Korean Language Study and Cost of Living in Seoul (2013)

If you're moving or planning to move to Seoul for the very first time, I hope this post will be helpful in giving you a rough estimate of the living costs here which is often a worry, especially so for students.

In this post, I am sharing with you the maximum I have spent (as a student) in a month in Seoul. (I left Seoul on the last day of August, after a 6-month stay). The living costs will vary depending on your lifestyle and choice of accommodation. But I think it is necessary to have a budget of at least USD$1000 per month to stay in Seoul, excluding the tuition fees. The more you socialize, the more you'll be spending.

Breakdown of monthly living costs for a single student
	Amount (KRW)	Amount (USD)	Remarks
Accommodation	470,000	443	Goshiwon
Food & Grocery	420,000	396	Food and grocery purchases
Transportation	35,000	33	Including weekend traveling
Mobile & 3G	22,000	21	Prepaid mobile and 3G
Books	60,000	57	Start of semester only
Misc.	28,000	26	Daily necessity purchases, entertainment
Shopping	31,500	30
TOTAL	1,066,500	1005
Psst! Set aside a separate fund for travel during semester break.

I'm not especially frugal but I'm not a big spender either. I don't drink, smoke or club. And I cook my own meal 30% of the time. I have friends who stick to their daily budget, and spend lesser than I do.

Tuition fee

Most (if not all) major universities here offer Korean language programs to international students who are keen to learn. There are different kinds of program to meet the needs of different individuals:

1. Regular 200-hour program (day class)
2. Regular 150-hour program (day class)
3. Evening program
4. Immersion program (a short 5-week program)
5. Special program (i.e. learning Korean through singing, drama, etc.)

Evening program is off-limits to international students unless you already have a long-term residency visa in Korea, for example, Permanent Residency or Employment or Dependent/Spouse Visa.

Tuition fee per semester (10 weeks) in these universities ranges between ₩1,400,000 to 1,680,000, excluding application fee and textbooks fee.

Accommodation

The most budget-friendly accommodation for students in Seoul/Korea is goshiwon (고시원). Goshiwons are generally located on the 2nd to 5th floor of a low-rise building and the rooms tend to be (very) small, but it is cheaper than other lodging options as utility fee is all-inclusive in the rental. Deposit (generally referred to as key money here) is not required, which makes goshiwon a feasible choice to non-earning students.

Depending on its size, rental ranges between ₩420,000 to ₩600,000. My mid-sized room (with a small window panel) costs me ₩470,000. In the room, there is an attached bathroom, a smaller-than-single bed, mini fridge, mini wardrobe, drawers, study table and chair, and a TV. Wired internet connection is available in all rooms.

Kitchen and washing machine is communal. Rice, kimchi, instant noodle, and instant coffee is available 24/7 at the goshiwon.


Food

I usually have kimbap (₩1,500-₩2,000) or buns (₩800-₩2,000) and coffee (₩1,000-₩3,500) for breakfast. Once a while, I'll get hot toast (₩2,000) from a sandwich kiosk on the way to class. Breakfast typically cost ₩2,000 to ₩5,000 each day.

Coffee from the university's cafe. A cheaper alternative.

Kimbap

I spend more on lunch. A bowl of noodle or a plate of rice cost ₩5,000 (on average) without drinks. After lunch, there'll be coffee (and sometimes, dessert) with my lunch mates. All-in, this would set me around ₩12,000 to ₩16,000. Once in a while, we indulge in buffet lunch.

Kimchi Fried Rice, with banchan (side dishes)

Meat Buffet

Post-lunch coffee and dessert

As for dinner, I cook and eat-in 30% of the time, although cooking your own meal isn't always cheaper.

Homecooked Carbonara Spaghetti

Homecooked Stir Fried Dangmyeon

Homecooked Porridge

Homecooked Japanese Cream Stew

Homecooked steamboat, shared between friends

Grocery

Like I mentioned earlier, eating-in doesn't necessarily equate cheaper. Vegetable and fruits and kitchen essentials like onion, garlic and ginger is undeniably expensive in Korea. However, there are mini marts like Lotte999 which sells most items (F&B, household necessity, etc.) at a flat rate of ₩990 (USD$1).

For example, I can get a box of egg (5 eggs) at ₩990. Or one pack of bokchoy or lettuce which is good for one or sometimes, two meal(s). Or a small pack of bacon. Or enoki mushroom, which comes in a pack of 3. The same goes for milk, coffee and many other canned/tetrapack beverages. Or a box of tissue, which retails at ₩6000 for a pack of 3 elsewhere.

For meat, I get them from hypermarts like Grand Mart (although you can get them at Lotte999 too) for a fresh guarantee. Sometimes, you can get even better deals at bigger hypermarts like HomePlus.

