Ashley Lopez, cam noir, History Quickie thank you SO MUCH for subtitling my recent videos I’m so amazed!! Also, I can’t see the username of the person who translated my Titles/Descriptions to Dutch but holy smokes THANK YOU!!! You guys are so awesome seriously!! I tried just putting English subs and it took me foreeeever so I can’t imagine how long it took you guys to also translate - you’re amazing ㅠㅠ 💖 FAQ What’s my job? (Non-teaching job in korea) - bit.ly/3aeNl6x Where do I live? (Korean apartment tour) - bit.ly/2kJK1Hk Where am I from? - bit.ly/2xzc7hz
As a Korean been living in the U.S. for the last 10 years, I find many things you talk about very interesting. One thing I want to add is that when you eat out in Korea, you don't pay any more than what it says on the menu. In the U.S. you usually pay up to 40-50% more for tax and tip. I think that is significant.
This was all great info! It’s obvious you put a lot of time, thought, and effort into this video :) I know there are some of us hoping to move to Korea one day who find this super helpful
Seems like your spending is actually on the frugal side of the spectrum compared to most of us. Good work lady! My Korean international student pointed out that oftentimes it actually makes more financial sense for a family to eat dinner at a local restaurant compared to the cost of cooking a full meal at home...not that her family doesn't cook, but I found that interesting.
@@unecat grocery prices have gone up and everyone feels that cooking is more expensive than eating out. Especially if you are cooking only for yourself or two ppl. However in the case of a family of four or more, cooking can be cheaper.
@@unecat maybe because you know how to use the offered ingredients....as a European I'm used to bread, butter, pasta, potatoes with meat and a lot of veggies. Especially vegetables and fruits are soooo expensive in Korea. I'm an exchange student and it's really cheaper to go to a restaurant few times a week than cooking everyday....I like cup noodles but there are not all the nutrition my body needs.
My mom used to be a cook for a school cafeteria here in guatemala. When she moved to korea she would barely cook anything because takeouts/delivery orders would be just as affordable as cooking them yourself but also you would save on time and effort too.
I already live in Korea and honestly I didn't really think about how much I could save if I just adapted and bought things that were in markets. This video was really eye opening for me & super helpful! I'm definitely going to check out more of your videos in the future! P.S. I really tried to go to that Seoul meet up recently but too many people wanted to meet you! Fingers crossed for another one~ xx
I am so surprised by how cheap it is there! if you live in/by a city your rent/ultilities is like 800 usd (in TX at least). Are you able to save more money there compared to when you lived in the US?
lavender Dreams no kidding about the price here in Texas and it keeps on climbing every year and unfortunately the income is not increasing along with the prices.
You are very frugal, Cari. Less than 1K USD a month in Korea. Korea has got so expensive in the last ten years. I was in Seoul and Taipei last April. I felt, Taipei is so much cheaper than Seoul. Coffee is usually 2.5 USD and pastries are usually 1 to 1.5 USD in Taipei.
Cari thank you so much for your videos and time. I'm moving to Seoul next year with my family, I hope so. and your videos is a very good source of information. thanks !
I've been drawing up budgets and comparing prices like crazy in preparation for my move to Korea (and also eating all of the watermelon I can get my hands on) so this video is great. I don't drink coffee (yay for me) eat meats, or drink alcohol so I feel like that will help cut down on my expenses. It was interesting to see transportation and cafes laid out on a weekly basis, it helps me get an idea of what I will spend. Lots of love!!
I cant imagine how people go out to bars every weekend - THATS SO MUCH MONEY hahah and cafes are honestly what kill me ㅠㅠㅠ good luck with your planning and move ahhhh!!!
StandingStill hey, just curious, are you vegan or vegetarian? I heard that getting vegan food might be super expensive in Korea, so I figured you should be warned. Unfortunately I don't know any specifics though :/ I think Meghan Bowen is vegan and made a video on that if you need more info! "Just" vegetarian might be easier to manage
I am vegan! But I spent a semester studying abroad in Korea and I didnt have any problems so I'm hoping I will be okay for a longer period of time ^_^ I also will be living in an apartment so I will be able to cook for myself. I appreciate your concern though!!!
Thank you for posting an amazing vlog. I was impressed that you kept track of everything. Your video shows that you can be frugal while enjoying the life to the fullest. I read in a cafe as you do. Somehow Korean cafes feel different than cafes in US. A little more comfy...
From my experience Seoul is relatively cheap compared to Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and Toronto, but not compared to big cities in Southeast Asia, certain parts of Canada and the US and China. My friends in Korea are saying that it is getting very expensive to live there but I think that’s the same in all major cities.
Thank you so much for creating this video and puting so much effort into it. I'm not planning on moving to Korea but I still watch these type of videos out of curiosity.
Oh my gosh, the difference with living in London is unreal! Coffee and tea seems so much more expensive in Seoul but transportation and rent is more than twice as expensive in London.
Hey! I love watching your videos! I don't know if you already know this but maybe this is helpful to some people, Ediya (이디야) has really affordable prices for tea. Their cheapest tea 2500 won and their most expensive teas are 4200 won. They also give free refills so I always go there to study and meet friends. You can just stay there the whole day on one drink if you really can't afford to pay for another one.
Very interesting! Makes me wish I had sat down and had a proper look at where my money was going when I was living in Korea. So many expenses with weekend trips out of my city (Yeosu). I agree, cafe coffee/tea prices are so painful! That was one area that I reserved as an a occasional treat rather than a daily requirement too!
