Pusan S Korea on a lease.I am looking for cheap studio or one bedroom, what cost per month must be safe?

Question

I am a retired americam living on 1,239 american dollars a month and I want to be near my girlfriend if she wants me there, but who knows that is another story.Secondly I hear it cost 2,500 to 9,000 american dollars a month if that is true you all must make 100.00 an hour at McDonald's

Answer 1

Well, Busan is a lot cheaper than Seoul.
Accomodation prices depend on the size of the place you want, and how much you are willing to pay in advance.

When I lived in Busan, we stayed in 'one room' which has a separate bathroom, small kitchenette and a studio type 'open' room... basically a queen bed, and a computer desk and a bit of floor space to sit down on and enjoy a few drinks.
This place was $300 a month, there was a shared laundry room. It was fairly new, the bond I think was about $3000 (but you get that back when you move out).
For cheaper accomdations the best places to look are in the university areas... however if you are wanting some peace and quiet, it might be better to move into a more rural out of Busan area, which would be cheaper again.

Now there are also bonds where you pay a percentage of the accomodations worth, usually around $30,000 for a small place and upwards from there... however you dont need to pay rent for the entire time you're there, and the landlord uses the interest that the bond accumulates as your rent fee... then when you move out, you get the whole amount that you initially payed back.

You need to be aware though, that most rental properties of a safe nature require you to live there for 2 years. If you move out in that time, you will forfit the return of your bond money.

Other options which seem to be in abundance in Busan are Yogwans, Motel options or Goshiwon.
Generally these places dont require a bond, can vary in size and the rent is fairly good around $300-$500 amonth.

I stayed in a Goshiwon for a while at $230 a month, they also had other rooms for $150. These rooms are super tiny, enough room for a single bed, and a small fridge, desk and TV.

The Motels and Yogwans are of a better size, and all linen is supplied, you dont get a kitchenette or washing machine in your room, however usually there is one available on site. Most rooms have a small fridge, and a TV, large bed and a bathroom... with or without a bath.

I live on less than that a month, so I think you would be ok, just don't be too penny happy with your money. It would help immensley if you have a pallette for Korean food... otherwise it gets a bit pricey.
Possibly you could find some sort of part time something something to get you a few extra bucks on the side, also if your girlfriend is accepting of your move there she will be able to help you.

You may want to run your move past her first, to be sure. Busan can be a bit lonlier than Seoul, however the people there are a lot friendlier... just be sure that you want to make that HUGE step, because if you really are wanting to lease a room, you will be stuck there for 2 years.

Im moving into a new place next month, so all the info I have given you about leases is up to date. It's hard to find a place which will let you have the room for less than 2 years, however if you have good bargaining skills in Korean, you can ask the owner directly to lower the lease to 1 year... less than that and it might be difficult.
So while the initial cost is expensive, the actual monthly cost is very cheap, and if you are living alone your utility costs shouldnt be more than $50 a month (gas, water, power, and sometimes a cleaning fee if you live in a building with shared accesses).

Hope this is of some help, Good Luck!

Answer 2

where have u been hearing these?i lived in south,korea near seoul last year and we got a house,2 bedrooms for $400 a month including all bills.some even offer $100 -$150 but my husband wants a bigger space.if u want to get an apartment,ask ur girl to help u look around.ask her if theres a US military base near that place coz for sure there would be a lot of places/room to choose from.coz some soldiers prefer to live off post esp if they got family like in my case.but if i were u,think twice coz your monthly income may not be enough to support u and your girl.south korea is a safe country but its a high maintenance place..

Answer 3

In Korea? It never costs that much...try a hundred dollars a month