Daily Cost of Goods in South Korea
In general, the daily cost of goods in South Korea is less expensive than most western countries. It is easy to save money here and still enjoy a good lifestyle.
Clothing
A wide range of makes, both local and imported are available with prices often relative to quality and brand name. As with everywhere, prices vary widely with what you buy. There are many markets and shopping areas in Seoul with Myeong-dong and Dongdaemun being a couple of the largest and great places to find cheap clothing.
A word to the wise, Asian fashion sense is quite unique and has become a part of their lifestyles that they take very seriously. You will notice a lot of bright shiny colors and more pockets that you will ever know what to do with. Western styles prevail as well, but may be a little harder to find and more expensive. Finding larger sizes is another difficult issue that you should be aware of.
Koreans will dress up for almost every occasion including just stepping out and seeing a movie. As a Westerner you will be judged a little more fairly, but the T-shirt, shorts and sandals look is not ‘in’ and may in fact hinder your entrance into some bars and clubs.
Toiletries
A wide range of local and imported brands are available in supermarkets and local pharmacy stores. That being said, they might not have your specific brand on shampoo or deodorant. If you have any allergies to certain products, it might be wise to bring a bit of a stockpile to get you through the first 3 or 4 months until you are able to find something that works for you.
Electronic Goods
A lot of electronic goods are made right here in South Korea which make them cheaper and readily available. You may also find certain high-end electronics that are not available yet back home. Samsung and LG are two of the largest manufactures in the world, that are headquartered in South Korea.
Online Shopping
Your daily cost of good in Korea has come down a bit in recent years with online shopping becoming more prevalent. Shopping sites like:
- Gmarket
- Coupang
- 11th Street
- Emart
- Costco
Shopping sites like these all bring the shopping experience to your computer or cell phone. There are many sites that even have English versions if you don’t read Korean.