Cari would you consider making a video about how to eat vegetarian/pescatarian in Korea? I was in Seoul last week and I definitely had trouble avoiding meat sometimes
Yes, please make a vid on this topic. I'm also pescatarian and when i went there for 2 weeks all i could safely eat was the tuna samgak kimbap in grocery stores. 😭😭
Wow that is extremely extremely inexpensive! My rent alone in London is £1100 and that’s only my half! Plus utilities. Coffee price at a cafe sounds pretty standard for most euro or US cafes. I’m super impressed with how little you spend each month in a big city. I’ve also never seen people splitting a cup of coffee at a cafe before. Do people do that a lot in Korea? Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed it!
When you talk about preordered food, are you referring to Sprout? If you aren’t, you should check them out! They do vegan meal delivery in korea, and my fellow teachers and I used to order huge batches. Love your videos!
It's not even directly related to this video but I watched a few of your videos during the last few days and somehow they really motivate me to work harder on my Japanese and Korean but also on finding places to gather work experiences before actually going to Japan or Korea. I really hope I'll be able to find an internship at some point and at least live there for a few months/a year if not longterm. Great and informative videos - I like your honesty and how you still manage to sound optimistic even if you just said you were really lucky to get your job. ^^
I live in Sydney as a student and it is so expensive here. I pay AUD$1200 which is pretty close to 1,000,000 원 purely just for my rent. I pay$300 a week for rent, with some friends paying up to $450 for student accommodation without meals. $1000 a month for rent, food and everything sounds amazing!
Joseph Robertson yeah, I’ve lived in Sydney as a native my entire life and I was in shock for this entire video because she kept saying it was really expensive and I was just thinking “it’s like double the price here” LMFAO
I noticed as well that food is cheap in Seoul when I visited. Except pizza in a fancy place (totally worth it though, a pizzeria close to Anguk station, very authentic). And street food is good but I guess once in a while you might miss Western style food and would have to spend some more... I was in Seoul after 2 weeks in Japan and I craved bread and cheese and ham 😅😅
Thank you for your week review, I think it’s very helpful, I’m looking forward to go do a semester in South Korea and I can figure out how to do a budget approximately ;) Enjoy your week :)
Do you have a resident tax or council tax or some other annual tax you pay as a renter? Many countries charge that to both owners and renters so it should be added to rent. Whereas in the US, only landlords pay property taxes which is one reason why rents are higher because they have to pass through the cost of their property taxes. So the true comparison would be the cost of rent and tax if it exists.
5:17 I feel exactly the same, hahaha. Nice to hear I'm not the only one... I feel so unproductive If I stay at home all day. Mainly because it reminds me of how I felt when I was really depressed but anyway, those coffees and teas really make a difference on my mental and emotional stability so they are worth every single won/peso/dollar (of course, here are some cafes that are really cheap because the use locally produced coffee
Since coffee and tea in cafes is so expensive, is it much more affordable to make it at home? I need my coffee, but I’m cool with buying a coffee machine and making my own if it saves a lot of money. In the US a large canister of coffee is only about 5 dollars at the grocery store, so is it comparable in Korea?
Wow! Korea sounds quite affordable from a Swiss standpoint! But what is the average salary of a general office person? If you want to live in Switzerland, and have a bus come by at least twice an hour, you will pay 1500 for the rent only :/// and insurances cost up to 500, and a normal menu of food in a mediocre-cheapish restaurant starts at 15 and goes up to 35 francs. I have to move abroad XD Also Recommend filter or frenchpress coffee to make at home, because you get more out of a bag of coffee, and its waaaay less exspensive than a capsule machine, and more ecofriendly too :)
wait, the cafe prices are super similar to american prices (if not even less because boy is starbucks like $6 for a frap) and the rent like wifi and phone and electric were SOOOO cheap i am shocked!!! i really want to live in korea once ive established myself with tattooing as artists there are really on a next level
Just wanted to add: EVERYTHING (fresh food wise) IS SO SEASONAL. While I agree potatoes are cheap in season, out of season...8-12 -20 dollars ++ per kilogram. That's insane. Basically, rice is your friend.
So glad to see this! I've tried making a budget for my upcoming language learning trip to Seoul based on what my friend who studied in Seoul told me. She spent A LOT more than you and I was scared I'd be broke coming back haha xD. This video gives me hope that spending less is definitely possible :)
Great info as usual. I'm moving to Korea in September for university and looking into satellite cities like Bucheon for housing.If you have time can you do a short video on cities with cheaper housing options and on your experience (if any) with Bucheon in particular. Thanks for your great videos.
In America, Medical Insurance costs $600 -$900 per person monthly if not hired by company or retired before 65. Car Insurance is $100 per month. Home insurance and tax is $600 per month. Home Mortgage is $1100 monthly. Total monthly Utilities, water, internet, phone is $500. After buy some grocery and necessary stuffs, I am totally broke . I cannot afford anything! What am I doing in America?
One cup of latte in Korea is half the cost of a package of the ground coffee (enough for 20 ish cups?) I drink here in Sweden. Korea really got me into iced lattes (which cost like double the Korean price in Swedish coffee shops RIP) so when I moved into my place here in Stockholm I ended up getting a coffee press. Now I just get my coffee fix at home in the morning and settle for the disgusting (but free) coffee machine at work during the day. Also absolutely love how cheap eating out can be in Korea, one of the best things about the country.
Very interesting - I feel like a lot of those costs are similar in America but for me the bulk of my cost is rent and it literally costs alone as much as you spent in the entirety of a month. That is so depressing! And I live in a college town, it's not even that crazy. Rent in America is just ridiculous!
