B1 noun Neutral

생활비

[sʰɛŋʰwalbi]

The amount of money needed to pay for food, housing, and other basic necessities in daily life. It is a core concept for discussing budgets and economic conditions.

Examples

3 of 5
1

생활비를 아끼기 위해 외식을 줄이고 있습니다.

I am reducing eating out to save on living expenses.

2

물가 상승으로 인해 생활비 부담이 커지고 있습니다.

The burden of living expenses is increasing due to rising prices.

3

너 한 달 생활비 얼마나 써?

How much do you spend on living expenses a month?

Word Family

Noun
생활비
💡

Memory Tip

Saenghwal (life) + Bi (fee/cost) = Life cost.

Quick Quiz

유학 생활 중에 가장 걱정되는 것은 높은 ______입니다.

Correct!

The correct answer is: 생활비

Examples

1

생활비를 아끼기 위해 외식을 줄이고 있습니다.

everyday

I am reducing eating out to save on living expenses.

2

물가 상승으로 인해 생활비 부담이 커지고 있습니다.

formal

The burden of living expenses is increasing due to rising prices.

3

너 한 달 생활비 얼마나 써?

informal

How much do you spend on living expenses a month?

4

본 연구는 도시 근로자의 평균 생활비를 분석한다.

academic

This study analyzes the average living expenses of urban workers.

5

해외 파견 근무 시 추가 생활비가 지원됩니다.

business

Additional living expenses are provided during overseas assignments.

Word Family

Noun
생활비

Common Collocations

생활비가 들다 to cost living expenses
생활비를 벌다 to earn living expenses
생활비를 줄이다 to reduce living expenses
생활비가 모자라다 to be short of living expenses
기초 생활비 basic living expenses

Common Phrases

생활비 명목으로

in the name of living expenses

최저 생활비

minimum living expenses

생활비 관리

management of living expenses

Often Confused With

생활비 vs 용돈

Yongdon is pocket money for non-essential spending, while Saenghwalbi covers essential survival costs.

📝

Usage Notes

Commonly used in IELTS General tasks when discussing moving to a new city, job salaries, or student life.

⚠️

Common Mistakes

Learners often use '돈' (money) generically when they specifically mean the cost of living.

💡

Memory Tip

Saenghwal (life) + Bi (fee/cost) = Life cost.

📖

Word Origin

From Sino-Korean 生活 (life) and 費 (expense).

Grammar Patterns

~가 들다 ~를 지원하다
🌍

Cultural Context

The rising cost of living in Seoul is a frequent topic of social conversation in Korea.

Quick Quiz

유학 생활 중에 가장 걱정되는 것은 높은 ______입니다.

Correct!

The correct answer is: 생활비

Was this helpful?

Comments (0)

Login to Comment
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Start learning languages for free

Start Learning Free