Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guilin and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Guilin: $659 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Guilin
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Guilin Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Guilin

🇨🇳 China

$659

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $659 per month in Guilin vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Guilin $659
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Guilin vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Guilin $1,058
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $1,457 per month in Guilin vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Guilin $1,457
Seoul $3,931

Guilin is about 63% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Guilin sits 51% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.22 ¥14.85

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-74.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.16 ¥101

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-77.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 ¥20.39

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-59.55%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ¥14.32

$4.23 ₩5,624

-49.41%

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

$0.42 ¥2.81

$1.63 ₩2,167

-74.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.74 ₩985

-58.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 ¥5.40

$3.64 ₩4,843

-77.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.33

$6.15 ₩8,175

-65.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.77

$2.01 ₩2,679

-27.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$3.13 ₩4,164

-60.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$4.32 ₩5,744

-85.65%

Eggs

$1.83 ¥12.26

$3.61 ₩4,794

-49.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-25.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ¥22.86

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-67.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ¥74.8

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-56.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.74

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-80.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$3.38 ₩4,499

-65.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.92

$5.81 ₩7,723

-82.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.28

$6.41 ₩8,520

-85.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.90

$3.75 ₩4,983

-80.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$2.54 ₩3,375

-65.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ¥4.60

$2.84 ₩3,782

-75.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$1.11 ₩1,472

-61.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 ¥25.10

$3.35 ₩4,455

11.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 ¥88.0

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-28.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.63

$2.40 ₩3,185

-65.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.67

$3.37 ₩4,480

-56.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.14 ₩1,521

-74.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.97 ¥120

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-61.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 ¥8.73

$3.49 ₩4,643

-62.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.63 ₩840

-53.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 ¥52.1

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-12.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.10

$1.51 ₩2,005

-19.87%

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

$19.2K ¥128.5K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-34.33%

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

$17.4K ¥116.4K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-38.27%

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

$24.59 ¥164

$218 ₩289.2K

-88.70%

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

$4.89 ¥32.69

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-86.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.49 ¥76.8

$21.29 ₩28.3K

-46.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 ¥278

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-28.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.65 ¥98.0

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-9.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 ¥35.63

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-52.87%

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

$407 ¥2,719

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-79.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ¥105.5K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-30.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.52 ¥291

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-23.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 ¥212

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 ¥503

$71.5 ₩95.0K

5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 ¥496

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,967

$901 ₩1.2M

-67.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,226

$612 ₩813.5K

-70.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ¥4,173

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-75.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ¥2,486

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-70.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,334 ¥8,916

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-95.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,980 ¥13.2K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-83.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$497 ¥3,322

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-86.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.08

-17.65%

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

Last update for Guilin: 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

Guilin

$196 29.7%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 143% $281

Accommodation & Living

Guilin

$183 27.8%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 234% $428

Clothing & Footwear

Guilin

$101 15.3%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 8.9% $9

Eating Out

Guilin

$64 9.7%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 188% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Guilin

$52 7.9%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 54.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guilin

$41 6.2%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 569% $233

Getting Around

Guilin

$22 3.3%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 162% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Guilin versus $901 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 run about 635% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Guilin versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $477 – making Guilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Guilin

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

16:36 4:36 PM

1 h ahead of Guilin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,931,137

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 →

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Between locations

Guilin Seoul 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Guilin
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

Guilin vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 172%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $989 per month in Guilin and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guilin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Guilin and $68.0 in Seoul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $659 in Guilin and $1,794 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 172%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guilin, where all-in costs run around $659, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Guilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guilin – 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 Guilin. 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.