Thank u great video, just a quick question 🙋♂️ since 3 years ago that u’ve recorded this video how much prices are changed? Was there major changes in prices?! Public transports, foods , other products?!
i don't know if Germany is just really expensive but like 8,000 won (5 Euros)for lunch sound so cheap to me like everyone is saying Seoul is expensive but in your videos it sound quite the same ( but also people in Germany mostly done eat out that much so maybe the grocery in korea are more expensive)
Thank you so much for this detailled overview! For some reason I didn't expect your total of the week to be about 100k! I'll be studying in Seoul for a semester in fall and this is great to know! (I will however be living with a host family so my food expenses would be somewhat lower, but still I love food)
Living in New Zealand and seeing this I never realised how expensive it is to live here, especially in the cities. Rent for your standard 2 bedroom apartment is average $300USD a week not including price of power, water, Internet etc. Also restaurants and dining are so expensive that I don’t even eat out anymore and live off convenience food. And to mention that every product from the US, such as clothing, cosmetics etc. the price is doubled here because of import cost. I love living in New Zealand but it definitely has its drawbacks in terms of expenses.
Great Video, thank you. It would be interesting to know how much luxuries cost cost as beauty treatments, clothes, cosmetics etc. Thanks so much for the insight!
I probably spend that much in a month here in Korea, maybe give or take a couple hundred dollars. I also don't pay rent because my housing is provided by my school.
cari cakes although I went to Korea already , I'm planning to go back so your video was amazing as always 💕 I'm forever in love with your chills and cool vibes!
You said you are a pescatarian, I am too. I was wondering how much vitamins cost over there, if you take them? Also how do you explain to Koreans your diet restrictions? Thanks!
most people understand that i dont eat meat actually! and vitamins are quite expensive so i'd suggest iherb.com or bringing supplies form your home country ㅠㅠㅠㅠ i dont take any though
Me sitting here with a currency calculator on my phone while watching you on my iPad to check how much everything is in Norwegian krone. Very interesting, and it is cheaper then Norway, but I guess your income is also lower. I find it interesting what is expensive and what is not. Like tea is so much more expensive then coffee, and salad is an expensive thing. I know this is an old video, but it would have been interesting to here if there is a reason for it 🤔 Coffee is the main drink here in Norway, but plain tea is often the same price as plain coffee, sometimes it can be a bit more expensive if it is on a coffee shop and you are getting loose leaf tea, but still most likely cheaper then a fancy coffee. Thank you for sharing! Johanne, Norway Edit: I see you answer some of it at the end of the video.
Pretty similar to 13 years ago. My costs in Yeosu, not including rent was about$ 600 a month. I sent home at least half my check. Rents ( in Yeosu) were about 300. and the school paid that. ( other jobs?) So my costs 13 years ago not in Seoul was about 900. a month. Dont forget cable tv, my bill was 6.00 a month for that. and national health insurance- you forgot- it was 60. a month taken out of my check. You say an 8000w lunch is expensive? I didnt think so at the time, but you could get a kim bap to take with for way cheap, or a few cafeteria meals for 3-4000. ( most restaurant food was 5-10, and dinners could be quite lavish if you spent more than 10) Coffee has gone WAY up. I think a coffee drink would have been 2000.w for a fancy one. I think a big tuna kim bap was about 3000w, no more than 5. I did drink the packet coffee from the machines 10 cents, and the machines were everywhere on the street! ( I still buy coffee/cream packets from the Hmong store here in America) Veg was so awesome, 5 korean cucumbers for a buck, mushrooms were expensive, dumpling section with samples, a whole ginseng aisle for heavens sake. I LOVED the raw oyster aisle in emart. Fruit was a buck for a giant pear etc, so not quite as much as now. CHEAP cabs OMG. And you are in Seoul! Yeosu my 1 mi cab ride to school ( when I didnt get a ride or take the bus) was 2000w. ( then I walked DOWN the mountain home) Definately Korean food made at home was WAY cheaper, and I was mindful of my ESL loan for my ( overqualified) masters level, so I ate out with the freebies ( school banquets) and never ate out alone. ( for american comfort food I mad egrilled cheese like you eat peanut butter) Pizza and fried chicken were actually not expensive. ( although any american food was absurdly expensive for crap " cot- let" yeech) Pizza, medium for five bucks, with weird stuff on it like corn and squash "fake pizza" my Korean bf called it. Fried chickn they had good breading and randomly chopped it up with a cleaver so you didnt get like a whole leg or something, it was like a leg knucke with breading, , half a wing cut diagonally. An it was SO cute, they ALWAYS made sure you got your veggies, and gave like 3 different tubs of pickled veg to go with your take out chicken. On a school trip picnic the teachers all congregated to eat and let the girls go run unsupervised. they had some awesome food, including soup and kimbap. Principal ( a very dour man) handed me this white and green 16 oz can whch I assumed was water. I took it home and in the middle of the night was thirsty, opened it up and thought- gee this is the best water Ive had here in Korea- and it was BEER! So drinking and smoking on company time- NP. And soju- it is like a buck for a green 12 oz bottle- just DONT. It is make with chemicals, not made with sweet potatos as traditional would be. I NEVER get hangovers, and this stuff gives you a raging headache every time. Only way to choke it downn at all is with orange juice, like a vodka orange. MUCH better option from the grocery is the lovely plum wine, smoky sweet flavor... And dont forget the exchange rate- you are making out even better than I did, when the exchange rate gave me a 100. bonus every month.
