Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Changwon

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,529 in Changwon, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. The total is higher in Changwon despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Changwon
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Changwon Living Index

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Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Changwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jeju and in Changwon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jeju and in Changwon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,118 in Jeju versus $1,529 in Changwon.

Jeju $1,118
Changwon $1,529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,917 in Jeju versus $2,381 in Changwon.

Jeju $1,917
Changwon $2,381

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Jeju versus $3,233 in Changwon.

Jeju $2,715
Changwon $3,233

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Jeju is 18% below, Changwon is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 ₩9,840

$7.34 ₩9,862

-0.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 ₩69.6K

$27.81 ₩37.3K

86.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ₩7,538

$5.34 ₩7,167

5.06%

Cappuccino

$5.87 ₩7,879

$3.78 ₩5,079

55.29%

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

$2.19 ₩2,941

$1.87 ₩2,513

17.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₩2,769

$1.01 ₩1,359

103.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ₩5,276

$3.02 ₩4,050

30.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₩4,125

$4.37 ₩5,870

-29.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,035

$2.35 ₩3,161

-3.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 ₩3,097

$3.24 ₩4,357

-28.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₩3,103

$3.20 ₩4,303

-27.81%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,518

$2.63 ₩3,538

-0.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 ₩14.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.38 ₩34.1K

Apples (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.3K

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,957

$3.73 ₩5,009

-41.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.96 ₩10.7K

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 ₩7,874

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 ₩3,983

$5.95 ₩7,991

-50.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₩2,510

$3.38 ₩4,535

-44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 ₩3,055

$2.85 ₩3,831

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩628

$1.32 ₩1,778

-64.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,520

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 ₩15.4K

$18.88 ₩25.4K

-39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₩2,479

$2.47 ₩3,317

-25.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₩2,308

$3.38 ₩4,539

-49.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ₩1,328

$1.16 ₩1,558

-14.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 ₩4,008

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,052

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.79 ₩22.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,846

$1.36 ₩1,830

0.74%

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

$39.0K ₩52.4M

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

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

$214 ₩287.4K

$200 ₩268.3K

7.09%

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

$54.0 ₩72.5K

$36.15 ₩48.5K

49.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.65 ₩26.4K

$27.46 ₩36.9K

-28.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₩71.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 ₩19.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 ₩15.2K

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

$646 ₩867.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K ₩34.0M

$21.5K ₩28.8M

17.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₩70.7K

$104 ₩140.3K

-49.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.78 ₩40.0K

$65.5 ₩88.0K

-54.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 ₩89.4K

$92.3 ₩124.0K

-27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ₩121.9K

$129 ₩172.6K

-29.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₩618.8K

$484 ₩649.8K

-4.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 ₩521.2K

$356 ₩478.0K

9.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 ₩1.8M

$1,160 ₩1.6M

18.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ₩1.6M

$756 ₩1.0M

57.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ₩14.5M

$7,009 ₩9.4M

53.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,659 ₩8.9M

$5,457 ₩7.3M

22.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 ₩2.5M

$1,713 ₩2.3M

9.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

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

Last update for Jeju: October 27, 2026

Last update for Changwon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

–

Changwon

$491 32.1%

Accommodation & Living

Jeju

–

Changwon

$356 23.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

–

Changwon

$263 17.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

–

Changwon

$176 11.5%

Eating Out

Jeju

–

Changwon

$156 10.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

–

Changwon

$76 5%

Getting Around

Jeju

–

Changwon

$12 * 0.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $461 in Jeju and $484 in Changwon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeju pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52 in Jeju vs $28 in Changwon. Groceries flip the comparison at $142 vs $491, with Jeju cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇰🇷 Changwon

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

Same time as Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

1,055,839

💱 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

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Between locations

Jeju Changwon 280 km

From you

Jeju
Changwon

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

Jeju vs Changwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,118 in Jeju and $1,529 in Changwon, so Jeju is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Jeju, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $461 in Jeju versus $484 in Changwon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changwon – a meal for two runs $28 versus $52 in Jeju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,118 per month in Jeju versus $1,529 in Changwon – Jeju is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,118 in Jeju versus $1,529 in Changwon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeju but tight or insufficient in Changwon. The gap between the two cities makes Jeju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Safety-wise, Jeju and Changwon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.