Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hsinchu and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Hsinchu: $1,154 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Hsinchu
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Hsinchu Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,154

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,154 per month in Hsinchu vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,154
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,937 per month in Hsinchu vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,937
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $2,719 per month in Hsinchu vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Hsinchu $2,719
Seoul $3,931

Hsinchu is about 36% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hsinchu sits 15% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 NT$119

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-58.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.02 NT$909

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-59.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.64 NT$151

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-38.46%

Cappuccino

$2.95 NT$95.7

$4.23 ₩5,624

-30.26%

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

$0.97 NT$31.52

$1.63 ₩2,167

-40.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.26

$0.74 ₩985

-10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 NT$59.2

$3.64 ₩4,843

-49.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 NT$73.2

$6.15 ₩8,175

-63.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 NT$90.1

$2.01 ₩2,679

38.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 NT$53.5

$3.13 ₩4,164

-47.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 NT$150

$4.32 ₩5,744

6.71%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.3

$3.61 ₩4,794

-23.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.03 NT$1,168

$17.83 ₩23.7K

102.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 NT$217

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-35.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.15 NT$686

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-18.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.2

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-66.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NT$83.4

$3.38 ₩4,499

-23.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 NT$108

$5.81 ₩7,723

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.3

$6.41 ₩8,520

-53.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 NT$74.4

$3.75 ₩4,983

-38.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NT$74.2

$2.54 ₩3,375

-9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 NT$65.4

$2.84 ₩3,782

-28.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 NT$44.08

$1.11 ₩1,472

22.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$130

$3.35 ₩4,455

19.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 NT$407

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-32.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 NT$62.5

$2.40 ₩3,185

-19.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$77.8

$3.37 ₩4,480

-28.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.78

$1.14 ₩1,521

-46.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 NT$1,324

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-11.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 NT$100

$3.49 ₩4,643

-11.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 NT$9.63

$0.63 ₩840

-52.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NT$325

$8.86 ₩11.8K

13.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.34

$1.51 ₩2,005

-33.77%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

15.48%

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

$26.4K NT$857.3K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-6.28%

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

$103 NT$3,337

$218 ₩289.2K

-52.69%

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

$18.95 NT$614

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-46.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.99 NT$681

$21.29 ₩28.3K

-1.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 NT$1,649

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-12.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 NT$331

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-9.73%

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

$750 NT$24.3K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-61.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$533.0K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-28.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 NT$1,846

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-0.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 NT$1,156

$33.39 ₩44.4K

6.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 NT$2,579

$71.5 ₩95.0K

11.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,449

$82.5 ₩109.7K

28.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 NT$14.3K

$901 ₩1.2M

-51.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 NT$8,335

$612 ₩813.5K

-57.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NT$37.0K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-54.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 NT$24.5K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-40.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,071 NT$261.7K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-72.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,095 NT$197.6K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-48.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,506 NT$81.3K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-31.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

4.08

-47.79%

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

Last update for Hsinchu: 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

Hsinchu

$411 35.6%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 16.1% $66

Accommodation & Living

Hsinchu

$257 22.3%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 138% $355

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hsinchu

$143 12.4%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 91.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Hsinchu

$125 10.9%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 12.2% $15

Eating Out

Hsinchu

$99 8.6%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 86.1% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Hsinchu

$71 6.2%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 13.2% $9.4

Getting Around

Hsinchu

$48 4.2%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 19.8% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Hsinchu 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 46% 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 $28.00 in Hsinchu versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $477 – making Hsinchu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Hsinchu

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

14:43 2:43 PM

15:43 3:43 PM

1 h ahead of Hsinchu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

453,120

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 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 TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hsinchu Seoul 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hsinchu
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

Hsinchu vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 56% more than Hsinchu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,731 per month in Hsinchu 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 Hsinchu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Hsinchu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $750 per month in Hsinchu and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hsinchu, where all-in costs run around $1,154, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Hsinchu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hsinchu – 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 Hsinchu. 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.