Thanks so much for this video it’s such a huge help!! Do you know how much coffee grounds would cost in a grocery store instead of going out and getting coffee? I totally need my coffee to function or I’ll just be a gremlin 😂 Also that pumpkin looks soooo good (also I’m exactly like you I have the same thing for breakfast every day)
coffee grounds or bottle of cold brew will definitely save you money in the long run! My coworkers buy grounds all the time but to be honest I'm not sure - just like anywhere they vary based on where you buy but I will be sure to look more carefully next time!! I just know they arent outrageously expensive compared to america or i would have rememberd hahah
im a pescatarian also and I wanna move to Korea but I'm afraid that there is not much to eat there other than salad, kimchi, and kimbap. Can you or do you have a video or tell me places to eat or how to order at certain restaurants or maybe just a what thing for variety we can eat?
why is living in Korea so cheap?! A small apartment here (Norway) is the same amount of money you pay for everything in a month. Like a meal at a place here called "spisestua" it's really good, but what I normally get is the club sandwich menu that consists of 2 sandwiches fries and salad is around 23000 won (I converted it ofc). And if you order a pizza and pick it up it's like 35000 won. Oh oh oh, and busses, don't even get me started on busses. I think like 5-6 km is like 6000 won.
Everyone is commenting on how cheap it is over there. Not to bash you or anything but in my opinion you are not between cheap and going all out, but rather on the cheap side. An average spending on food in higher. Everything else was quite average, so thank you!
The avocados were the ones that used to get me! So expensive and half of the time they would be rotten. I eventually gave up and lived an avocadoless life. I saved a lot of money walking too and bonus it gets your exercise taken care of. I used to go to the outdoor market at Dongmyo and the fruits and vegetables were SO cheap. Like a huge bag of stuff for 1,000 won. It was crazy the price difference! Another thing that tripped me up was the price of fried chicken LMAO. I used to get it like once a month and 30,000 won for a box of chicken is just crazy! (Still bought it though hahah) I just moved from an apartment with a super tiny kitchen so I totally feel you about being uninspired to cook. It really kills any motivation to make stuff. Now that I have a bigger kitchen I feel like I am in heaven!
What was the book that you were reading ? I will be studying in a different country & currency and even though it is not south Korea, this video was really helpful.
hahaha no sorry i was exaggerating! its just much much more expensive than pretty much anywhere else in america (i think it starts at $6?? at goes up FAST!
Hi Cari! My partner and I are moving to Seoul this month, we are curious as to whether gas and electric are still around the same in 2020/2021? We are a little wee single apartment (teachers). Would love to know what you think as I have seen a bunch of people saying 100k + ?
Thank you Cari. I was wondering though if you had any expenses related to insurance, like renters, health, etc? Also, how much do you think expenses would increase if you had a car?
Came back from a month in Korea, and a lot of this is relatable. Southern California privilege is hard to compare, especially with food. Haha. Didn’t know you were from Southern California.
i got a scholarship from Ewha Womans University and i'm planning to move to Seoul . if i life alone in an apartment in Seoul how much money with it cost me including electricity and water.
Ashley Lopez, cam noir, History Quickie thank you SO MUCH for subtitling my recent videos I’m so amazed!! Also, I can’t see the username of the person who translated my Titles/Descriptions to Dutch but holy smokes THANK YOU!!! You guys are so awesome seriously!! I tried just putting English subs and it took me foreeeever so I can’t imagine how long it took you guys to also translate - you’re amazing ㅠㅠ
💖 FAQ
What’s my job? (Non-teaching job in korea) - bit.ly/3aeNl6x
Where do I live? (Korean apartment tour) - bit.ly/2kJK1Hk
Where am I from? - bit.ly/2xzc7hz
As a Korean been living in the U.S. for the last 10 years, I find many things you talk about very interesting. One thing I want to add is that when you eat out in Korea, you don't pay any more than what it says on the menu. In the U.S. you usually pay up to 40-50% more for tax and tip. I think that is significant.
Thank god in Korea they don't expect tips! Once I forgot to give them a tip and they were so rude when I left
3:00 "I swear we are like Seoul Mates" - I see what you did there.
ohhoho!!!!
This was all great info! It’s obvious you put a lot of time, thought, and effort into this video :) I know there are some of us hoping to move to Korea one day who find this super helpful
thank you!! it was mainly hard for me to take note of each time i spend, im lucky that usually i dont need to focus much on my average day spending
$906???? BRUH THATS HEAVEN
even if i dont plan to live in Korea i watched the whole Video because i really like to listen to your voice so thanks for that!
Seems like your spending is actually on the frugal side of the spectrum compared to most of us. Good work lady! My Korean international student pointed out that oftentimes it actually makes more financial sense for a family to eat dinner at a local restaurant compared to the cost of cooking a full meal at home...not that her family doesn't cook, but I found that interesting.
i totally agree! i often spend more money on groceries than i would just buying kimbap for a week hahaha
That's weird. Cooking would cost def less than eating out. Dining out as a family didn't happen often while I was growing up in Korea.
@@unecat grocery prices have gone up and everyone feels that cooking is more expensive than eating out. Especially if you are cooking only for yourself or two ppl. However in the case of a family of four or more, cooking can be cheaper.
@@unecat maybe because you know how to use the offered ingredients....as a European I'm used to bread, butter, pasta, potatoes with meat and a lot of veggies. Especially vegetables and fruits are soooo expensive in Korea. I'm an exchange student and it's really cheaper to go to a restaurant few times a week than cooking everyday....I like cup noodles but there are not all the nutrition my body needs.
My mom used to be a cook for a school cafeteria here in guatemala. When she moved to korea she would barely cook anything because takeouts/delivery orders would be just as affordable as cooking them yourself but also you would save on time and effort too.
I already live in Korea and honestly I didn't really think about how much I could save if I just adapted and bought things that were in markets. This video was really eye opening for me & super helpful! I'm definitely going to check out more of your videos in the future!
P.S. I really tried to go to that Seoul meet up recently but too many people wanted to meet you! Fingers crossed for another one~ xx
I'm not this social I can take off around 15,000-30,000 won sksksks
😂😂😂
Lmao same
I’d probably be home most days or out waking , alone
@@panini3846 same 😂😂
I am so surprised by how cheap it is there! if you live in/by a city your rent/ultilities is like 800 usd (in TX at least). Are you able to save more money there compared to when you lived in the US?
you can definitely save money here, though salaries are much lower than america!
