Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foshan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Foshan versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Foshan $777
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,242 in Foshan versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Foshan $1,242
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,708 in Foshan versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Foshan $1,708
Seoul $3,931

Living in Foshan costs roughly 57% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Foshan is 42% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ¥25.26

$8.80 ₩11.8K

-57.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.79 ¥152

$68.4 ₩91.6K

-66.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥34.20

$7.54 ₩10.1K

-32.23%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥20.51

$4.23 ₩5,664

-27.42%

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

$0.52 ¥3.49

$1.63 ₩2,182

-68.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.74 ₩992

-58.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$3.64 ₩4,878

-66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$6.15 ₩8,233

-69.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ¥11.11

$2.01 ₩2,698

-17.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$3.13 ₩4,194

-64.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.16

$4.32 ₩5,785

-78.70%

Eggs

$1.70 ¥11.38

$3.61 ₩4,828

-52.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 ¥112

$17.83 ₩23.9K

-6.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ¥26.18

$10.45 ₩14.0K

-62.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 ¥71.5

$25.80 ₩34.6K

-58.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ¥20.16

$7.66 ₩10.3K

-60.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$3.38 ₩4,531

-62.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.69

$5.81 ₩7,778

-67.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.92

$6.41 ₩8,580

-74.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$3.75 ₩5,018

-70.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.39

$2.54 ₩3,400

-62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.26

$2.84 ₩3,809

-77.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$1.11 ₩1,483

-54.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ¥14.90

$3.35 ₩4,487

-33.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ¥68.4

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-44.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$2.40 ₩3,208

-61.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.13

$3.37 ₩4,512

-55.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.14 ₩1,531

-72.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 ¥71.0

$46.11 ₩61.7K

-76.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$3.49 ₩4,677

-56.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.63 ₩846

-25.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ¥58.9

$8.86 ₩11.9K

-0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.19

$1.51 ₩2,020

-19.21%

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

$21.3K ¥142.3K

$29.3K ₩39.2M

-27.30%

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

$16.2K ¥108.3K

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-42.59%

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

$84.5 ¥565

$218 ₩291.3K

-61.14%

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

$7.92 ¥53.0

$35.15 ₩47.1K

-77.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.69 ¥105

$21.29 ₩28.5K

-26.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ¥477

$58.1 ₩77.8K

22.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.83 ¥159

$16.10 ₩21.6K

48.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ¥35.51

$11.31 ₩15.1K

-53.05%

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

$457 ¥3,055

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-76.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ¥155.8K

$22.9K ₩30.6M

1.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.21 ¥282

$57.0 ₩76.4K

-26.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.76 ¥125

$33.39 ₩44.7K

-43.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 ¥415

$71.5 ₩95.7K

-13.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 ¥614

$82.5 ₩110.5K

11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 ¥2,032

$901 ₩1.2M

-66.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ¥1,061

$612 ₩819.3K

-74.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,983

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-76.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ¥2,280

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-73.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 ¥28.9K

$29.4K ₩39.4M

-85.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 ¥12.5K

$11.9K ₩15.9M

-84.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$802 ¥5,363

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-78.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

4.08

-6.13%

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

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Foshan

$220 28.4%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 116% $256

Accommodation & Living

Foshan

$159 20.4%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 286% $453

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foshan

$108 13.9%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 153% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Foshan

$97 12.4%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 13.8% $13

Eating Out

Foshan

$96 12.3%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 92.3% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Foshan

$82 10.6%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 1.6% $1.3

Getting Around

Foshan

$16 2%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 264% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $304 in Foshan and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 355% 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: $23.00 in Foshan vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $477 per month, with Foshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Foshan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

1 h ahead of Foshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,498,863

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1,339 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,499 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Foshan Seoul 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Foshan
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

Foshan vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 355% 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: $304 in Foshan versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 334% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Foshan versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $777 in Foshan versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan 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, Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.