How Much Do Mukbang YouTubers Spend On Food? Popular Korean YouTubers Tell All

Popular Korean mukbang YouTubers recently revealed how much they spend on food monthly.

YouTuber Ami | AmiAmi/YouTube

On December 5, AXN and IHQ‘s reality show Donjjul, We’ve Come To Fight (a direct translation), starring hosts Kang Ho Dong and Heo Young Ji, featured Asian Games medalists. As a friendly “mukbang competition” between the guests and the hosts and regular mukbang YouTuber guests, the two teams had a showdown to see who could eat more.

The “mukbang” Youtubers (left) compete in a “mukbang” showdown with “Asian Games” athletes. | 돈쭐, 맛짱 뜨러 왔습니다/YouTube

During the episode, Kang Ho Dong asked the mukbang YouTubers Ami, Manli, Ssuda, Soyoubi, and Yoon Jji if they ate a lot even when not filming mukbang content. Ami revealed that she eats “two servings less” than when she films or broadcasts.

Mukbang YouTubers Soyoubi, Yoon Jji, Ssuda, Ami, and Manli | 돈쭐, 맛짱 뜨러 왔습니다/YouTube

The mukbang YouTubers were then asked about their monthly food expenses, and they shared candidly.

Yoon Jji first revealed that her monthly food expenses are around ₩3.50 million KRW (about $2,670 USD), and Soyoubi said she spends ₩4.50 million KRW (about $3,430 USD).

Soyoubi shares that she spends 4.5 million won a month on food. | 돈쭐, 맛짱 뜨러 왔습니다/YouTube

Although these numbers were already surprising, the other YouTubers shocked the hosts even more. Manli mentioned spending around ₩5.00 million KRW (about $3,810 USD) on food a month, and Ssuda shared she spends a shocking ₩6.00 million KRW (about $4,580 USD).

Ssuda spends about 6 million won a month on food. | 돈쭐, 맛짱 뜨러 왔습니다/YouTube

Ami shares that she tries her best not to spend too much on food because she could easily spend too much if she doesn’t.

I cook myself or get delivery food. I try to be frugal, but it still amounts to around ₩5.00 million KRW (about $3,810 USD). If I spend freely, it can easily exceed ₩10.0 million KRW (about $7,630 USD).

— Ami

Ami (left) impresses Heo Young Ji (right) by sharing she could easily spend over 10 million won on food. | 돈쭐, 맛짱 뜨러 왔습니다/YouTube

The shocked hosts calculated and realized that just Manli and Ami’s food expenses added together already amounted to ₩10.0 million KRW (about $7,630 USD), making the others laugh and putting their expenses into perspective.

Kang Ho Dong (left) and Heo Young Ji (right) calculate Ami and Manli’s combined food expenses. | 돈쭐, 맛짱 뜨러 왔습니다/YouTube

However, this amount of money may not be a lot to them because successful mukbang Youtubers with many subscribers and viewers are known for making good money. A former actress-turned-mukbang-YouTuber, Ssoyoung, once revealed that she makes more with her mukbang videos in a month than she did throughout her 14-year acting career.

YouTuber Ssoyoung | Ssoyoung/YouTube

Mukbang YouTuber and entrepreneur Heebab also shocked the public by revealing that she pays her employees up to ₩12.0 million KRW (about $9,160 USD) a month before taxes.

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