Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Anshan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Anshan: $630 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Anshan
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Anshan Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Anshan

🇨🇳 China

$630

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Anshan and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Anshan and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $630 in Anshan versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Anshan $630
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,018 in Anshan versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Anshan $1,018
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,406 in Anshan versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Anshan $1,406
Seoul $3,931

Living in Anshan costs roughly 65% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Anshan is 53% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 ¥20.59

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-65.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.82 ¥126

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-72.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.36 ¥29.16

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-42.18%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ¥16.65

$4.23 ₩5,624

-41.13%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$1.63 ₩2,167

-76.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.74 ₩985

-68.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ¥5.25

$3.64 ₩4,843

-78.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.09

$6.15 ₩8,175

-73.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.83

$2.01 ₩2,679

-11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥8.64

$3.13 ₩4,164

-58.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$4.32 ₩5,744

-91.90%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.12

$3.61 ₩4,794

-70.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 ¥58.4

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-50.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-83.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ¥60.9

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-64.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.11

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-86.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.82

$3.38 ₩4,499

-65.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.88

$5.81 ₩7,723

-79.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.81

$6.41 ₩8,520

-81.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$3.75 ₩4,983

-91.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.95

$2.54 ₩3,375

-64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$2.84 ₩3,782

-89.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.89

$1.11 ₩1,472

-61.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 ¥24.45

$3.35 ₩4,455

9.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ¥51.2

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-58.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.14

$2.40 ₩3,185

-67.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 ¥7.38

$3.37 ₩4,480

-67.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$1.14 ₩1,521

-74.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.75 ¥119

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-61.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ¥7.13

$3.49 ₩4,643

-69.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.16 ¥1.06

$0.63 ₩840

-74.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 ¥19.53

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-67.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥7.07

$1.51 ₩2,005

-29.80%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.5K ¥130.6K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-33.26%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.2K ¥101.9K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-45.98%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$29.30 ¥196

$218 ₩289.2K

-86.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.25 ¥48.47

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-79.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.66 ¥98.0

$21.29 ₩28.3K

-31.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.00 ¥281

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-27.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-5.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 ¥39.53

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-47.75%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$221 ¥1,478

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-88.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K ¥144.9K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-5.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.91 ¥253

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-33.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.24 ¥222

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-0.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 ¥402

$71.5 ₩95.0K

-15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ¥470

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥1,996

$901 ₩1.2M

-66.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,229

$612 ₩813.5K

-69.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,187

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-75.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,540

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-70.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,597 ¥24.0K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-87.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,957 ¥13.1K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-83.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$960 ¥6,418

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-73.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-50.98%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Anshan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Anshan

$184 29.2%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 233% $428

Groceries & Markets

Anshan

$152 24.1%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 214% $325

Clothing & Footwear

Anshan

$91 14.4%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 21.3% $19

Eating Out

Anshan

$77 12.3%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 138% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Anshan

$54 8.6%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 49.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Anshan

$51 8.1%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 435% $223

Getting Around

Anshan

$21 3.3%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 176% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $298 in Anshan and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 280% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Anshan vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $477 per month, with Anshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Anshan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

01:44 1:44 AM

1 h ahead of Anshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,543,696

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Anshan Seoul 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Anshan
Seoul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Anshan vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 185% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 280% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $298 in Anshan versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Anshan – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $630 per month in Anshan versus $1,794 in Seoul – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $630 in Anshan versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Anshan but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Anshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Anshan and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Anshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.