Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Datong and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Datong: $715 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Datong
Learn more

Datong Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Datong

🇨🇳 China

$715

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Datong versus $1,804 in Seoul.

Datong $715
Seoul $1,804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in Datong versus $2,877 in Seoul.

Datong $1,133
Seoul $2,877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in Datong versus $3,950 in Seoul.

Datong $1,551
Seoul $3,950

Living in Datong costs roughly 60% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Datong is 47% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.50

$9.10 ₩12.1K

-69.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.44 ¥143

$66.7 ₩88.6K

-67.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 ¥32.98

$7.49 ₩9,959

-34.18%

Cappuccino

$3.05 ¥20.42

$4.19 ₩5,569

-27.21%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$1.55 ₩2,067

-69.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.79 ₩1,055

-65.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$3.64 ₩4,846

-74.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.76

$6.14 ₩8,164

-66.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.16

$2.11 ₩2,811

-13.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$3.05 ₩4,051

-46.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.92

$4.21 ₩5,599

-78.86%

Eggs

$1.55 ¥10.36

$3.54 ₩4,709

-56.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 ¥84.2

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-30.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 ¥21.62

$10.35 ₩13.8K

-68.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 ¥67.7

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-61.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.52

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-76.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.39

$3.44 ₩4,578

-63.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.83

$5.64 ₩7,493

-73.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.68

$6.41 ₩8,517

-82.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$3.71 ₩4,938

-80.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$2.52 ₩3,345

-63.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.77

$2.87 ₩3,816

-80.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.44

$1.16 ₩1,536

-56.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ¥21.22

$3.37 ₩4,480

-5.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 ¥71.6

$18.72 ₩24.9K

-42.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.29

$2.28 ₩3,036

-65.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.69

$3.31 ₩4,397

-51.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$1.13 ₩1,497

-76.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.82 ¥112

$46.73 ₩62.1K

-64.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.48

$3.52 ₩4,684

-59.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.64 ₩849

-48.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 ¥45.96

$8.76 ₩11.7K

-21.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.83

$1.45 ₩1,930

-19.31%

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

$19.4K ¥129.6K

$29.7K ₩39.4M

-34.65%

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

$17.4K ¥116.3K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-38.30%

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

$44.62 ¥298

$211 ₩280.4K

-78.84%

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

$9.53 ¥63.7

$35.36 ₩47.0K

-73.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.92 ¥79.7

$20.57 ₩27.4K

-42.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 ¥283

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-26.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.88 ¥92.8

$16.20 ₩21.5K

-14.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 ¥39.05

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-48.64%

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

$329 ¥2,198

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-83.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ¥110.5K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

-27.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.27 ¥296

$57.5 ₩76.4K

-22.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.48 ¥204

$33.08 ₩44.0K

-7.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ¥478

$70.1 ₩93.2K

1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.7 ¥473

$84.3 ₩112.0K

-16.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 ¥1,890

$878 ₩1.2M

-67.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ¥1,289

$624 ₩829.7K

-69.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ¥3,999

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-76.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,424

$1,287 ₩1.7M

-71.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,069 ¥20.5K

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-89.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,036 ¥13.6K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-82.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

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 Datong: October 18, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Datong

$198 27.7%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 142% $282

Accommodation & Living

Datong

$193 27%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 224% $431

Clothing & Footwear

Datong

$98 13.7%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 12.9% $13

Eating Out

Datong

$85 11.9%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 117% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Datong

$66 9.2%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 304% $201

Sport & Entertainment

Datong

$54 7.6%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 49% $26

Getting Around

Datong

$21 2.9%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 177% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Datong and $878 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Datong vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $480 per month, with Datong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Datong

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

07:36 7:36 AM

1 h ahead of Datong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,318,057

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 = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 20, 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Datong Seoul 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Datong
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

Datong vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 152% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,072 in Datong and $2,707 in Seoul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $283 in Datong versus $878 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Datong versus $1,967 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 142% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $715 in Datong versus $1,804 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Datong 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, Datong 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 Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.