Omg 800 for RENT.i live in tx too and we pay 1500 for rent
lavender Dreams no kidding about the price here in Texas and it keeps on climbing every year and unfortunately the income is not increasing along with the prices.
i lived in boston and her monthly spending in this video is literally $50 below than what i spent on rent ALONE!
Perfect video timing for me! Now I can do some pre-budgeting before my move
Hooray!! Bottom line: coffee is a killer! hahahah
RIP my wallet. Although I have been meaning to cut back on caffeine.. Heh.
You are very frugal, Cari. Less than 1K USD a month in Korea. Korea has got so expensive in the last ten years. I was in Seoul and Taipei last April. I felt, Taipei is so much cheaper than Seoul. Coffee is usually 2.5 USD and pastries are usually 1 to 1.5 USD in Taipei.
I liked the video but I wanted to comment as well,
This is probably the best video I have found. Non-bullshit direct talk. I really liked this one.
Cari thank you so much for your videos and time.
I'm moving to Seoul next year with my family, I hope so.
and your videos is a very good source of information.
thanks !
best of luck with your move!!!
Did you move to Korea already?
How is the cost of living there?
I've been drawing up budgets and comparing prices like crazy in preparation for my move to Korea (and also eating all of the watermelon I can get my hands on) so this video is great. I don't drink coffee (yay for me) eat meats, or drink alcohol so I feel like that will help cut down on my expenses. It was interesting to see transportation and cafes laid out on a weekly basis, it helps me get an idea of what I will spend. Lots of love!!
I cant imagine how people go out to bars every weekend - THATS SO MUCH MONEY hahah and cafes are honestly what kill me ㅠㅠㅠ good luck with your planning and move ahhhh!!!
StandingStill hey, just curious, are you vegan or vegetarian? I heard that getting vegan food might be super expensive in Korea, so I figured you should be warned. Unfortunately I don't know any specifics though :/ I think Meghan Bowen is vegan and made a video on that if you need more info! "Just" vegetarian might be easier to manage
I am vegan! But I spent a semester studying abroad in Korea and I didnt have any problems so I'm hoping I will be okay for a longer period of time ^_^ I also will be living in an apartment so I will be able to cook for myself. I appreciate your concern though!!!
StandingStill Oh yeah cooking for yourself definitely makes things easier! I wish you a lot of fun in Korea, you must be excited!
This was such a cool thing to watch! idk why but these vids + R29's money diaries are always so fascinating to go through???
This is so helpful>.< I'm trying to move there to teach next year after I graduate uni
Hooray!! It's definitely a city you can live in relatively easily as long as you dont go crazy with spending hahaha
Easier said than done hahaha But I probably won't spend as much once I actually settle there lol
cari cakes same ! I leave next year
Cari, never apologize for talking too long. Your talk is music to so many of us!
Thank you for posting an amazing vlog. I was impressed that you kept track of everything. Your video shows that you can be frugal while enjoying the life to the fullest. I read in a cafe as you do. Somehow Korean cafes feel different than cafes in US. A little more comfy...
i completely agree!
From my experience Seoul is relatively cheap compared to Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and Toronto, but not compared to big cities in Southeast Asia, certain parts of Canada and the US and China. My friends in Korea are saying that it is getting very expensive to live there but I think that’s the same in all major cities.
Thank you so much for creating this video and puting so much effort into it. I'm not planning on moving to Korea but I still watch these type of videos out of curiosity.
thank you so much!
Oh my gosh, the difference with living in London is unreal! Coffee and tea seems so much more expensive in Seoul but transportation and rent is more than twice as expensive in London.
right!? same with the US haha how am i ever supposed to move home ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Hey! I love watching your videos! I don't know if you already know this but maybe this is helpful to some people, Ediya (이디야) has really affordable prices for tea. Their cheapest tea 2500 won and their most expensive teas are 4200 won. They also give free refills so I always go there to study and meet friends. You can just stay there the whole day on one drink if you really can't afford to pay for another one.
yeah ediya is a great option!! they also give a discount if you use your own cup!!
There's something about you that makes me super happy by just listening to you. ❤️
I found a princess who has very nice voice. I will just turn on this video during I prepare to go out. Nice to find this video :)
I think I gotta consider running a cafe, seriously.
I'm from local here in Seoul,, and never realized that coffee/tea cost ppl that much of fortune.
Maybe it costs a lot of money for a reason, those cafés have to import coffee and it's probably taxed or something.
Rent is expensive. U gotta sell American more than 100 everyday.
Very interesting! Makes me wish I had sat down and had a proper look at where my money was going when I was living in Korea. So many expenses with weekend trips out of my city (Yeosu). I agree, cafe coffee/tea prices are so painful! That was one area that I reserved as an a occasional treat rather than a daily requirement too!
"lunch was expensive" where i am most people spend about 15 dollars on lunch ;~;
omg i can’t believe how reasonably cheap it is to live there! love this video!
I dislike coffee so my living fee would be pretty cheap ;))
Korean Coffee price is crazy
But if you drink can coffee or tea coffee, It is far more cheap😂
석회암 it definitely cant be more expensive than where i live. average price for hot or iced coffee here is 5 to 7 dollars lol
Cari would you consider making a video about how to eat vegetarian/pescatarian in Korea? I was in Seoul last week and I definitely had trouble avoiding meat sometimes
definitely on my list of videos to make!!!
yes, please make this kind of video! I was dying as a vegan in Korea :D
Yes, please make a vid on this topic. I'm also pescatarian and when i went there for 2 weeks all i could safely eat was the tuna samgak kimbap in grocery stores. 😭😭
Can we just appreciate Cari for making this very detailed video? Thank you, Cari! Love from PH~ 💖🤗
Wow that is extremely extremely inexpensive! My rent alone in London is £1100 and that’s only my half! Plus utilities. Coffee price at a cafe sounds pretty standard for most euro or US cafes. I’m super impressed with how little you spend each month in a big city. I’ve also never seen people splitting a cup of coffee at a cafe before. Do people do that a lot in Korea? Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed it!
