Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

right now I'm thinking of working at a hakwon. I'm a single male, and I'm a gyopo.

I have questions about living expenses in Seoul.

I'm not a partier, I can commit myself to spending next to nothing on booze. I'm serious.

I was raised on Korean food. I can cook rice, and I can buy the banchans from E-mart or something. I could probably minimize the frequency of eating out to about 2 or 3 times a week. plus eating out is cheap in Korea, right? jja-jang-myun only costs 4 bucks!!

so apart from the above (and housing, which is included in standard hakwon contracts), the other expenses I need to consider are...

1) cell phone bill (I'm thinking about 4 to 5 man won per month?)
2) electricity + water (I don't have an approximate figure, maybe about 90k??)
3) transportation (since I'd be living close to work, I'm gonna be conservative with my estimate and say about 30k per month)
4) internet (30-40k per month)

anything else I forgot to consider? what do you guys think about my estimates above? any input would be appreciated.

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

PS: my hakwon would probably be in Gangnam.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I would say that electricity would be much lower, but gas heating your ondol floor in the winter would be W100,000 or so.

The general estimate is that it will cost you about 50% of your income to live without scrimping on lifestyle.

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

[JongnoGuru]

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

the thing is JonroGuru, I am fully willing to be known as the Misery Monk of Gangnam, if that's what it takes for me to save up in the most efficient manner that I can.

I seriously expected to spend less on living expenses, especially when rent is already taken care of.

[tigerbluekitty]

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

a meal costing 4 bucks is VERY cheap. I was making a relative comparison to eating out in North America.

[tigerbluekitty]

[Draz]

[BS.Dos.]

I've been here 5-weeks now and haven't really spent more than 100,000KW a week, which is (roughly) $100 or 50 Pounds where I'm from. I did layout about 200,000KW on bits and pieces for my appartment in the first week, but was reimbursed 300,000KW by the PHS where I work.

I generally stop in during the week and cook at home with my grocery shopping bill being about 50,000 per week (I eat lunch at school and just cook myself an evening meal). I've been using Skype to call home so haven't been spending cash on phonecards so my major expenditure has really been on beer on a Friday and Saturday night. About 30,000KW should get you rat arsed. I've been using the gym, but haven't signed up yet (about 120,000 for 3-months unlimited membership) and have been paying per visit (3,000KW)

I've got broadband for my laptop, which is 36,000KW per month. Haven't bothered with a mobile or cable TV (I start a MSc in November and don't want the distraction or temptation of being able to slouch in front of the tube all night when I could be hitting the books) besides, TV-links has loads of stuff you can watch for free.

My only other concern is in respect of fees/charges that I may receive because of services in my apartment block, which is superb by the way (3-bedrooms, study, utlility room, one bedroom en-suite, massive balcony, tastefully furnished with new, modern appliances). Another FT has told me that I may get billed for some additional maintance services, but as yet, I've not received any.

Assuming that you'll be earning somewhere around the 2Million mark (I pull in 2.3M), I reckon that you'll be able to live very well on around 200,000 per week. However, as you mention that you don't drink much, I reckon that you could probably get buy, like me, on about 100/120,000 per week.

One other thing, I'm in the deep south and I'm not sure how different the cost of living varies from down here to up North. I reckon an additional 50,000+ a week would compensate for the higher cost of living in some of the large cities.

Basically, unless you start chucking your cash about, you can live well cheaply and you should, realistically, be able to save about 75% of your hard earned coin.

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

[Mea]

I don't drink or party at ALL, but I always do and buy whatever I want with my budget kinda in the back of my mind. In an average month, I spend about 650,000 - 700,000 won - landline, net, house bill, gas, subway to work, maybe one trip to Costco, not eating out more than once a week, a few movies a month, a few shopping trips for clothes and random junk, stuff for my apt, and the odd extra cost like dentist trip, shots for going abroad, etc... so I'm saving loads on a salary of 3.1 (including Sat OT).

I've been here 7 months and find that each month I spend less. During August I spend less than 500,000 for the month.

ETA: I'm in Gangnam-gu.

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]