Korea Cheaper Than Japan? Not Anymore

[Wang]

Korea Cheaper Than Japan? Not Anymore

MAY 27, 2006 03:00
by Chang-Won Kim Kwang-Am Cheon ([email protected] [email protected])

The idea that prices of commodities in Korea are cheaper than Japan is losing credibility.

For consumption in luxury items such as golf, ski, and high-end restaurants, both countries have a similar rate in pricing, and in some cases price ranges in Korea are higher.


Prices higher in Korea for some commodities-


Having spent five years in Tokyo, Japan as head of a branch office, Lee, a team leader of Company S, who returned to Korea last year, is spending 3,500,000 won per month for his family, roughly the same amount he spent in Japan.


When dining out, Lee feels that Korean food prices are much higher than what they should be. In Japan, the family of four spent 50,000 to 60,000 won at a family restaurant, but in Korea they had to spend at least 100,000 won for the same quality.


He said, ﾂ"In Korea, if the food is at a satisfactory then it's too expensive, and if it's cheap then the quality is really bad. There's no middle.ﾂ"


B, who works at a Japanese company in Seoul, has a similar opinion.


ﾂ"I went to a department store to purchase a suit, but I gave up because they were so expensive. What I can buy for 300,000 to 400,000 won in Japan is about 500,000 to 600,000 won here in Korea.ﾂ"


Global brands with standardized service and taste are also more expensive in Korea.


The price of a cup of cappuccino (small) at Starbucks is 3,300 won in Korea and 290 yen (approximately 2,465 won) in Japan, where Korea's cup of coffee is almost 1,000 won more expensive. The price of a McDonalds Big Mac hamburger in Korea is 2,900 won, while in Japan it is 280 yen (approximately 2,380 won).



You can read the rest here.

 

[osias]

I agree.
In Japan, whether cheap or expensive, the quality of products is all at a satisfactory level. You can buy cheap stuff for 100 yen shops, but the quality is quite good.
In other parts of asia, like Korea or Taiwan, you often have to spend more money to get the same quality. If you are looking for some cheap stuff, the quality is really bad. It's either expensive or cheap, good or bad, and there is no middle.

 

[ricecake]

I agree.
In Japan, whether cheap or expensive, the quality of products is all at a satisfactory level. You can buy cheap stuff for 100 yen shops, but the quality is quite good.
In other parts of asia, like Korea or Taiwan, you often have to spend more money to get the same quality. If you are looking for some cheap stuff, the quality is really bad. It's either expensive or cheap, good or bad, and there is no middle.

Well said ..... Japanese goods are of " quality " regardless of price,including stuff you can purchase for $1.00 US money.

To this day,I haven't been duped by Japanese stores or purchased unsatisfactory Japan-made products so my overall experience with Japanese quite good.Unlike my own Chinese people are sometimes CHEATERS,knowingly sell backdated food merchandise or below quality products.

 

[gaijinalways]

Hmm, some products here are not so great, and large sized items, especially clothing, can be quite high. As to Korean goods, try the markets, quite a bit cheaper than the equivalent Japanese markets (which aren't bad). My wife and I were staying near Namadum market, and the prices on various foodstuffs were very reasonable, brought a lot of herbal teas back.

As to dining out, depends on the restaurants. At hotels, very expensive, generally like Japan. Plenty of decent restaurants that are not crappy. Japan has good prices for lunch, but dinner tends to be expensive. So I'm not sure which restaurants these gentlemen haunt. My wife and I enjoyed eating out in Seoul, certainly wa cheaper than Japan

 

[yukio_michael]

Well said ..... Japanese goods are of " quality " regardless of price,including stuff you can purchase for $1.00 US money.

You get what you pay for, isn't that the maxim?

I don't know enough about Korea (I've been there on a weekend) to go on, it may be more exagerated though in other parts of Asia, Japan does seem to have a very good system set up to provide livable-goods to poorer households, hence the 99en shops, but they have to, their economy is rather tanked...

It would be considered anathema in most other modern-nations for a middle class home to shop at a 99en shop to feed their family...

Unlike my own Chinese people are sometimes CHEATERS,knowingly sell backdated food merchandise or below quality products.

This is why you can buy soon-to-expire meat at 1/2 off the cost in 99 en shop...

 

[ricecake]

Deleted Written Post

 

[ricecake]

Hmm, some products here are not so great.

Can you give us some examples,computer gadgets or daily use products ?