Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $784 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Jump to prices
🇨🇳 China
$784
/mo nomad
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,822
/mo nomad
🙂 Solo nomad: China is 49.4% cheaper than Seoul without rent, and 57% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: China is 51% cheaper than Seoul without rent, and 54.7% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
China
Seoul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.90 ¥19.39
$9.10 ₩12.2K
-68.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.02 ¥147
$67.0 ₩89.8K
-67.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.20 ¥34.74
$7.42 ₩9,941
-29.92%
Cappuccino
$3.04 ¥20.31
$4.08 ₩5,470
-25.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 ¥3.45
$1.60 ₩2,141
-67.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 ¥1.85
$0.80 ₩1,078
-65.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.01 ¥6.75
$3.65 ₩4,886
-72.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 ¥14.64
$5.94 ₩7,956
-63.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
China
Seoul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 ¥11.71
$2.05 ₩2,742
-14.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 ¥10.96
$3.08 ₩4,130
-46.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.92 ¥6.12
$4.21 ₩5,646
-78.15%
Eggs
$1.59 ¥10.66
$3.57 ₩4,784
-55.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.99 ¥86.8
$17.95 ₩24.1K
-27.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.35 ¥22.38
$10.64 ₩14.3K
-68.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.18 ¥74.7
$26.44 ₩35.4K
-57.72%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 ¥12.02
$7.42 ₩9,946
-75.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 ¥8.78
$3.53 ₩4,732
-62.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.47 ¥9.80
$5.87 ₩7,866
-74.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 ¥8.79
$6.37 ₩8,534
-79.28%
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 ¥5.07
$3.75 ₩5,028
-79.73%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 ¥6.15
$2.49 ₩3,337
-63.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 ¥3.94
$2.92 ₩3,911
-79.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 ¥3.63
$1.15 ₩1,542
-53.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.79 ¥25.34
$3.29 ₩4,408
15.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.14 ¥81.1
$18.49 ₩24.8K
-34.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 ¥5.48
$2.28 ₩3,057
-64.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 ¥10.92
$3.28 ₩4,398
-50.30%
🚌 Getting Around
China
Seoul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.93
$1.14 ₩1,526
-74.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.33 ¥149
$45.47 ₩60.9K
-50.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 ¥10.24
$3.48 ₩4,663
-56.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ¥2.31
$0.60 ₩803
-41.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.00 ¥46.79
$8.70 ₩11.7K
-19.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ¥8.77
$1.50 ₩2,004
-12.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.0K ¥127.1K
$29.1K ₩39.0M
-34.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.0K ¥113.7K
$28.2K ₩37.8M
-39.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
Seoul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$54.1 ¥362
$209 ₩279.9K
-74.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.42 ¥56.3
$35.13 ₩47.1K
-76.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.72 ¥71.6
$21.18 ₩28.4K
-49.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
China
Seoul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.72 ¥272
$57.3 ₩76.8K
-28.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.58 ¥97.4
$15.89 ₩21.3K
-8.24%
Cinema Ticket
$6.76 ¥45.15
$11.33 ₩15.2K
-40.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
China
Seoul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$462 ¥3,089
$1,902 ₩2.5M
-75.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K ¥131.0K
$22.5K ₩30.2M
-12.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
China
Seoul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.57 ¥305
$58.9 ₩78.9K
-22.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.05 ¥241
$32.12 ₩43.0K
12.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.4 ¥504
$70.1 ₩94.0K
7.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.0 ¥528
$82.5 ₩110.5K
-4.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
China
Seoul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$386 ¥2,577
$885 ₩1.2M
-56.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$240 ¥1,601
$624 ₩835.5K
-61.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$843 ¥5,637
$2,494 ₩3.3M
-66.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$461 ¥3,083
$1,275 ₩1.7M
-63.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,590 ¥30.7K
$29.8K ₩40.0M
-84.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,279 ¥15.2K
$11.8K ₩15.9M
-80.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
China
Seoul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,060 ¥7,082
$3,649 ₩4.9M
-70.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
4.08
-15.20%

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

Last update for China: October 4, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
China
$240
Seoul
$624 160% $384
Groceries & Markets
China
$207
Seoul
$479 131% $272
Clothing & Footwear
China
$106
Seoul
$110 3.2% $3.4
Eating Out
China
$88
Seoul
$184 109% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
$73
Seoul
$265 262% $192
Sport & Entertainment
China
$54
Seoul
$80 47.5% $26
Getting Around
China
$27
Seoul
$57 111% $30
Good to know
🇨🇳 China
🇰🇷 Seoul
🕒 Local time
10:27 10:27 AM
11:27 11:27 AM
1 h ahead of China
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,442,965,000
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 = 7.46 USD
10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →
On the map
Between locations
  • China Seoul 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • China
  • 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

China vs other spots: cost of living compared

🇨🇳 China
$784
/mo nomad
🇺🇸 United States
$2,785
/mo nomad
🇨🇳 China
$784
/mo nomad
🇮🇳 India
$380
/mo nomad
🇨🇳 China
$784
/mo nomad
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,199
/mo nomad
🇨🇳 China
$784
/mo nomad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$481
/mo nomad
Show more

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