Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Heyuan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Heyuan: $792 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Heyuan
Learn more

Heyuan Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Heyuan

🇨🇳 China

$792

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $792 per month in Heyuan vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Heyuan $792
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,284 per month in Heyuan vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Heyuan $1,284
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $1,776 per month in Heyuan vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Heyuan $1,776
Seoul $3,931

Heyuan is about 56% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Heyuan sits 42% below the global median, while Seoul is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 ¥20.44

$9.10 ₩12.1K

-66.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.30 ¥196

$66.7 ₩88.6K

-56.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.68

$7.49 ₩9,959

-28.70%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ¥20.47

$4.19 ₩5,569

-26.97%

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

$0.58 ¥3.87

$1.55 ₩2,067

-62.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.25

$0.79 ₩1,055

-56.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ¥9.11

$3.64 ₩4,846

-62.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥18.38

$6.14 ₩8,164

-55.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.95

$2.11 ₩2,811

-15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 ¥12.75

$3.05 ₩4,051

-37.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.39

$4.21 ₩5,599

-73.63%

Eggs

$1.52 ¥10.19

$3.54 ₩4,709

-57.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.29 ¥109

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-9.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 ¥34.37

$10.35 ₩13.8K

-50.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 ¥81.8

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-53.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ¥15.28

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-71.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$3.44 ₩4,578

-64.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.22

$5.64 ₩7,493

-75.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.89

$6.41 ₩8,517

-72.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.40

$3.71 ₩4,938

-74.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.92

$2.52 ₩3,345

-53.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ¥5.55

$2.87 ₩3,816

-71.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥4.44

$1.16 ₩1,536

-43.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥26.04

$3.37 ₩4,480

15.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 ¥71.1

$18.72 ₩24.9K

-43.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$2.28 ₩3,036

-55.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥12.71

$3.31 ₩4,397

-42.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$1.13 ₩1,497

-72.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.71 ¥118

$46.73 ₩62.1K

-62.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ¥12.32

$3.52 ₩4,684

-47.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.89

$0.64 ₩849

-32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 ¥48.04

$8.76 ₩11.7K

-17.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$1.45 ₩1,930

-8.28%

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

$19.2K ¥128.1K

$29.7K ₩39.4M

-35.43%

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

$17.7K ¥118.6K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-37.08%

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

$61.4 ¥410

$211 ₩280.4K

-70.90%

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

$16.39 ¥110

$35.36 ₩47.0K

-53.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.49 ¥96.9

$20.57 ₩27.4K

-29.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 ¥275

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-28.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.11 ¥101

$16.20 ₩21.5K

-6.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.54 ¥43.72

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-42.48%

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

$422 ¥2,823

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-78.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥163.4K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

7.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.24 ¥329

$57.5 ₩76.4K

-14.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.47 ¥277

$33.08 ₩44.0K

25.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 ¥542

$70.1 ₩93.2K

15.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 ¥467

$84.3 ₩112.0K

-17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 ¥2,026

$878 ₩1.2M

-65.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,218

$624 ₩829.7K

-70.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,165

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-75.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥2,507

$1,287 ₩1.7M

-70.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,487 ¥23.3K

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-88.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 ¥13.0K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-83.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,362 ¥9,104

$3,599 ₩4.8M

-62.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

4.08

-17.16%

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

Last update for Heyuan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Heyuan

$239 30.1%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 101% $241

Accommodation & Living

Heyuan

$182 23%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 243% $442

Clothing & Footwear

Heyuan

$109 13.7%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 1.3% $1.4

Eating Out

Heyuan

$93 11.8%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 99% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Heyuan

$92 11.6%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 189% $175

Sport & Entertainment

Heyuan

$54 6.9%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 48.3% $26

Getting Around

Heyuan

$23 2.9%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 152% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $303 in Heyuan 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 168% 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 $29.00 in Heyuan versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $477 – making Heyuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Heyuan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

18:42 6:42 PM

1 h ahead of Heyuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,953,019

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

Heyuan Seoul 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Heyuan
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

Heyuan vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $792 in Heyuan, $1,794 in Seoul – roughly 127% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,188 per month in Heyuan 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 Heyuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Heyuan and $68.0 in Seoul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heyuan, where all-in costs run around $792, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Heyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Heyuan – 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 Heyuan. 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.