I could not believe how expensive tea and some veggies/fruits were here! I get most of my stuff at markets nearby my apartment now!
When you talk about preordered food, are you referring to Sprout? If you aren’t, you should check them out! They do vegan meal delivery in korea, and my fellow teachers and I used to order huge batches. Love your videos!
It's not even directly related to this video but I watched a few of your videos during the last few days and somehow they really motivate me to work harder on my Japanese and Korean but also on finding places to gather work experiences before actually going to Japan or Korea.
I really hope I'll be able to find an internship at some point and at least live there for a few months/a year if not longterm.
Great and informative videos - I like your honesty and how you still manage to sound optimistic even if you just said you were really lucky to get your job. ^^
This was really helpful for someone who’s moving to Seoul soon ♥️ Thank you
I live in Sydney as a student and it is so expensive here. I pay AUD$1200 which is pretty close to 1,000,000 원 purely just for my rent. I pay$300 a week for rent, with some friends paying up to $450 for student accommodation without meals. $1000 a month for rent, food and everything sounds amazing!
Joseph Robertson yeah, I’ve lived in Sydney as a native my entire life and I was in shock for this entire video because she kept saying it was really expensive and I was just thinking “it’s like double the price here” LMFAO
I noticed as well that food is cheap in Seoul when I visited. Except pizza in a fancy place (totally worth it though, a pizzeria close to Anguk station, very authentic). And street food is good but I guess once in a while you might miss Western style food and would have to spend some more... I was in Seoul after 2 weeks in Japan and I craved bread and cheese and ham 😅😅
wow I didn’t expect it to be so cheap! Where I live in LA is extremely expensive you have to be careful what you buy
Thank you for your week review, I think it’s very helpful, I’m looking forward to go do a semester in South Korea and I can figure out how to do a budget approximately ;)
Enjoy your week :)
yay!!! good luck with your semester, studying here was my favorite time of my life!
Very useful information. I am gathering as much info as I can before moving there for an "extended stay" for several years. Thanks.
This is literally the most helpful video every , thank you !!
To save money, I usually go to wet market ( twice a month) and go to big super markets like emart, homeplus late ( after 9p.m).
i need to adapt this frugal cuture
i thought i was thrifty but this opened a whole new perspective! thanks for sharing cari :”)
Do you have a resident tax or council tax or some other annual tax you pay as a renter? Many countries charge that to both owners and renters so it should be added to rent. Whereas in the US, only landlords pay property taxes which is one reason why rents are higher because they have to pass through the cost of their property taxes. So the true comparison would be the cost of rent and tax if it exists.
I’ve always had this question: how do you get like citizenship and such?
5:17 I feel exactly the same, hahaha. Nice to hear I'm not the only one... I feel so unproductive If I stay at home all day. Mainly because it reminds me of how I felt when I was really depressed but anyway, those coffees and teas really make a difference on my mental and emotional stability so they are worth every single won/peso/dollar (of course, here are some cafes that are really cheap because the use locally produced coffee
Since coffee and tea in cafes is so expensive, is it much more affordable to make it at home? I need my coffee, but I’m cool with buying a coffee machine and making my own if it saves a lot of money. In the US a large canister of coffee is only about 5 dollars at the grocery store, so is it comparable in Korea?
Wow! Korea sounds quite affordable from a Swiss standpoint! But what is the average salary of a general office person?
If you want to live in Switzerland, and have a bus come by at least twice an hour, you will pay 1500 for the rent only :/// and insurances cost up to 500, and a normal menu of food in a mediocre-cheapish restaurant starts at 15 and goes up to 35 francs. I have to move abroad XD
Also Recommend filter or frenchpress coffee to make at home, because you get more out of a bag of coffee, and its waaaay less exspensive than a capsule machine, and more ecofriendly too :)
wait, the cafe prices are super similar to american prices (if not even less because boy is starbucks like $6 for a frap) and the rent like wifi and phone and electric were SOOOO cheap i am shocked!!! i really want to live in korea once ive established myself with tattooing as artists there are really on a next level
Just wanted to add: EVERYTHING (fresh food wise) IS SO SEASONAL. While I agree potatoes are cheap in season, out of season...8-12 -20 dollars ++ per kilogram. That's insane. Basically, rice is your friend.
Really informative video! I know it’ll help a lot of people planning their move!!
very informative! I am not going to be living in Korea but I still really enjoyed the video. great job👍
thanks so much!!!
absolutely! I honestly just enjoy all of your videos in general, but this was especially interesting to me
So glad to see this! I've tried making a budget for my upcoming language learning trip to Seoul based on what my friend who studied in Seoul told me. She spent A LOT more than you and I was scared I'd be broke coming back haha xD. This video gives me hope that spending less is definitely possible :)
oh yeah you can be super frugal here!!! best of luck
I'm beginning to love your videos 😍😍
Great info as usual. I'm moving to Korea in September for university and looking into satellite cities like Bucheon for housing.If you have time can you do a short video on cities with cheaper housing options and on your experience (if any) with Bucheon in particular. Thanks for your great videos.
I've only ever lived in Seoul but the rent prices outside of the center of Seoul are definitely much cheaper!
In America,
Medical Insurance costs $600 -$900 per person monthly if not hired by company or
retired before 65.
Car Insurance is $100 per month.
