Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chungju and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Chungju: $1,450 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Chungju
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Chungju Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Chungju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,450

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,450 per month in Chungju vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Chungju $1,450
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,312 per month in Chungju vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Chungju $2,312
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $3,173 per month in Chungju vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Chungju $3,173
Seoul $4,125

Chungju is about 22% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chungju and Seoul sit above the global median – Chungju by 7%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 ₩10.2K

$9.05 ₩12.0K

-14.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.08 ₩65.1K

$68.3 ₩90.7K

-28.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 ₩8,945

$7.35 ₩9,751

-8.30%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ₩4,802

$4.12 ₩5,464

-12.14%

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

$1.78 ₩2,366

$1.64 ₩2,181

8.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$0.81 ₩1,070

79.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 ₩4,941

$3.71 ₩4,921

0.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₩5,753

$6.13 ₩8,138

-29.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,075

$2.04 ₩2,709

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 ₩3,918

$3.21 ₩4,260

-8.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,101

$4.39 ₩5,822

-29.61%

Eggs

$2.66 ₩3,533

$3.59 ₩4,765

-25.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.8K

$18.23 ₩24.2K

-38.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.59 ₩10.1K

$10.51 ₩13.9K

-27.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.68 ₩32.8K

$26.89 ₩35.7K

-8.22%

Apples (1kg)

$8.96 ₩11.9K

$7.86 ₩10.4K

13.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.69 ₩4,896

$3.53 ₩4,683

4.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.96 ₩10.6K

$5.70 ₩7,569

39.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 ₩7,686

$6.18 ₩8,198

-6.31%

Potato (1kg)

$6.09 ₩8,079

$3.76 ₩4,993

61.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,496

$2.51 ₩3,333

35.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 ₩3,640

$2.82 ₩3,735

-2.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₩1,722

$1.11 ₩1,472

17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,365

$3.30 ₩4,379

-0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.95 ₩25.1K

$18.64 ₩24.7K

1.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,209

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 ₩3,932

$3.36 ₩4,456

-11.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,465

$1.19 ₩1,581

-7.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ₩4,798

$3.55 ₩4,713

1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ₩956

$0.60 ₩801

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.99 ₩22.5K

$9.08 ₩12.0K

87.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,895

$1.44 ₩1,908

-0.69%

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

$39.4K ₩52.3M

$30.3K ₩40.2M

30.32%

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

$34.5K ₩45.7M

$28.9K ₩38.3M

19.28%

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

$198 ₩262.5K

$213 ₩282.0K

-6.92%

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

$27.49 ₩36.5K

$35.83 ₩47.5K

-23.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.04 ₩35.9K

$21.39 ₩28.4K

26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ₩72.0K

$61.6 ₩81.8K

-11.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.29 ₩19.0K

$16.41 ₩21.8K

-12.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$11.42 ₩15.1K

4.12%

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

$629 ₩834.6K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-67.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ₩29.4M

$22.8K ₩30.2M

-2.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 ₩100.9K

$59.8 ₩79.3K

27.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.91 ₩50.3K

$34.19 ₩45.4K

10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 ₩97.7K

$66.0 ₩87.6K

11.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩149.8K

$81.9 ₩108.7K

37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₩641.5K

$924 ₩1.2M

-47.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₩465.7K

$659 ₩874.6K

-46.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-60.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ₩1.0M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-47.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,118 ₩9.4M

$27.2K ₩36.0M

-73.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,478 ₩7.3M

$11.3K ₩15.0M

-51.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,672 ₩2.2M

$3,570 ₩4.7M

-53.16%

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 Chungju: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chungju

$456 31.5%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 5.9% $27

Accommodation & Living

Chungju

$351 24.2%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 87.8% $308

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chungju

$252 17.4%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 6.9% $17

Eating Out

Chungju

$165 11.4%

Seoul

$184 10% 11.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Chungju

$135 9.3%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 19.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chungju

$78 5.4%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 8.2% $6.4

Getting Around

Chungju

$12 * 0.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 394% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $483 in Chungju versus $924 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seoul are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Chungju versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $456 vs $483 – making Chungju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Chungju

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

20:58 8:58 PM

Same time as Chungju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

208,529

9,509,458 Capital

💱 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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Chungju Seoul 110 km

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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

Chungju vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 27% more than Chungju, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,175 per month in Chungju and $2,771 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chungju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $483 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,450 in Chungju and $1,848 in Seoul. That’s a gap of about 27%.

Kindergarten costs $629 per month in Chungju and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,450 in Chungju and $1,848 in Seoul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chungju – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chungju. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.