 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 in 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. Those teaching at a university or international school, however, can make up to 3.5 million South Korean won, 3,120 US dollars. If you are a first-time teacher, you can expect to earn between 1.8 to 2.0 million South Korean won per month, which equates to around $1,600 to $1,780. The 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 the 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 South 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, 2400 South Korean won. 12 eggs, 3200 South Korean won. Apples, 1 kilogram, 7000 South Korean won. Chicken breast, 1 kilogram, 9800 South Korean won. Rice, 1 kilogram, 3900 South Korean won. Bottle of water, 1.5 liters, 1200 South Korean won. Bottle of Korean beer, half a liter, 2200 South Korean won. 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 medrange restaurant dinner, 40,000 South Korean won. Quick restaurant meal of rice or noodles, 7000 South Korean won. Spicy rice cakes, a common street food, 2000 South Korean won. Massage, 30 minutes, 25,000 South Korean won. One month fitness club membership, 30,000 South Korean won. Movie ticket, international release, 8000 South Korean won. 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 buses and subways are inexpensive allowing you to explore your city and beyond. Metro ride, 1200 South Korean won. Taxi rate per kilometer, 900 South Korean won. Start fare 3000 South Korean won. 20 minute taxi ride across town, 18,000 South Korean won. City bus, 1200 South Korean won. Monthly bus and subway pass, 55,000 South Korean won. Inner city express bus, Seoul to Jeonju, 15,000 South Korean won. 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 midrange hotel, 60,000 South Korean won. High speed train, Seoul to Busan, 2.5 hours, 59,800 South Korean won. Slow train, Seoul to Busan, 5.5 hours, 28,600 South Korean won. Flight, Seoul to Jeju Island, 1 hour, 80,000 South Korean won. Flight, Seoul to Tokyo, 2 hours, 150,000 South Korean won. 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 South Korean won. Rent, zero, paid for by employer. Utilities, electricity, gas, water, 80,000 South Korean won. Phone and Internet, 70,000 South Korean won. Food, 300,000 South Korean won. Insurance, 30,000 South Korean won. Remaining disposable income, 2 million South Korean 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. Thanks so much for watching. We are ITTT, the leading provider for TEFL and TESOL training courses. If you like this video, please subscribe by clicking that button down here and click on any of the videos here on the left for more interesting teaching tips for getting certified to teach English abroad and online.