Home insurance and tax is $600 per month.
Home Mortgage is $1100 monthly.
Total monthly Utilities, water, internet, phone is $500.
After buy some grocery
and necessary stuffs,
I am totally broke .
I cannot afford anything!
What am I doing in America?
better late than never... another fine video cari!
One cup of latte in Korea is half the cost of a package of the ground coffee (enough for 20 ish cups?) I drink here in Sweden. Korea really got me into iced lattes (which cost like double the Korean price in Swedish coffee shops RIP) so when I moved into my place here in Stockholm I ended up getting a coffee press. Now I just get my coffee fix at home in the morning and settle for the disgusting (but free) coffee machine at work during the day. Also absolutely love how cheap eating out can be in Korea, one of the best things about the country.
Very interesting - I feel like a lot of those costs are similar in America but for me the bulk of my cost is rent and it literally costs alone as much as you spent in the entirety of a month. That is so depressing! And I live in a college town, it's not even that crazy. Rent in America is just ridiculous!
Thank u great video, just a quick question 🙋♂️ since 3 years ago that u’ve recorded this video how much prices are changed? Was there major changes in prices?! Public transports, foods , other products?!
Seriously i appreciate your sharing... this is soooo full of help for my budget over there sooooooooon.
Wow...you are soooooo frugal!! Less than a 1,000 dollars a month living in Korea.
Unreal!!!!!
i don't know if Germany is just really expensive but like 8,000 won (5 Euros)for lunch sound so cheap to me like everyone is saying Seoul is expensive but in your videos it sound quite the same ( but also people in Germany mostly done eat out that much so maybe the grocery in korea are more expensive)
Thank you so much for this detailled overview! For some reason I didn't expect your total of the week to be about 100k! I'll be studying in Seoul for a semester in fall and this is great to know! (I will however be living with a host family so my food expenses would be somewhat lower, but still I love food)
Living in New Zealand and seeing this I never realised how expensive it is to live here, especially in the cities. Rent for your standard 2 bedroom apartment is average $300USD a week not including price of power, water, Internet etc. Also restaurants and dining are so expensive that I don’t even eat out anymore and live off convenience food. And to mention that every product from the US, such as clothing, cosmetics etc. the price is doubled here because of import cost. I love living in New Zealand but it definitely has its drawbacks in terms of expenses.
Great Video, thank you. It would be interesting to know how much luxuries cost cost as beauty treatments, clothes, cosmetics etc. Thanks so much for the insight!
I probably spend that much in a month here in Korea, maybe give or take a couple hundred dollars. I also don't pay rent because my housing is provided by my school.
Yeah thats really helpful! Always jelly of teachers with their housing stipend haha
Cari! Thanks for this video you were lovely and very informative as always 💕
Thank you!! glad I could help :)
cari cakes although I went to Korea already , I'm planning to go back so your video was amazing as always 💕 I'm forever in love with your chills and cool vibes!
You said you are a pescatarian, I am too. I was wondering how much vitamins cost over there, if you take them? Also how do you explain to Koreans your diet restrictions? Thanks!
most people understand that i dont eat meat actually! and vitamins are quite expensive so i'd suggest iherb.com or bringing supplies form your home country ㅠㅠㅠㅠ i dont take any though
cari cakes That's good! And thanks!
its kinda sad that tea is expensive there :( what do you think of those maxim instant coffee?
Me sitting here with a currency calculator on my phone while watching you on my iPad to check how much everything is in Norwegian krone. Very interesting, and it is cheaper then Norway, but I guess your income is also lower. I find it interesting what is expensive and what is not. Like tea is so much more expensive then coffee, and salad is an expensive thing. I know this is an old video, but it would have been interesting to here if there is a reason for it 🤔 Coffee is the main drink here in Norway, but plain tea is often the same price as plain coffee, sometimes it can be a bit more expensive if it is on a coffee shop and you are getting loose leaf tea, but still most likely cheaper then a fancy coffee.
Thank you for sharing! Johanne, Norway
Edit: I see you answer some of it at the end of the video.
Oh man this made me feel so much better 😂 I was afraid that my monthly spending here was abnormally high but we average about the same
I use public transportation everyday. It costs 50~60 dollars a month as you said
Pretty similar to 13 years ago. My costs in Yeosu, not including rent was about$ 600 a month. I sent home at least half my check. Rents ( in Yeosu) were about 300. and the school paid that. ( other jobs?) So my costs 13 years ago not in Seoul was about 900. a month. Dont forget cable tv, my bill was 6.00 a month for that. and national health insurance- you forgot- it was 60. a month taken out of my check. You say an 8000w lunch is expensive? I didnt think so at the time, but you could get a kim bap to take with for way cheap, or a few cafeteria meals for 3-4000. ( most restaurant food was 5-10, and dinners could be quite lavish if you spent more than 10) Coffee has gone WAY up. I think a coffee drink would have been 2000.w for a fancy one. I think a big tuna kim bap was about 3000w, no more than 5. I did drink the packet coffee from the machines 10 cents, and the machines were everywhere on the street! ( I still buy coffee/cream packets from the Hmong store here in America) Veg was so awesome, 5 korean cucumbers for a buck, mushrooms were expensive, dumpling section with samples, a whole ginseng aisle for heavens sake. I LOVED the raw oyster aisle in emart. Fruit was a buck for a giant pear etc, so not quite as much as now. CHEAP cabs OMG. And you are in Seoul! Yeosu my 1 mi cab ride to school ( when I didnt get a ride or take the bus) was 2000w. ( then I walked DOWN the mountain home) Definately Korean food made at home was WAY cheaper, and I was mindful of my ESL loan for my ( overqualified) masters level, so I ate out with the freebies ( school banquets) and never ate out alone. ( for american comfort food I mad egrilled cheese like you eat peanut butter) Pizza and fried chicken were actually not expensive. ( although any american food was absurdly expensive for crap " cot- let" yeech) Pizza, medium for five bucks, with weird stuff on it like corn and squash "fake pizza" my Korean bf called it. Fried chickn they had good breading and randomly chopped it up with a cleaver so you didnt get like a whole leg or something, it was like a leg knucke with breading, , half a wing cut diagonally. An it was SO cute, they ALWAYS made sure you got your veggies, and gave like 3 different tubs of pickled veg to go with your take out chicken. On a school trip picnic the teachers all congregated to eat and let the girls go run unsupervised. they had some awesome food, including soup and kimbap. Principal ( a very dour man) handed me this white and green 16 oz can whch I assumed was water. I took it home and in the middle of the night was thirsty, opened it up and thought- gee this is the best water Ive had here in Korea- and it was BEER! So drinking and smoking on company time- NP. And soju- it is like a buck for a green 12 oz bottle- just DONT. It is make with chemicals, not made with sweet potatos as traditional would be. I NEVER get hangovers, and this stuff gives you a raging headache every time. Only way to choke it downn at all is with orange juice, like a vodka orange. MUCH better option from the grocery is the lovely plum wine, smoky sweet flavor... And dont forget the exchange rate- you are making out even better than I did, when the exchange rate gave me a 100. bonus every month.
