General

Korea has modern department stores and supermarkets to rival any in the West. Prices are similar to Canada or the U.S. overall, and some daily necessities are very cheap! It is generally possible to obtain your favorite Western items, though you'll pay dearly for that bottle of Listerine or tube of Colgate. Imported goods are generally expensive; well-known to us but new-in-Korea international brands are outrageously pricey. Try Korean brands or bring a good supply of your favorite toiletries and with you.

Supermarkets and Department Stores

Unless you live in a very rural area (which is unlikely), you'll probably be within walking distance of a department store with a supermarket in the basement. These department-store supermarkets are pleasant, clean and modern. You won't find everything you're looking for, but you can easily put together slightly unconventional meals of familiar foods without spending too much. Supermarkets also sell wine, beer, and coffee.

Check the wine carefully as some of it is very poor quality and has been exported to Asia because Europeans wouldn't touch it. Western brands of soft-drinks are available everywhere, but you won't find many prepared or canned foods that look familiar.

It is always a challenge to find decent cheese in Asia. Most Korean supermarkets carry at least one brand of genuine cheddar or gouda in addition to the processed orange plastic that Koreans know as cheese. Aside from salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper paste, there are virtually no spices available in Korea. Be sure to bring your own spices with you when you come if you plan to cook even slightly exotic things at home. If you like Indian food, you may be tempted to buy what is labeled 'cari' (curry) at the supermarket. Don't bother — it's very mild and too salty.

Aside from the supermarkets, department stores themselves won't offer much of use to foreign teachers. The clothing is always overpriced and the house-wares are usually three to four times as much they are at the traditional street markets.

Street Markets

Every neighborhood in every Korean town or city has its own street market. Some are permanent and some are held on certain days, or a certain times of the day. This is the best place to buy house-wares, fruit and vegetables, seafood, and a surprising variety of things you didn't think you needed. Prices are not usually negotiable, especially for smaller items.

There is always a lot of good quality fruit available in Korea. Much of it is grown in greenhouses year-round. Koreans are always disappointed by the relatively poor quality of the fruit available in North America.

Western Chains

Wal-Mart and Starbucks have recently opened up branches all over the country. Of course, the selection of goods is quite different from what you find in North America, but Starbucks does sell decent coffee and Wal-Mart does carry small kitchen appliances. McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Popeye's Chicken, and Paris Baguette are some of the chains now common in Korea. You won't find them on every street corner, but you will probably live within walking distance of at least one Western fast food restaurant if you feel the urge.

Clothes

Clothes in Western sizes are available, but they may be a little difficult to find. Northeast Asian men have short arms compared to non-Asians, so check sleeve lengths carefully before buying. Korean women are constantly dieting and aren't very big to start, so sizes beyond an American medium (Canadian / European large), or a size 10 might not be readily available.

The chain-store "Giordano," (from Hong Kong, not Milan) has several stores in Korea. Similar to "The Gap," they offer reasonably priced casual and semi-formal clothes in Western sizes and cuts.

Shoes in larger sizes can be very difficult to find. I ordered mine online from Doc Marten's in the U.K. This was much cheaper than buying them locally and they arrived within a week. In Korea, sizes larger than 10 may not be available. The Korean white-bread and dairy generation (born between '75 and '85) are often big and tall; but they usually still have smaller feet than Westerners.

Underarm deodorant, tampons, dental floss, and shaving supplies are items that are always hard to find.

Here are some samples of Korean prices.

	Korean Won
A new shirt (that fits)	25,000
A chicken (ready to cook)	5,000
A big (600ml) bottle of beer	1,900
A pack of Marlboro's	1,900
A full Korean restaurant meal	4,000 - 8,000
A large Korean pear	1,000 - 1,500
A short taxi ride	1,600
A system-wide subway ticket	800
1 night in a clean budget hotel	35,000
A Bestseller in English	12,000
Seoul-Busan by High-Speed Train (2.5 hrs.)	45,000
Seoul to Hong Kong round-trip air	350,000
	Exchange rates.