Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Icheon and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,599 in Icheon, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index

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Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,599

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Icheon vs $1,118 in Jeju, rent included.

Icheon $1,599
Jeju $1,118

A couple spends around $2,052 per month in Icheon vs $1,917 in Jeju, rent included.

Icheon $2,052
Jeju $1,917

A family of three spends $2,506 per month in Icheon vs $2,715 in Jeju, rent included.

Icheon $2,506
Jeju $2,715

Icheon costs about 43% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Icheon sits 17% above the global median, while Jeju is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 ₩8,370

$7.33 ₩9,822

-14.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.61 ₩66.5K

$51.9 ₩69.5K

-4.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 ₩8,909

$5.61 ₩7,525

18.54%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩4,913

$5.87 ₩7,865

-37.48%

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

$1.33 ₩1,785

$2.19 ₩2,935

-39.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₩1,578

$2.06 ₩2,764

-42.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 ₩5,171

$3.93 ₩5,266

-1.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ₩5,677

$3.07 ₩4,118

38.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ₩3,074

$2.26 ₩3,029

1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₩4,276

$2.31 ₩3,091

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 ₩4,178

$2.31 ₩3,097

35.06%

Eggs

$2.65 ₩3,557

$2.62 ₩3,512

1.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 ₩15.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 ₩14.4K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.00 ₩33.5K

Apples (1kg)

$11.46 ₩15.4K

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,818

$2.20 ₩2,951

63.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.97 ₩10.7K

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 ₩8,153

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 ₩7,896

$2.97 ₩3,976

98.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 ₩4,430

$1.87 ₩2,505

77.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,808

$2.28 ₩3,050

24.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,801

$0.47 ₩627

185.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,587

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ₩25.2K

$11.48 ₩15.4K

63.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₩3,255

$1.85 ₩2,475

31.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₩4,623

$1.72 ₩2,304

100.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,480

$0.99 ₩1,326

11.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,717

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₩988

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 ₩23.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,905

$1.37 ₩1,842

3.65%

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

$40.4K ₩54.1M

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

$33.6K ₩45.1M

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

$205 ₩275.4K

$214 ₩286.8K

-3.98%

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

$36.50 ₩48.9K

$54.0 ₩72.3K

-32.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 ₩36.9K

$19.65 ₩26.3K

39.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.67 ₩30.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 ₩15.4K

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

$631 ₩845.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.9M

$25.3K ₩33.9M

-11.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 ₩142.8K

$52.7 ₩70.6K

102.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ₩86.9K

$29.78 ₩39.9K

117.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 ₩126.2K

$66.6 ₩89.2K

41.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩170.0K

$90.8 ₩121.6K

39.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ₩1.0M

$461 ₩617.7K

65.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₩608.4K

$388 ₩520.3K

16.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 ₩1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ₩1.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ₩14.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,659 ₩8.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,314 ₩3.1M

$1,883 ₩2.5M

22.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

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

Last update for Icheon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Icheon

$490 30.6%

Jeju

–

Accommodation & Living

Icheon

$454 28.4%

Jeju

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Icheon

$269 16.9%

Jeju

–

Clothing & Footwear

Icheon

$177 11%

Jeju

–

Eating Out

Icheon

$152 9.5%

Jeju

–

Sport & Entertainment

Icheon

$46 2.9%

Jeju

–

Getting Around

Icheon

$12 * 0.7%

Jeju

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Icheon versus $461 in Jeju. 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 23% higher in Icheon, 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 $50 in Icheon versus $52 in Jeju. Groceries tell a different story – $490 in Icheon vs $142 in Jeju – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Icheon

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

15:27 3:27 PM

Same time as Icheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

213,059

469,279

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Icheon vs Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Icheon is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,398 per month in Icheon and $1,677 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $461 there versus $763 in Icheon.

Groceries cost about 246% more in Icheon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Icheon and $52 in Jeju. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,118, than in Icheon at $1,599. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Icheon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Jeju. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Icheon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.