It’s important to have a budget while traveling.

Since I’ve received questions regarding my travel budget for my trip to Seoul, here’s the blog post about it.

A month before the trip, a budget was prepared. This was my first out-of-pocket planned trip – the price to pay once I’ve started working. Heh.

Generally, the Internet is a useful tool to search on estimated expenses for basic necessities like food, transportation and accommodation. Doing so allows me to optimize the foreign currency to be exchanged.

This travel budget is meant for 2 travelers on a 6D5N Trip to Seoul only. This trip is mainly within Seoul, and it includes Nami Island.

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TRAVEL EXPENSES SUMMARY

• Total Spent Prior to Trip – RM2,613.50
• Total Cash Exchanged – RM3,021 (KRW1,060,000)
• Total Spent During Trip – RM2,803.55 (KRW983,700)
• Total Cash Balance – RM217.45 (KRW76,300)
• Total Trip (Nett) – RM5,417.05

The exchange rate back in April 2013 was RM2.85 for KRW1,000. But now in 2014 it has gone up to about RM3.25 for KRW1,000.

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TRAVEL EXPENSES DETAILS

Flight for 2 – RM2,194

We purchased the AirAsia X flight to Seoul Korea about 2 months before the trip.

The airfare was not the cheapest rate, but it was the best we could get. It’s inclusive of topped-up services such as travel insurance, check-in baggage, and seats selection.

Clothes – RM419.50

Seoul is known to be cold during the Spring season (March – May), so I’ve gotten a leather jacket to keep myself warm outdoors.

The jacket was purchased from Universal Traveller before the trip. It was RM419.50 after a 50% discount.

Food for 2 – RM483.65 (KRW169,700) | Average RM80 (KRW28,000) a Day

The food at Seoul are reasonably priced if you dine at small eateries along the streets. This is where you can enjoy the essence of local Korean cuisine.

An average meal would cost between KRW5,000 (RM14.25) to KRW10,000 (RM28.50) per person. Pretty affordable, right?

If you prefer cheaper food and snacks, check out Seoul shopping streets and markets. I’d recommend Myeong-dong market.

In fact, we managed to save on food because Namsan Guest House, our accommodation, provides unlimited bread and instant cup Ramen noodles.

Transportation for 2 – RM198.08 (KRW69,500) | Average RM33 (KRW11,500) a Day

Moving about Seoul is simple with the Seoul Subway. The subway is very convenient as it reaches to many of our destinations.

The tourist friendly subway features an extensive directional signage and many informative boards such as surrounding maps and tourist guides.

Admission for 2 – RM179.84 (KRW63,100)

We’ve also allocated a budget for admissions into places of attractions such as the Grand Palaces, Nami Island, Namsangol Hanok Village, and N Seoul Tower.

But fortunately the entrance to all palaces was FREE on the day we visited. It was due to the completion of a gate restoration project.

Souvenirs – RM1065.62 (KRW373,900)

To be honest, I think we kinda overspent on Korean souvenirs. The initial budget for souvenirs was actually quite little.

Since we saved a lot on food, we eventually splurged on buying souvenirs. It wasn’t exactly a good thing to do (since I’m not keen on spending on material stuffs), but we had the cash – so why not?

In fact, souvenirs are not that expensive. So we ended up buying quite an unbelievable amount of souvenirs. Haha!

To put into context, about 55% of our Korean Won was spent on souvenirs. So this is an area where travelers can actually save.

6D5N Accommodation – RM855 (KRW300,000) | RM171 (KRW60,000) a Night

Namsan Guest House was our accommodation throughout the trip. To be exact, it was Namsan Guest House 3.

There are several budget hotels in Seoul, but we decided to stay here due to good online reviews. Furthermore, staying at budget hotels are much cheaper than international hotel chains.

Miscellaneous – RM21.38 (KRW7,500)

We purchased wet tissue and lip balm to be used throughout the trip.

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So yeah, that’s the travel expenses for the trip to Seoul. RM5,417.05 for a 6 days trip for 2 is quite reasonable, especially when you’re aiming to travel on a tight budget. But I think it could have been lesser. ;)

There are many interesting stuffs to buy in Seoul, so self-control is important. Don’t end up buying unnecessary things, like these amazing sexy-back WOW Korean lingerie…

I actually wanted to buy them, but what’s the point – I can’t even wear them. Pfftt!