oh my gosh I love your hair!! So cute. This was really interesting by the way :-)
"if you dont like black coffee now...start!" lmao
Thank you for the informaton. It's surprising that it's not that expensive there compared to Sweden! How are the salaries there?
Spent a month in October 17 in Seoul and gosh ... it’s so cheap there! I wish Germany would be that cheap lol! Thanks for the great video!
What about shopping for clothes? Do u shop for that often?
Thanks so much for this video it’s such a huge help!! Do you know how much coffee grounds would cost in a grocery store instead of going out and getting coffee? I totally need my coffee to function or I’ll just be a gremlin 😂 Also that pumpkin looks soooo good (also I’m exactly like you I have the same thing for breakfast every day)
coffee grounds or bottle of cold brew will definitely save you money in the long run! My coworkers buy grounds all the time but to be honest I'm not sure - just like anywhere they vary based on where you buy but I will be sure to look more carefully next time!! I just know they arent outrageously expensive compared to america or i would have rememberd hahah
thank you so much such a genuine review!!
im a pescatarian also and I wanna move to Korea but I'm afraid that there is not much to eat there other than salad, kimchi, and kimbap. Can you or do you have a video or tell me places to eat or how to order at certain restaurants or maybe just a what thing for variety we can eat?
Cariiiii, thanks so much for this vid. Very helpful and informative.
thanks for watching~
why is living in Korea so cheap?! A small apartment here (Norway) is the same amount of money you pay for everything in a month. Like a meal at a place here called "spisestua" it's really good, but what I normally get is the club sandwich menu that consists of 2 sandwiches fries and salad is around 23000 won (I converted it ofc). And if you order a pizza and pick it up it's like 35000 won. Oh oh oh, and busses, don't even get me started on busses. I think like 5-6 km is like 6000 won.
Are farmers markets a thing in Seoul?
I want to try life in Korea just like you. It looks fun, but it will be difficult to adjust to that place. I want to try it once.✌️💞
Everyone is commenting on how cheap it is over there. Not to bash you or anything but in my opinion you are not between cheap and going all out, but rather on the cheap side. An average spending on food in higher. Everything else was quite average, so thank you!
The avocados were the ones that used to get me! So expensive and half of the time they would be rotten. I eventually gave up and lived an avocadoless life. I saved a lot of money walking too and bonus it gets your exercise taken care of. I used to go to the outdoor market at Dongmyo and the fruits and vegetables were SO cheap. Like a huge bag of stuff for 1,000 won. It was crazy the price difference! Another thing that tripped me up was the price of fried chicken LMAO. I used to get it like once a month and 30,000 won for a box of chicken is just crazy! (Still bought it though hahah) I just moved from an apartment with a super tiny kitchen so I totally feel you about being uninspired to cook. It really kills any motivation to make stuff. Now that I have a bigger kitchen I feel like I am in heaven!
You can buy Justin's peanut butter in Korea?
Hi Cari, why is coffee expensive in hong kong, korea etc?
coffee in sydney is only US$2
What was the book that you were reading ? I will be studying in a different country & currency and even though it is not south Korea, this video was really helpful.
wait...what? a taxi in NYC starts from $100? Just asking cause never been there.
hahaha no sorry i was exaggerating! its just much much more expensive than pretty much anywhere else in america (i think it starts at $6?? at goes up FAST!
cari cakes hahaha Ok, I got shocked for a bit. Thank you ^^
Hi Cari! My partner and I are moving to Seoul this month, we are curious as to whether gas and electric are still around the same in 2020/2021? We are a little wee single apartment (teachers). Would love to know what you think as I have seen a bunch of people saying 100k + ?
Thank you Cari. I was wondering though if you had any expenses related to insurance, like renters, health, etc? Also, how much do you think expenses would increase if you had a car?
i dont have any insurance other than free national health insurance! i really have no idea about cars but i know that parking is NUTS!
Came back from a month in Korea, and a lot of this is relatable. Southern California privilege is hard to compare, especially with food. Haha. Didn’t know you were from Southern California.
I never thought these kind of videos wud b interesting....but it was u made interesting n overall I loved ur personality n ur a cool person nyc video
i got a scholarship from Ewha Womans University and i'm planning to move to Seoul . if i life alone in an apartment in Seoul how much money with it cost me including electricity and water.
Another good and informative video. Thank you!
thank YOU!