 Teaching English in South Korea, the Salary and Budget Guide The following guide will help you answer the question, How much can I earn and save teaching English in South Korea? You will also find information on the local cost of living in order to figure out how much to budget for when moving to South Korea. The typical salary for English teachers in South Korea. There are many different teaching positions available all across South Korea. The salary usually depends on the type of school you work at and your qualifications. English teachers in South Korea can expect to make between 1.8 and 3 million Korean won per month, currently $1,600 to $2,675. Though is teaching at a university or international school, however, can make up to $3.5 million, $3,120 United States dollars. If you are a first-time teacher, you can expect to earn between 1.8 to 2.1 million Korean won per month, which equates to around $1,600 to $1,780 US dollars. Salary also depends on where you are based. Seoul traditionally pays the highest salaries but also has a higher cost of living compared to other cities around South Korea. Other benefits to expect when teaching English in South Korea. Besides this salary, most teachers in South Korea also receive free housing or a housing allowance from their employer. Additionally, most schools pay for the round-trip airfare for their teachers. Healthcare is also very affordable in South Korea and there is also a pension scheme in place for a lot of foreign nationals. How to earn extra cash while teaching English in South Korea? A lot of teachers top up their salaries by taking on private students for tutoring. You can easily make a couple of hundred dollars a month when tutoring students in your free time or more when you have the time. Most parents pay between 30,000 and 50,000 Korean won per tutoring hour, $26, $45 US dollars. The cost of living in South Korea. The cost of living in South Korea is on the rise and amongst one of the highest in Asia. However, it is still lower than in most Western nations. The high salary and attractive benefits as an EFL teacher allow you to live a comfortable lifestyle during your time in Korea. Many teachers can even afford a lifestyle they wouldn't be able to enjoy back home, such as traveling every month, eating out on a regular basis and going out to bars and clubs regularly. Below, we break down the cost of living in South Korea for individual aspects. Cost of living in South Korea. Food. When you eat out at local restaurants and buy your produce and ingredients at local supermarkets, you will not only gain an amazing insight into the Korean way of life, but also have more money in your pocket for fun and adventure. Milk, 1 liter. 2,401. Eggs, 12. 3,201. Apples, 1 kilogram. 7,001. Chicken breast, 1 kilogram, 9,801. Rice, 1 kilogram. 3,901. Bottle of water, 1,5 liters. 1,201. Bottle of Korean beer, 0,5 liters. 2,201. Cost of living in South Korea, leisure activities. Koreans love spending time out with friends and family and there is a lot to do around the country. Most people enjoy frequent meals out so be sure to try your way through the wide range of Korean cuisine while you're there. You can also hang out with friends at clubs and karaoke bars, work out at the gym or get a massage and relax. South Korea's leisure activities have something for everyone. 3-course mid-range restaurant dinner. Quick restaurant meal of rice or noodles. 7,001. Spicy rice cakes, a common street food. 2,001. Massage, 30 min, 25,001. One month fitness club membership. 30,001. Movie ticket, international release. 8,001. Cost of living in South Korea. Transportation. When coming to Korea, you might be surprised by the modern and efficient public transit network in the country. In fact, it is one of the most advanced in the world. Taxi prices are also affordable and biomes and subways are inexpensive allowing you to explore your city and beyond. Metro ride. 1,201. Taxi rate per km 901. Start fare 3,001. 20 min taxi ride across town. 18,001. City bus. 1,201. Monthly bus and subway pass. 55,001. Intercity express bus, sold to Jeonju. 15,001. Cost of living in South Korea. Travel in Korea and beyond. While South Korea isn't that big of a country, there is a lot to see and do, plus countless beautiful islands to head to. The express trains are incredibly fast and affordable and domestic flights out to Jeju Island, the largest island in Korea, are also quite cheap. Plus, you can visit neighboring Asian countries like Japan and China in just a couple of hours. One night in a mid-range hotel, 60,001. High-speed train, sold to Busan, 2.5 hours. 59,801. Slow train, sold to Busan, 5.5 hours. 28,601. Flight, sold to Jeju Island, 1 hour. 80,001. Flight, sold to Tokyo, 2 hours. 150,001. Sample monthly teacher budget. To give you an example of how an English teacher in South Korea spends their salary, here is a sample monthly budget. Gross income, salary. Average salary 2.5 million won. Rent. Zero, paid for by employer. Utilities, electricity, gas, water. 80,001. Phone and internet. 70,001. Food. 300,001. Insurance. 30,001. Remaining disposable income. 2 million won. How much you can save when teaching English in South Korea? As you can see from the sample budget above the high salaries in South Korea, allow you to save substantial sums of money during the length of your contract. Because rent is usually paid for by the employer, you will save a lot of money that would otherwise go on housing. Depending on your lifestyle, ESL teachers in South Korea are easily able to save anything from $500 to $1,500 per month. Are you ready to teach English in South Korea? For more information about living and teaching English in South Korea, check out our South Korea country page. Apply now for your TEFL TESOL certification course and start teaching in a matter of months. Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad. Send us an email or call us toll free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today.