Cost of Living Comparison Between China and South Korea Cost of Living Comparison Between China and South Korea

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in China versus $1,391 in South Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $2,185 in South Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $2,978 in South Korea.

Living in China costs about 48% less than in South Korea on average.

China (48% below) and South Korea (1% above) straddle the global median.

China ($468–$1,236) and South Korea ($1,043–$1,783) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$7.51 ₩10.1K

-60.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$44.70 ₩59.9K

-49.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$6.66 ₩8,926

-23.87%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$3.98 ₩5,343

-26.13%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$1.64 ₩2,195

-70.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.78 ₩1,047

-61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$3.69 ₩4,946

-71.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$4.45 ₩5,962

-49.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$2.18 ₩2,927

-17.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$2.88 ₩3,857

-40.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$3.36 ₩4,506

-71.43%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$3.21 ₩4,308

-49.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$14.62 ₩19.6K

-6.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$8.88 ₩11.9K

-61.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$24.65 ₩33.1K

-55.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$8.27 ₩11.1K

-78.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$3.44 ₩4,616

-62.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$6.32 ₩8,478

-76.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$5.87 ₩7,866

-77.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$3.93 ₩5,264

-81.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$2.80 ₩3,751

-66.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$2.69 ₩3,610

-77.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$1.17 ₩1,571

-52.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$3.27 ₩4,384

12.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$14.71 ₩19.7K

-19.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$2.14 ₩2,870

-61.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$2.99 ₩4,011

-44.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.08 ₩1,450

-73.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$45.55 ₩61.1K

-50.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$3.42 ₩4,588

-57.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.65 ₩867

-47.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$8.69 ₩11.7K

-16.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.32 ₩1,774

-6.82%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-34.44%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$30.2K ₩40.4M

-42.81%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$200 ₩268.7K

-72.32%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$39.60 ₩53.1K

-78.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$22.91 ₩30.7K

-52.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$56.2 ₩75.4K

-28.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$16.03 ₩21.5K

-7.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$11.10 ₩14.9K

-39.37%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$912 ₩1.2M

-50.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$23.0K ₩30.8M

-14.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$56.5 ₩75.8K

-20.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$43.05 ₩57.7K

-16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$77.7 ₩104.2K

-1.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$95.8 ₩128.4K

-19.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$587 ₩786.7K

-34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$406 ₩544.2K

-40.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$1,536 ₩2.1M

-45.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$900 ₩1.2M

-47.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$16.0K ₩21.4M

-71.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$8,144 ₩10.9M

-71.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$2,365 ₩3.2M

-55.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

4.21

-17.58%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for South Korea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $430 in South Korea. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $891 in Seoul.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $2,116 in South Korea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 46% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 95% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 42% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 145% higher in South Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

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 South Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $1,413 in South Korea, there's a 66% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Korea is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in South Korea it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; South Korea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.