Don’t be thrown off if you notice that your South Korean wage is considerably less than what you would expect to earn in your home country for doing the same job. Simple mathematics may also indicate that your annual wage here is less than the minimum wage back home. In Ireland, the minimum wage is €8.65 per hour, bringing the yearly total to approximately €17,992. In Korea, I earn about €14,500 per annum, yet this is more than enough to live comfortably, and still see much of Asia in my spare time.

Below is a price list for many of products and services you’ll need on a daily or weekly basis in Korea, converted into US dollars. I have also thrown in a couple of luxury items, so you can compare them to what you would normally pay for a similar product at home. Remember, not everything is cheap here, but you’ll find virtually everything deemed necessary is well within your pay bracket.

The exchange rate was taken from www.xe.com. This is not an extensive list, and covers only one item per product. All the food items are for one person, and probably the same sized boxes you buy at home.

Accommodation

Free – all schools in Korea should offer a free single apartment, or equivalent. Don’t entertain any agency that disputes this point.

Airfare to Korea

Free – some schools may ask you to purchase the ticket, and then they’ll reimburse you upon arrival. Combined, free accommodation and free return airfare are a major reason why most people come here.

Food

Dining out

Traditional Korean food – ranges from 5,000 won for soup to 9,000 won for Shabu Shabu per person: $4.41-$7.95

Western Food – Dinner set for 24,000 won in TGIs to VIPS steak and salad bar for 40,000 won: $21-$35

Supermarket

Lettuce – ten pieces prepacked costs less than 1,000 won: $0.87

Mushrooms – they come in a dizzying selection of types and variety, but for 6 big pieces, also pre-packed, shouldn’t cost more than 2,000 won: $1.76

Fruit – a bag of 5 Korean red apples costs 2,900 won. Green apple lovers, such as your truly, will be left disappointed by the selection: $2.55

Bread – Lotte shelves are well stocked with fresh bread, and so are the numerous French style bakeries, such as Paris Baguette. Ten slices will cost 2,000 won: $1.76

Eggs – Stuart recently purchased 30 free range eggs for 6,000 won: $5.28

Breakfast cereal – There’s a reasonable selection of cereals on the shelves in Korean convenience stores and supermarkets, not to mention Home Plus Tesco. Some famous world brands like Special K and Frosties are prominent, but if you fancy the local option, and the equivalent of Fruit and Fibre, you will have to spend 5,980 won for a regular sized box: $5.27

Butter – it is only when your family sends you over some butter from home that you realise how awful it is here. Just a personal opinion, of course, and butter is not cheap. 200g costs 3,650 won: $3.22

Pasta – they like to put images of an Italian kitchen on their pasta here, and the quality is good and cheap. Expect to pay around 1,880 won for 3 to 4 servings: $1.65

Pork – for whatever reason, the same little box of pork, which can feed two people, has no fixed price. I’m not sure if it is a quality issue, but some servings are 1,000 won dearer than the cheaper ones. The average price is approximately 3,200 won: $2.82

Sausage – the North Americans have a particular fondness for the sausages here, but they are certainly not like those at home. I’d never buy them, but if the American style frankfurter sausages are your thing, there’s a reasonable selection in the frozen food section of Lotte. 2,820 won seems to be the going rate for a packet of 5: $2.48

Bacon – as above, the bacon leaves a little bit to be desired, but maybe that’s just me speaking. The thin pieces are rather uncommon at home, but it’s all they sell here. It’s normally the same brand too, and, at times, they will have a 2 for 1 offer. 8 pieces, regular price, is 4,680 won: $4.12

Ham – I picked up a packet of ham last night with 8 slices. The price? A beautiful 1,000 won: $0.88

Cheese – how I yearn for the cheddar cheese, and some of that French stuff. The singles will have to do though. Variety poor, and a packet costs a disappointing 3,650 won: $3.21

Potato chips – more reminiscent of the North American type, than found on food shelves in the UK or Ireland. Popular brands like Pringles are sold everywhere, and there are some interesting flavours of local produce. Squid? Ahniyo. You’ll pay less than a 1,000 won for a proper sized packet: $0.84

Drink

Going Out

Soju – considerably more expensive than in the supermarket, but why not add a bottle to a cocktail (below)?. 2,500 won: $2.20

Local Beer – nice and cheap, but, sadly, the taste is not as sweet as, say, a Tsingtao. Still, the OB is fine, and the Cass and Max go down well. Hite is everywhere, but the smell is horrendous. Bottles would appear to be more popular, but a pint should come to 2,000 won: $1.76