Transportation

I travel on foot to school, and commute mostly by subway and bus when I need to travel. The single-journey fare for both starts at ₩1,050 on T-Money basis.

The subway is rarely this empty

Mobile and 3G

The prepaid plan I signed up with OLLEH cost me ₩10,000, and can be used for up to 30 days. I am also subscribed to their 3G add-on service for ₩11,000 (500MB), which don't last long for me as I can't really keep my hands off the phone.

If you're a power user, just take the 2G data plan (₩22,000) which is more worthwhile.

Books

I spend about ₩60,000 for the textbooks that are needed in class each semester, but towards the end of the semester, I sell them off at 40% to save some money.

Travel

During the semester breaks, students are usually (and mostly) be outward-bound. So set aside some cash for traveling.



Well, I hope this post helps for those who are moving to the 14th most expensive city in the world.

There are still some hidden cost, for e.g, application fee for Student Visa and for Alien Registration Card (if you're staying above 90 days), relocation expenses, etc. But the figure is not significant.

Feel free to ask me if you have any question(s) by leaving them in the comment box below. I will share the answers if I can.

[BACKLOG, May'13] 2013 Lotus Lantern Festival at Cheonggyecheon Stream

Every year during the annual Lotus Lantern Festival, Seoul displays a remarkable line-up of lanterns at the Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul. During the festive period, hundreds of lanterns, each with a unique shape, design and story, will light up the Cheonggyecheon Stream.

Organized to celebrate Buddha's coming into the world, the 2-week long lantern exhibition offers visitors a chance to experience Buddhist culture that has been celebrated for more than a thousand years. The meticulously crafted lanterns are made of hanji, traditional handmade Korean paper made from mulberry bark. Each lantern tells its own story with its bright, but warm and cheerful colors.

Before night fall.

Crowd, slowly building up.

Buddha's Birth Day.  Happiness to our Mind, Hope to our World.

A week prior to the lantern exhibition, a lighting ceremony Jeomdeungsik 점등식 is held to mark the start of the lantern festival. According to Buddhist beliefs, lanterns symbolize wisdom in that they bring light to the world. Yeondeung 연등 which means 'lighting lantern', is an important ritual in Buddhism which gives respect to Buddha.

Beautiful displays

Every lantern conveys a Buddhist teaching, as elaborated below each lantern. The shapes and designs of each lantern also brings with it different meanings, such as hopes for good health, longevity, or a bountiful harvest.

The Lotus Lantern Festival is held between end of April to mid-May, so if you're there during these period, don't give this place a miss. On an ordinary day even, Cheonggyecheon Stream makes a nice place to visit.

How to get to Cheonggyecheon Stream?

[SUBWAY]
1. Gwanghwamun Station (Seoul Subway Line 5), Exit 5.
2. City Hall Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 2), Exit 4.
3. Jonggak Station (Seoul Subway Line 1), Exit 5

[BACKLOG, April'13] Hangang Yeouido Cherry Blossom (여의도 봄꽃축제)

Every year during spring, both locals and foreign visitors flock to Hangang Yeouido Park to see cherry blossoms and other spring flowers which are in full bloom. In April, this park becomes a venue for the Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival, where visitors can enjoy the spring flower blossoms, street performances, art exhibitions and the alluring Han River (there's just something about it).

I arrived in Seoul during spring, my first time in this country and first time living in the cold. It was zero degrees then, as opposed to an average of thirty degrees in KL, which I've stayed in 94% of my life. Seeing  cherry blossoms for the first time in-person, I must say, they're really pretty, and the weather is just right for long walk. To cover the entire park (entering from one end, exiting the other), it can take more than 2 hours. But trust me, you'll be too caught up in the view and excitement to realize how far you've actually walked.

But really, if you're tired, grab some snacks, find a good spot, and have an impromptu picnic at Hangang Park. You won't feel like leaving ;)

I'm no longer in Seoul, but I'm hoping to go back to Korea again next April for another round of 벚꽃 (cherry blossom).


How to get here?
1) Dangsan Station (Subway Line 2 or 9), Exit 4. 20 minutes walk.
1) Yeouinaru Station (Subway Line 5), Exit 1. 20 minutes walk.
3) Yeouido Station (Subway Line 5 or 9), Exit 5. Take Bus 162, 262, or 461 to National Assembly.
4) National Assembly Station (Subway Line 9), Exit 1 or 6. 5 minutes walk. *best option

- Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom in mid-April.
- Another place to see Cherry Blossom during spring is at Seokchon Lake 석촌호수, which I also went, but personally, Hangang Park is still my number one since there's more to see. To get to Seokchon Lake, alight at Jamsil Station (Seoul Subway Line 2 or 8), Exit 2 or 3. Seokchon Lake is located 200m ahead.