Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,409 in Cheongju, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in Cheongju despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
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Cheongju Living Index

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Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,409

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cheongju and in Jeju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,409 in Cheongju versus $1,118 in Jeju.

Cheongju $1,409
Jeju $1,118

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,329 in Cheongju versus $1,917 in Jeju.

Cheongju $2,329
Jeju $1,917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Cheongju versus $2,715 in Jeju.

Cheongju $3,249
Jeju $2,715

Living in Cheongju is roughly 26% more expensive than in Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheongju is 4% above, Jeju is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 ₩9,913

$7.33 ₩9,724

1.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.95 ₩64.9K

$51.9 ₩68.8K

-5.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 ₩7,805

$5.61 ₩7,449

4.81%

Cappuccino

$3.66 ₩4,851

$5.87 ₩7,786

-37.65%

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

$1.84 ₩2,446

$2.19 ₩2,906

-15.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,852

$2.06 ₩2,736

-32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,848

$3.93 ₩5,213

-7.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,747

$3.07 ₩4,077

41.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩2,990

$2.26 ₩2,999

-0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,319

$2.31 ₩3,060

40.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,054

$2.31 ₩3,066

32.03%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,629

$2.62 ₩3,476

4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 ₩14.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.55 ₩32.6K

Apples (1kg)

$11.40 ₩15.1K

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,762

$2.20 ₩2,922

63.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.30 ₩11.0K

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ₩7,762

Potato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,749

$2.97 ₩3,936

96.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 ₩4,548

$1.87 ₩2,480

83.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,808

$2.28 ₩3,019

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,758

$0.47 ₩620

182.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ₩4,572

Wine (Bottle)

$18.71 ₩24.8K

$11.48 ₩15.2K

62.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₩3,263

$1.85 ₩2,450

32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 ₩4,518

$1.72 ₩2,280

97.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,519

$0.99 ₩1,313

16.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩4,646

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₩1,009

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 ₩22.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,802

$1.37 ₩1,824

-0.73%

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

$39.0K ₩51.8M

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

$33.7K ₩44.8M

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

$205 ₩271.7K

$214 ₩284.0K

-4.30%

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

$24.30 ₩32.2K

$54.0 ₩71.6K

-54.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.72 ₩36.8K

$19.65 ₩26.1K

41.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ₩71.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 ₩18.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 ₩15.7K

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

$651 ₩863.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.0M

$25.3K ₩33.6M

-13.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.84 ₩48.9K

$52.7 ₩69.9K

-30.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 ₩86.7K

$29.78 ₩39.5K

119.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩124.5K

$66.6 ₩88.3K

40.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩150.3K

$90.8 ₩120.4K

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₩454.3K

$461 ₩611.4K

-25.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₩365.3K

$388 ₩515.1K

-29.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ₩1.6M

$1,372 ₩1.8M

-12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₩1.0M

$1,192 ₩1.6M

-36.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,228 ₩9.6M

$10.8K ₩14.3M

-32.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,619 ₩7.5M

$6,659 ₩8.8M

-15.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,613 ₩3.5M

$1,883 ₩2.5M

38.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

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

Last update for Cheongju: October 27, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cheongju

$488 34.6%

Jeju

–

Accommodation & Living

Cheongju

$275 19.5%

Jeju

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheongju

$257 18.2%

Jeju

–

Eating Out

Cheongju

$161 11.4%

Jeju

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cheongju

$139 9.9%

Jeju

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cheongju

$77 5.5%

Jeju

–

Getting Around

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8%

Jeju

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in Cheongju and $461 in Jeju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Cheongju vs $52 in Jeju. Groceries flip the comparison at $488 vs $142, with Jeju cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

Same time as Cheongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

835,669

469,279

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Cheongju vs Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeju wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Cheongju. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jeju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Cheongju, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $342 in Cheongju versus $461 in Jeju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,409 per month in Cheongju versus $1,118 in Jeju – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 245% higher in Cheongju. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

It comes down to priorities – Jeju wins on affordability, Cheongju on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.