Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheongju: $1,409 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
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Cheongju Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,409

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,409 in Cheongju versus $1,848 in Seoul.

Cheongju $1,409
Seoul $1,848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,329 in Cheongju versus $2,986 in Seoul.

Cheongju $2,329
Seoul $2,986

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Cheongju versus $4,125 in Seoul.

Cheongju $3,249
Seoul $4,125

Living in Cheongju costs roughly 24% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cheongju 4% above, Seoul 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 ₩9,963

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-17.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.95 ₩65.3K

$68.3 ₩91.1K

-28.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 ₩7,844

$7.35 ₩9,800

-20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.66 ₩4,875

$4.12 ₩5,491

-11.17%

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

$1.84 ₩2,458

$1.64 ₩2,192

12.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,861

$0.81 ₩1,075

72.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,872

$3.71 ₩4,946

-1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,776

$6.13 ₩8,179

-29.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩3,005

$2.04 ₩2,723

10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,340

$3.21 ₩4,281

1.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,074

$4.39 ₩5,851

-30.52%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,647

$3.59 ₩4,789

-23.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

$18.23 ₩24.3K

-38.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 ₩14.2K

$10.51 ₩14.0K

1.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.55 ₩32.7K

$26.89 ₩35.9K

-8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$11.40 ₩15.2K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

45.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,786

$3.53 ₩4,706

1.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.30 ₩11.1K

$5.70 ₩7,607

45.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ₩7,801

$6.18 ₩8,239

-5.34%

Potato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,788

$3.76 ₩5,018

55.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 ₩4,570

$2.51 ₩3,350

36.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,828

$2.82 ₩3,754

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,767

$1.11 ₩1,480

19.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ₩4,595

$3.30 ₩4,401

4.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.71 ₩25.0K

$18.64 ₩24.9K

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₩3,280

$2.42 ₩3,225

1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 ₩4,541

$3.36 ₩4,478

1.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,527

$1.19 ₩1,589

-3.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩4,669

$3.55 ₩4,737

-1.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₩1,014

$0.60 ₩805

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 ₩22.2K

$9.08 ₩12.1K

83.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,811

$1.44 ₩1,917

-5.56%

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

$39.0K ₩52.1M

$30.3K ₩40.4M

28.98%

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

$33.7K ₩45.0M

$28.9K ₩38.5M

16.75%

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

$205 ₩273.1K

$213 ₩283.4K

-3.64%

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

$24.30 ₩32.4K

$35.83 ₩47.8K

-32.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.72 ₩37.0K

$21.39 ₩28.5K

29.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ₩71.4K

$61.6 ₩82.2K

-13.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 ₩18.6K

$16.41 ₩21.9K

-14.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 ₩15.7K

$11.42 ₩15.2K

3.42%

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

$651 ₩867.5K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-66.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.1M

$22.8K ₩30.4M

-4.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.84 ₩49.1K

$59.8 ₩79.7K

-38.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 ₩87.1K

$34.19 ₩45.6K

91.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩125.2K

$66.0 ₩88.0K

42.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩151.0K

$81.9 ₩109.2K

38.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₩456.6K

$924 ₩1.2M

-62.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₩367.1K

$659 ₩879.0K

-58.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-60.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₩1.0M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-47.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,228 ₩9.6M

$27.2K ₩36.2M

-73.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,619 ₩7.5M

$11.3K ₩15.1M

-50.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,613 ₩3.5M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-26.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.08

3.43%

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

Last update for Cheongju: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cheongju

$488 34.6%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 0.9% $4.5

Accommodation & Living

Cheongju

$275 19.5%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 139% $384

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheongju

$257 18.2%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 5% $13

Eating Out

Cheongju

$161 11.4%

Seoul

$184 10% 14.4% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Cheongju

$139 9.9%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 21.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Cheongju

$77 5.5%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 9.4% $7.3

Getting Around

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 384% $46

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 $924 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Cheongju vs $68 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $488 vs $483, with Seoul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

Same time as Cheongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

835,669

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Cheongju vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Cheongju. 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: $342 in Cheongju versus $924 in Seoul. 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 $1,848 in Seoul – Cheongju is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $49 versus $68 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cheongju is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Cheongju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cheongju and Seoul are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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