Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiayi: $1,067 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
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Chiayi Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,067 in Chiayi versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Chiayi $1,067
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,503 in Chiayi versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Chiayi $1,503
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Chiayi versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Chiayi $1,940
Seoul $3,931

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 41% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 21% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 NT$157

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-45.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 NT$1,519

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-31.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 NT$185

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-24.40%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NT$109

$4.23 ₩5,624

-20.57%

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

$0.88 NT$28.58

$1.63 ₩2,167

-46.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.68

$0.74 ₩985

-9.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 NT$92.4

$3.64 ₩4,843

-21.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 NT$123

$6.15 ₩8,175

-38.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$101

$2.01 ₩2,679

54.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 NT$66.8

$3.13 ₩4,164

-34.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 NT$98.6

$4.32 ₩5,744

-29.63%

Eggs

$2.66 NT$86.3

$3.61 ₩4,794

-26.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.77 NT$641

$17.83 ₩23.7K

10.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 NT$316

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-6.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.98 NT$680

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-18.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 NT$158

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-36.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 NT$104

$3.38 ₩4,499

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$97.0

$5.81 ₩7,723

-48.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NT$148

$6.41 ₩8,520

-29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$90.9

$3.75 ₩4,983

-25.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 NT$76.3

$2.54 ₩3,375

-7.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$54.3

$2.84 ₩3,782

-40.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NT$37.04

$1.11 ₩1,472

2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 NT$130

$3.35 ₩4,455

19.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 NT$151

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-74.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.7

$2.40 ₩3,185

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NT$70.8

$3.37 ₩4,480

-35.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 NT$403

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-73.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NT$85.5

$3.49 ₩4,643

-24.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 NT$14.94

$0.63 ₩840

-26.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.66 NT$313

$8.86 ₩11.8K

9.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.43

$1.51 ₩2,005

-29.80%

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

$32.9K NT$1.1M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

12.23%

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

$24.5K NT$795.8K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-13.01%

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

$66.7 NT$2,164

$218 ₩289.2K

-69.32%

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

$17.52 NT$568

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-50.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.93 NT$873

$21.29 ₩28.3K

26.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 NT$1,032

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-45.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 NT$319

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-13.00%

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

$660 NT$21.4K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-66.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$543.4K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-26.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 NT$2,020

$57.0 ₩75.8K

9.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 NT$1,279

$33.39 ₩44.4K

18.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 NT$2,763

$71.5 ₩95.0K

19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,383

$82.5 ₩109.7K

26.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 NT$12.0K

$901 ₩1.2M

-58.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,194

$612 ₩813.5K

-58.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,179 NT$103.1K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-89.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 NT$61.9K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-83.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,110 NT$68.4K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-42.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

4.08

-41.18%

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

Last update for Chiayi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chiayi

$379 35.5%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 25.7% $98

Accommodation & Living

Chiayi

$253 23.7%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 142% $359

Clothing & Footwear

Chiayi

$131 12.3%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 16.1% $21

Eating Out

Chiayi

$124 11.6%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 48% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiayi

$111 10.4%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 146% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Chiayi

$51 4.8%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 56.7% $29

Getting Around

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 230% $40

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 $369 in Chiayi and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 73% 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: $47.00 in Chiayi vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $477 per month, with Chiayi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

13:28 1:28 PM

1 h ahead of Chiayi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,874

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 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 TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiayi Seoul 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiayi
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

Chiayi vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 73% 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: $369 in Chiayi versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,067 per month in Chiayi versus $1,794 in Seoul – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 271% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,067 in Chiayi versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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, Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.