Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gimhae and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,107 a month against $1,553 in Gimhae, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. The total is higher in Gimhae despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Gimhae
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Gimhae Living Index

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Gimhae

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,553

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gimhae and in Jeju

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gimhae and in Jeju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,553 in Gimhae versus $1,107 in Jeju.

Gimhae $1,553
Jeju $1,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,462 in Gimhae versus $1,875 in Jeju.

Gimhae $2,462
Jeju $1,875

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,371 in Gimhae versus $2,643 in Jeju.

Gimhae $3,371
Jeju $2,643

Living in Gimhae is roughly 40% more expensive than in Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gimhae is 15% above, Jeju is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 ₩10.2K

$7.46 ₩10.0K

2.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.21 ₩66.0K

$51.4 ₩68.9K

-4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 ₩8,970

$5.64 ₩7,565

18.62%

Cappuccino

$3.76 ₩5,037

$6.14 ₩8,226

-38.76%

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

$1.87 ₩2,510

$2.28 ₩3,059

-17.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,865

$1.96 ₩2,622

-29.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 ₩5,041

$4.01 ₩5,369

-6.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₩5,882

$3.03 ₩4,057

44.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₩3,102

$2.22 ₩2,973

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,344

$2.17 ₩2,910

49.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,093

$2.17 ₩2,914

40.55%

Eggs

$2.61 ₩3,504

$2.68 ₩3,597

-2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 ₩14.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.45 ₩32.8K

Apples (1kg)

$10.94 ₩14.7K

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 ₩4,758

$2.19 ₩2,930

62.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.18 ₩11.0K

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,826

Potato (1kg)

$6.03 ₩8,079

$3.04 ₩4,072

98.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 ₩4,415

$1.89 ₩2,531

74.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 ₩3,686

$2.18 ₩2,919

26.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,785

$0.44 ₩589

202.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 ₩4,373

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 ₩25.0K

$11.13 ₩14.9K

67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₩3,174

$1.83 ₩2,458

29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$1.69 ₩2,263

108.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₩1,621

$1.01 ₩1,359

19.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ₩4,653

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩895

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.75 ₩19.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₩1,707

$1.32 ₩1,771

-3.79%

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

$39.7K ₩53.2M

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

$33.4K ₩44.8M

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

$195 ₩261.8K

$209 ₩280.4K

-6.64%

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

$36.82 ₩49.4K

$53.5 ₩71.7K

-31.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.09 ₩36.3K

$19.48 ₩26.1K

39.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.27 ₩62.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 ₩20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 ₩16.0K

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

$630 ₩844.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.2M

$25.0K ₩33.5M

-13.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₩137.1K

$51.7 ₩69.3K

97.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.2K

$29.62 ₩39.7K

119.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩125.9K

$66.2 ₩88.7K

41.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩169.9K

$87.9 ₩117.9K

44.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 ₩676.3K

$457 ₩613.1K

10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 ₩519.8K

$383 ₩513.4K

1.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 ₩1.6M

$1,330 ₩1.8M

-9.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₩1.1M

$1,129 ₩1.5M

-29.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,801 ₩10.5M

$10.4K ₩13.9M

-24.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,673 ₩7.6M

$6,701 ₩9.0M

-15.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,533 ₩3.4M

$1,825 ₩2.4M

38.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

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

Last update for Gimhae: November 3, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gimhae

$483 31.1%

Jeju

–

Accommodation & Living

Gimhae

$388 25%

Jeju

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gimhae

$259 16.7%

Jeju

–

Clothing & Footwear

Gimhae

$175 11.2%

Jeju

–

Eating Out

Gimhae

$167 10.7%

Jeju

–

Sport & Entertainment

Gimhae

$70 4.5%

Jeju

–

Getting Around

Gimhae

$12 * 0.8%

Jeju

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Gimhae and $457 in Jeju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays 39% 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: $49 in Gimhae vs $51 in Jeju. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $138, with Jeju cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gimhae

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

Same time as Gimhae

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

532,132

469,279

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Gimhae Jeju 290 km

From you

Gimhae
Jeju

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

Gimhae vs Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeju wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Gimhae. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jeju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Gimhae, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $505 in Gimhae versus $457 in Jeju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,553 per month in Gimhae versus $1,107 in Jeju – Jeju is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 250% higher in Gimhae. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,107 in Jeju versus $1,553 in Gimhae, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeju but tight or insufficient in Gimhae. The gap between the two cities makes Jeju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Safety-wise, Gimhae and Jeju are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Jeju wins on affordability, Gimhae on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.