Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Gwangju: $1,341 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
Learn more

Gwangju Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,341

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Gwangju versus $1,848 in Seoul.

Gwangju $1,341
Seoul $1,848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,048 in Gwangju versus $2,986 in Seoul.

Gwangju $2,048
Seoul $2,986

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,756 in Gwangju versus $4,125 in Seoul.

Gwangju $2,756
Seoul $4,125

Living in Gwangju costs roughly 27% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gwangju is 2% below, Seoul is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.02 ₩8,080

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-33.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.32 ₩46.1K

$68.3 ₩91.8K

-49.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₩7,817

$7.35 ₩9,868

-20.82%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ₩4,258

$4.12 ₩5,530

-23.06%

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

$1.59 ₩2,141

$1.64 ₩2,207

-3.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩848

$0.81 ₩1,083

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₩3,197

$3.71 ₩4,980

-35.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 ₩6,170

$6.13 ₩8,236

-25.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ₩2,312

$2.04 ₩2,742

-15.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 ₩3,348

$3.21 ₩4,311

-22.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,075

$4.39 ₩5,892

-47.84%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,541

$3.59 ₩4,822

-26.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-51.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 ₩10.5K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-25.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ₩15.0K

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-58.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₩6,934

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-34.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,050

$3.53 ₩4,739

-14.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 ₩5,000

$5.70 ₩7,660

-34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,144

$6.18 ₩8,296

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,835

$3.76 ₩5,053

-4.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,541

$2.51 ₩3,373

-24.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 ₩2,838

$2.82 ₩3,780

-25.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,725

$1.11 ₩1,490

15.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₩4,515

$3.30 ₩4,432

1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 ₩15.0K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

-39.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₩2,031

$2.42 ₩3,248

-37.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₩3,100

$3.36 ₩4,509

-31.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₩1,351

$1.19 ₩1,600

-15.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 ₩92.4K

$46.13 ₩61.9K

49.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ₩4,102

$3.55 ₩4,770

-13.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩854

$0.60 ₩810

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ₩10.5K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

-13.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,617

$1.44 ₩1,931

-16.67%

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

$28.1K ₩37.7M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-7.27%

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

$35.2K ₩47.3M

$28.9K ₩38.8M

21.89%

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

$212 ₩284.5K

$213 ₩285.4K

-0.32%

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

$44.13 ₩59.3K

$35.83 ₩48.1K

23.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 ₩27.7K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

-3.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ₩74.3K

$61.6 ₩82.8K

-10.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.36 ₩19.3K

$16.41 ₩22.0K

-12.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 ₩15.0K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

-1.93%

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

$299 ₩401.2K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-84.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₩23.5M

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-23.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.50 ₩43.6K

$59.8 ₩80.3K

-45.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.36 ₩35.4K

$34.19 ₩45.9K

-22.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 ₩85.8K

$66.0 ₩88.6K

-3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ₩120.7K

$81.9 ₩110.0K

9.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 ₩682.6K

$924 ₩1.2M

-44.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ₩496.4K

$659 ₩885.1K

-43.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-61.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₩998.6K

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-48.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,980 ₩10.7M

$27.2K ₩36.5M

-70.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,343 ₩8.5M

$11.3K ₩15.2M

-43.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,834 ₩3.8M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-20.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

4.08

-11.76%

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

Last update for Gwangju: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gwangju

$370 27.6%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 78.3% $289

Groceries & Markets

Gwangju

$308 23%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 56.9% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gwangju

$277 20.6%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 2.5% $6.9

Eating Out

Gwangju

$134 10%

Seoul

$184 10% 38% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Gwangju

$96 7.1%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 13.7% $13

Getting Around

Gwangju

$79 5.9%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 27.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Gwangju

$78 5.8%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 8.6% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Gwangju and $924 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 26% 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: $34 in Gwangju vs $68 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $483 per month, with Gwangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

Same time as Gwangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,467,996

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gwangju Seoul 270 km

From you

Gwangju
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

Gwangju vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Gwangju. 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: $508 in Gwangju versus $924 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $34 versus $68 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,341 per month in Gwangju versus $1,848 in Seoul – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,341 in Gwangju versus $1,848 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gwangju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gwangju 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.

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