People walk past a Burger King in Seoul. /Courtesy of News1

Office worker A (34), who lives in Seoul, had mostly been buying lunch at hamburger franchises. That was because there were hardly any dishes at regular restaurants that cost less than 10,000 won.

But the hamburger combo that A often ate, which was in the 9,000-won range last year, has climbed into the 10,000-won range this year. A said, "Government statistics say prices rose in the 2% range, but the prices people feel seem to be rising much more."

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) on the 31st, this year's consumer price index was 116.61 (2020=100), up only 2.1% from last year's 114.18. That is the lowest increase in five years. From 2021 through last year, the consumer price index had risen at least 2.3% and as much as 5.1% each year.

However, the living cost index, made up of items consumers frequently buy and called the "felt inflation," rose 2.4% this year. That was 0.3 percentage points higher than the consumer price index increase.

A notice for jajangmyeon sales is posted in front of a restaurant in Seoul. /Courtesy of News1

Within the living cost index, the rise was higher for items individuals spend on almost every day. Food prices especially climbed. Jajangmyeon (5.6%) and kimbap (4.2%), popular lunch choices for office workers, jumped to more than double the consumer price index increase. Haejang-guk (4%), kalguksu (3.8%), and hamburgers (3.8%) also outpaced the consumer price index increase.

Items bought for meals at home such as bread (5.8%), ham and bacon (5.7%), frozen foods (5.5%), and ramen (5%) also posted high inflation rates. The same was true for common snacks like biscuits (7%) and carbonated drinks (4.8%).

Transportation costs were similar. Subway fares (3.9%) rose to nearly twice the consumer price index increase. Other living costs climbed as well, as maintenance fees for apartment complexes (4.1%) and insurance service fees (16%) went up in succession.

An official at the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said, "Because consumer prices are the average of 450 items, the official inflation figure (announced by the government) can come out lower than the prices people feel."

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