Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benxi and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $710 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
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Benxi Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benxi 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 Benxi and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $710 per month in Benxi vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Benxi $710
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,027 per month in Benxi vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Benxi $1,027
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $1,344 per month in Benxi vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Benxi $1,344
Seoul $3,931

Benxi is about 60% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Benxi sits 47% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 ¥20.47

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-65.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.56 ¥151

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-67.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-28.91%

Cappuccino

$2.42 ¥16.19

$4.23 ₩5,624

-42.79%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$1.63 ₩2,167

-71.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.74 ₩985

-60.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$3.64 ₩4,843

-78.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$6.15 ₩8,175

-71.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.58

$2.01 ₩2,679

-6.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ¥7.91

$3.13 ₩4,164

-62.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.73

$4.32 ₩5,744

-80.09%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$3.61 ₩4,794

-55.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 ¥66.6

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-44.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 ¥19.92

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-71.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 ¥59.3

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-65.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 ¥10.74

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-78.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.33

$3.38 ₩4,499

-58.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$5.81 ₩7,723

-71.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ¥9.14

$6.41 ₩8,520

-78.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.15

$3.75 ₩4,983

-83.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ¥12.32

$2.54 ₩3,375

-27.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$2.84 ₩3,782

-78.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥4.69

$1.11 ₩1,472

-36.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ¥19.73

$3.35 ₩4,455

-11.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 ¥55.9

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-54.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$2.40 ₩3,185

-73.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$3.37 ₩4,480

-61.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.14 ₩1,521

-72.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.18 ¥81.4

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-73.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.49 ₩4,643

-73.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.63 ₩840

-50.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ¥20.29

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-65.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.55

$1.51 ₩2,005

-25.17%

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

$19.1K ¥127.8K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-34.71%

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

$17.6K ¥117.8K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-37.52%

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

$54.5 ¥364

$218 ₩289.2K

-74.97%

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

$6.90 ¥46.10

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-80.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.40 ¥69.6

$21.29 ₩28.3K

-51.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 ¥452

$58.1 ₩77.2K

16.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.23 ¥55.1

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-48.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.82

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-48.63%

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

$440 ¥2,941

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-77.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,949 ¥59.8K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-60.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.00 ¥201

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-47.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.4 ¥558

$33.39 ₩44.4K

149.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 ¥399

$71.5 ₩95.0K

-16.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 ¥348

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-37.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 ¥899

$901 ₩1.2M

-85.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ¥1,212

$612 ₩813.5K

-70.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,718

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-89.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 ¥995

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-88.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,794 ¥25.4K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-87.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,967 ¥13.2K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-83.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$457 ¥3,055

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-87.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-1.96%

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

Last update for Benxi: 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

Benxi

$181 25.5%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 238% $431

Groceries & Markets

Benxi

$181 25.4%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 164% $296

Clothing & Footwear

Benxi

$101 14.3%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 8.6% $8.7

Eating Out

Benxi

$80 11.3%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 130% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Benxi

$79 11.2%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 1.8% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benxi

$72 10.1%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 282% $202

Getting Around

Benxi

$16 2.2%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 260% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $134 in Benxi versus $901 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 699% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Benxi versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $477 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Benxi

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

18:01 6:01 PM

1 h ahead of Benxi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

809,655

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 20, 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 20, 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 →

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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

Benxi vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 153% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,065 per month in Benxi and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Benxi and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 164% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Benxi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Benxi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.