Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Dalian: $895 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Dalian
Learn more

Dalian Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Dalian

🇨🇳 China

$895

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $895 in Dalian versus $1,822 in Seoul.

Dalian $895
Seoul $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,433 in Dalian versus $2,847 in Seoul.

Dalian $1,433
Seoul $2,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Dalian versus $3,872 in Seoul.

Dalian $1,970
Seoul $3,872

Living in Dalian costs roughly 51% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dalian is 33% below, Seoul is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 ¥24.25

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-60.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.88 ¥166

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-62.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥34.24

$7.42 ₩9,941

-31.00%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ¥22.04

$4.08 ₩5,470

-19.12%

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

$0.49 ¥3.30

$1.60 ₩2,141

-69.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.67

$0.80 ₩1,078

-68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$3.65 ₩4,886

-74.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$5.94 ₩7,956

-74.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.63

$2.05 ₩2,742

-22.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ¥9.52

$3.08 ₩4,130

-53.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$4.21 ₩5,646

-75.77%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.61

$3.57 ₩4,784

-55.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.36 ¥136

$17.95 ₩24.1K

13.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥23.10

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-67.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ¥87.2

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-50.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$7.42 ₩9,946

-82.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.52

$3.53 ₩4,732

-67.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ¥12.90

$5.87 ₩7,866

-67.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.96

$6.37 ₩8,534

-86.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.50

$3.75 ₩5,028

-78.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.77

$2.49 ₩3,337

-71.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 ¥9.00

$2.92 ₩3,911

-53.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$1.15 ₩1,542

-46.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 ¥25.08

$3.29 ₩4,408

13.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 ¥97.2

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ¥7.32

$2.28 ₩3,057

-51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥12.92

$3.28 ₩4,398

-41.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$1.14 ₩1,526

-72.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.05 ¥201

$45.47 ₩60.9K

-33.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$3.48 ₩4,663

-56.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.60 ₩803

-28.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 ¥26.60

$8.70 ₩11.7K

-54.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.43

$1.50 ₩2,004

-16.00%

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

$19.6K ¥130.8K

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-32.79%

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

$17.5K ¥117.0K

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-37.91%

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

$63.8 ¥426

$209 ₩279.9K

-69.48%

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

$9.13 ¥61.0

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-74.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.34 ¥89.1

$21.18 ₩28.4K

-37.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.35 ¥270

$57.3 ₩76.8K

-29.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.04 ¥241

$15.89 ₩21.3K

126.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 ¥45.75

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-39.54%

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

$393 ¥2,627

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-79.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K ¥137.9K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-8.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 ¥504

$58.9 ₩78.9K

28.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ¥367

$32.12 ₩43.0K

70.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ¥762

$70.1 ₩94.0K

62.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ¥784

$82.5 ₩110.5K

42.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ¥2,684

$885 ₩1.2M

-54.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 ¥1,628

$624 ₩835.5K

-60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 ¥4,688

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ¥2,971

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-65.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,684 ¥17.9K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-91.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,585 ¥10.6K

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-86.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,090 ¥7,287

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-70.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

4.08

-4.66%

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

Last update for Dalian: 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

Dalian

$244 26.6%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 156% $380

Groceries & Markets

Dalian

$239 26.1%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 101% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Dalian

$163 17.8%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 32.6% $53

Eating Out

Dalian

$95 10.3%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 94.2% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dalian

$86 9.4%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 208% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Dalian

$54 5.9%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 48% $26

Getting Around

Dalian

$35 3.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 61.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in Dalian and $885 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 235% 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: $25.00 in Dalian vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $479 per month, with Dalian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Dalian

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:20 4:20 PM

17:20 5:20 PM

1 h ahead of Dalian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,450,785

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dalian Seoul 490 km

From you

Dalian
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

Dalian vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dalian and Seoul differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($895 vs $1,822 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 235% 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: $402 in Dalian versus $885 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $393 in Dalian versus $1,902 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $895 in Dalian versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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, Dalian 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 Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.