol, coffee girls, etc..


in general i think it comes out about even.


fuel prices are crazy

prices in the supermarket are crazy unless you want to eat crap and live like a korean..

i also get pissed off when i buy a shot of vodka at a bar for 7,000 won and know that the whole bottle only costs them 6,800 won

[the_beaver]

[Ilsanman]

[Grim Ja]

The older I get the less I like roughing it.

I don't want to sound like a snob.

If you lived in North America and you didn't have a car and lived in small old dirty Apartment and ate fast food everynight, people would think you were either poor or a college student.

If I lived in America that is not how I want to live and I am not willing to live like that here either.

Yes, you can live cheaply in Korea. But if you want quality things then you have to pay more for it.

You get what you pay for.

[Son Deureo!]

In Korea, I can afford to eat out every night without worrying about it. I like Korean food, so this isn't roughing it for me. Who said anything about fast food? It's not too shabby though that the delivery is fast and cheap.

My apartment in Shinchon is bigger than my apartment in Seattle (and that was nearly 3 years ago, it probably goes for more now), but my rent here is nearly half of what it was there. My hogwon also pays half of my rent for me.

My utilities total are always less than W50,000 for gas, electric, and water. Cable and internet service are cheap, as are cell phones.

While I suppose I could afford a car since I'm saving more than half my paycheck, one of the great things about living in the Seoul area is that I don't need a car because the public transportation system is first rate. This cuts down my cost of living even lower, plus saves me the hassle of gas, repairs, maintenance, insurance, car washes, parking, getting stuck in traffic jams, and the fear of car crashes. No complaints here.

[Grim Ja]

By the way, I am not new to Korea, I have lived here almost nine years on and off.

Nor am I really complaining, it just costs alot to live the way I enjoy.

Everyone that I teach lives the high life of the rich and famous, $50 cigars, cavier, daily golf outings and BMWs. It can be done but it ain't easy.

Either I should change my spending habits or suck it up and pay the piper.

[Saxiif]

I live in one of the most expensive bits of the country and a few blocks from me is a street market where I can get most of what I want damn cheap (2/3 of the supermarket price or better). If you think its expensive in Korea you're going to the wrong places.

[OiGirl]

[Badmojo]

The price of food in this country is OUTRAGEOUS.

I would spend $200 -225 Cdn a month on food at home. That's with buying meat, eating pretty well. Here, I'm about 335,000, and I don't eat anything! Do you think I'm frying up bulgogi tonight? No way! Hamburgers? Think again. It's beeping rice and gim chi again for this kid.

[Ilsanman]

[just because]

Seriously, either you guys don't like Korean food or you are living the high life.

I easily live on 150 000 won a week and that includes a good deal of drinking.

[mindmetoo]

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Quote:
Apartment rents are sky high compared to 99% of other places in the world.


Well, we get free apartments so who cares? Rents don't seem out of line in Seoul with any major world city. I'm sure Toronto people and New Yorkers would say "Hmmm is that all?"

I don't get a free place. Very few people live in supplied accomodations after their first contract. If they do, they suck. I do get a few other things, though.

Quote:
Oil prices are amazing.


Are you American? Most Canadians and Europeans would look at the price of gas here and go "eh... a bit higher".

Here are some gas prices for my hometown of Vancouver, BC:
Abbotsford 77.9 Wed 1 AM
Burnaby/New Westminster 90.5 Tue 4 PM
Chilliwack 88.0 Tue 8 PM
Coquitlam 85.9 Tue 2 PM
East Side 88.9 Tue 5 PM
Ladner/Tsawwassen 92.5 Tue 2 PM
Langley 76.4 Tue 10 AM
Maple Ridge 92.5 Tue 2 PM
Mission 81.5 Tue 2 PM
North Shore 85.9 Tue 9 PM
Richmond 92.5 Wed 12 AM
Surrey/North Delta/White Rock 86.9 Tue 11 PM
West Side 92.5 Tue 2 PM
US: WA border towns (Can$) 66.0 Tue 10 AM


[b]Nope, gas in Canada is still much cheaper than here.

Live mid-market rates as of 2004.08.11 12:07:44 GMT.
1.00 CAD
Canada Dollars = 873.181 KRW
South Korea Won

[/b]

Quote:
Last month I paid W90,000 for my water bill and that doen't even include drinking water.


My apartment common fee for electricity, water, sewer, and all the other piddly crap is rarely more than 100,000 won. What are you doing with all that water? Someone is rippin' you off.

I agree.

Quote:
At the Marriott Hotel a room costs W300,000 a night, a meal is about W40,000 (not including wine) and a glass of milk is W9,000.


If you want to live a western lifestyle in Korea you pay for it. Did this not occur to you in those off and on 9 years? A super deluxe hotel room and hotel food will cost you that in any major world capitol. Seoul is a city of about 10 million people. What are you going to pay in NYC, LA, Tokyo, London?

The Marriott is not super-deluxe. Hotel prices here are very high. Seoul is NOT a world-class city. Stop comparing it to ones that are.

Quote:
I guess if a school provides a house for you, you eat at Kimbab World, don't drive or shower, then this is a cheap country to live in.


Yes. We take advantage of what Korea has to offer: good local food and a great subway system. We stick to the local beer, not the imported stuff. And even a night out at western style restaurant can be cheaper than the same place in North America. I know a meal for two at Movenpick Korea is about $20 cheaper than Movenpick in Toronto. Movies are a great price too compared to Toronto or New York. They're like $8. You'd pay double that in Toronto or New York.

You come across like someone trying to import your Western lifestyle into Korea and upset you're paying a premium for it. I don't think we have any sympathy for you.

Korean beer is absolute swill, I hate it with a passion. I have sympathy for someone that refuses to drink the garbage the Korean govt. approves for human consumption. I rarely go to movies anymore, I hate public transportation and I certainly don't go to chains like Movenpick.

[jj_]