Foreign Beer – Miller Time is a pub chain found the length and breath of the country. 500cc glasses of Miller are 3,000 won, and a pitcher costs 13,000 won. Friends of Guinness can get a pint of the Black Stuff for 4,000 won: $2.60 for Miller, $3.50 for Guinness (a pint of Guinness in Dublin costs at least €5 – which works out at 8,000 won)

Cocktails – a soju cocktail in a soju bar is a great way to get a little bit drunk. A jug costs 13,000 won, and comes in a variety of flavours. Kiwi is pretty yummy. But a word of warning: There’s enough sugar to last you a month: $11.46

Coffee – coffee stores, mostly chains, are everywhere, so pick one you feel most comfortable in. The selection is, by and large, the same, and the prices too. A cup of coffee costs 2,500 won: $2.20

Supermarket

Soju – Lotte supercentre is to Korea what Tesco is to the UK. Every village, town and city in under siege from this chain, and whilst their food selection might be about 30% that in a regular Tesco store, their off-licence is pretty impressive. Take your pick from numerous soju flavours and plastic bottle sizes at seriously cheap prices. Your run-of-the-mill bottle costs as little as 1,000 won: $0.88 (you’ll be drunk on $2.50)

Beer – a 6 pack of OB cans (350 ml) costs 7,920 won: $7

Water – it seems ridiculous that water has a very high price in parts of Europe. Thankfully, you can pick up a 1 liter bottle of water at your local corner store for 700 won. Get the DMZ brand – the illustration is quality: $0.62

Soft Drinks  – Korea has a creditable selection of soda pops, juices and vitamin drinks. A 2.5 litre bottle of Coca-Cola is just 1,650 won: $1.46

Juice – Korean and international brands available, but the prices are generally double than that of a soft drink. A 2 litre carton of orange juice costs 3,300 won: $2.90

Household items

Kitchen items – there is an abundance of cheap stores in most major cities, and even Lotte has a area reserved for discounted goods. You can pick up anything from candles to picture frames, car engine oil to knives and forks.

—— The cheapest mug I could find was priced at 5,200 won: $4.60

—— A single spoon was available for 2,300 won: $2

—— A fork (the type I’d imagine you are not looking for, due to its plastic handle and child-like design) is 1,900 won: $1.68

—— Finally, a reasonable frying pan, easily big enough for one person, costs 15,300 won. You’ll have to splash out quadruple that for a Tefal non stick pan though:  $13.55 ($53.17 for the Tefal)

Kettles and toasters – Fortunately, my apartment came with both of these necessary items, but you can pick up high quality goods of each between 45,000 and 60,000 won: $39.90 – $$53.17

Bed linen – Lotte is selling duvets and matching pillows, plus other bed items, for 13,000 a pop: $11.52

Hair products – Pantene and Head & Shoulders dominate the shelves, and for just that couple of thousand won more, it is probably worth going for these options. Shampoo isn’t exactly cheap, however, but you can find some good deals by looking around. A bit like tuna and toothpaste, the stores sell a lot of shampoo products in packs of 3, 4 or 5. It cost me 8,990 won for 850mls of H&S:  $7.96

Toothpaste – avoid the Korea brands at all costs. Spend more on Arm and Hammer in Home Plus because it comes with fluoride. They usually sell two tubes together (with complimentary toothbrush) for 9,000 won. If you want to go for the 2080 option (their products swamp the isles), you’re looking at 4,000 won: $7.97 for Arm and Hammer ($3.54 for the 2080 toothpaste)

Extra

Bus tickets – a single ticket from Gwangju to Seoul is 23,500 won. A ticket on the local bus is 1,000 won: $20.82 for the Seoul route, and $0.88 for a local ticket

Train tickets – more expensive, and works out at 30,000 for a single to Seoul. The train shaves an hour off the bus time: $26.58

Taxi fares – The rental charge is 2,200 won during the day and evening. A 15-20 ride will set you back no more than 5,000 won. With 4 people, it’s worth taking this option over the slow, rickety bus: $4.43

Air travel – we have discussed this before, but if this is your first time reading, don’t think that Korea’s proximity to South-East Asia will guarantee cheap flights. A round trip to Tokyo, from Seoul, in July is close to 800,000 won: $708

*HOWEVER – not everything in Korea is comparatively cheaper to home. Milk and tuna, for example, are annoyingly expensive, and it is surprising given that Gwangju is situated in the least-developed, but most agriculturally focused, province in the country. Milk is 2500 for a carton ($2.21); Tuna is 1500 for the smallest tin possible ($1.33).

If you’d like to know the price(s) of one or more items, don’t hesitate to leave a comment, and we’ll get to you as soon as possible.