"Can I actually save money teaching in Korea?" is one of the first questions every new teacher asks. The honest answer is yes — most hagwon teachers do — but how much depends almost entirely on two things: whether your housing is provided, and how often you eat out. Here is a realistic picture of a month in Seoul.

All figures below are typical ranges, not promises. Prices differ between neighborhoods and change over time, so use them to plan, then adjust once you arrive.

Your salary and what comes off it

Most hagwon contracts for new teachers fall somewhere in the mid-₩2 millions per month, rising with experience and qualifications. Before the money reaches your account, a few deductions are taken:

• Income tax and local tax — usually a small percentage at this salary level
• National Health Insurance — you and your employer each pay a share (roughly 3.5% each)
• National Pension — again split between you and your employer. Citizens of some countries can claim a lump-sum refund of their contributions when they leave Korea, so check whether yours is one of them

In practice, expect your take-home pay to be around 90% of your contract salary.

Housing: the biggest variable

Many hagwons either provide a furnished studio (a "one-room") or pay a monthly housing allowance. If your school provides housing, your biggest cost disappears and saving becomes easy.

If you rent yourself, Korean rentals usually involve a deposit (bojeunggeum) plus monthly rent (wolse). For a one-room in Seoul, a deposit of several million won and monthly rent of roughly ₩500,000–900,000 are common, with central and trendy areas at the higher end. On top of rent, budget for:

• Building maintenance fee (gwanlibi): often ₩50,000–150,000
• Gas, electricity and water: lower in spring and autumn, higher during winter heating

Food

Food is where budgets are won or lost.

• Cooking at home with a mix of supermarket shopping and delivery apps: around ₩300,000–450,000 a month
• A typical lunch out (gimbap, noodles, a set meal): roughly ₩9,000–13,000
• Coffee at a franchise café: ₩4,500–6,000 — the daily latte adds up faster than you think

Coupang's next-day delivery and local markets are your best friends for keeping grocery costs down.

Transport and phone

• Subway and bus: most teachers who commute daily spend ₩60,000–100,000 a month on T-money, less if you live close to school
• Phone: a budget MVNO plan (algeulpon) costs about ₩10,000–30,000 a month once you have your ARC; plans from the big carriers cost more

A sample monthly budget (school-provided housing)

• Utilities and maintenance: ₩100,000–200,000
• Food and groceries: ₩400,000–600,000
• Transport: ₩60,000–100,000
• Phone: ₩20,000–30,000
• Gym, hobbies and nights out: ₩200,000–400,000

That is roughly ₩800,000–1,300,000 a month. On a typical salary, many teachers in this situation save ₩800,000 or more each month without living frugally.

If you pay your own rent, add your rent and deposit plan to the list — and look at the neighborhoods slightly outside the center, where the same money goes noticeably further.

Five ways teachers save more

• Take school-provided housing if it is offered and reasonable
• Cook a few meals a week and use delivery apps for groceries, not just takeaway
• Buy second-hand furniture on Daangn Market when you move in
• Switch to an MVNO phone plan as soon as your ARC arrives
• Track the small daily costs — cafés and convenience-store snacks are the classic leak

Before you sign a contract

Ask the school directly whether housing is provided or what the allowance is, how the deposit is handled, and who pays the maintenance fee. Those three answers will tell you more about your future savings than the salary figure alone.