Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Gimcheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,437 in Gimcheon, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. The total is higher in Gimcheon despite lower rent and utilities.

Jeju, South Korea
Gimcheon, South Korea
Jeju
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,118
/mo nomad
Gimcheon
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,437
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jeju and in Gimcheon

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 Gimcheon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,118 per month in Jeju vs $1,437 in Gimcheon, rent included.

  • Jeju $1,118
  • Gimcheon $1,437

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Jeju vs $2,340 in Gimcheon, rent included.

  • Jeju $1,917
  • Gimcheon $2,340

A family of three spends $2,715 per month in Jeju vs $3,242 in Gimcheon, rent included.

  • Jeju $2,715
  • Gimcheon $3,242

Jeju is about 22% cheaper than Gimcheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jeju sits 18% below the global median, while Gimcheon is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jeju
Gimcheon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.33 ₩9,840
$5.90 ₩7,917
24.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.9 ₩69.6K
$34.08 ₩45.8K
52.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 ₩7,538
$6.62 ₩8,895
-15.26%
Cappuccino
$5.87 ₩7,879
$3.59 ₩4,817
63.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 ₩2,941
$1.60 ₩2,142
36.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ₩2,769
$0.63 ₩846
226.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.93 ₩5,276
$3.40 ₩4,565
15.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 ₩4,125
$4.61 ₩6,186
-33.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jeju
Gimcheon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 ₩3,035
$2.32 ₩3,109
-2.59%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 ₩3,097
$3.21 ₩4,309
-28.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 ₩3,103
$2.24 ₩3,011
3.12%
Eggs
$2.62 ₩3,518
$3.39 ₩4,549
-22.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$15.60 ₩21.0K
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$7.82 ₩10.5K
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$11.25 ₩15.1K
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$7.61 ₩10.2K
-
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 ₩2,957
$3.34 ₩4,491
-34.13%
Oranges (1kg)
-
$7.73 ₩10.4K
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$6.84 ₩9,182
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.97 ₩3,983
$3.43 ₩4,603
-13.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 ₩2,510
$2.38 ₩3,192
-21.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 ₩3,055
$2.12 ₩2,845
7.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 ₩628
$1.35 ₩1,807
-65.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$3.42 ₩4,586
-
Wine (Bottle)
$11.48 ₩15.4K
$18.52 ₩24.9K
-38.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 ₩2,479
$2.23 ₩2,989
-17.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₩2,308
$3.86 ₩5,183
-55.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Jeju
Gimcheon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 ₩1,328
$1.12 ₩1,498
-11.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.04 ₩4,082
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.65 ₩878
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.92 ₩12.0K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 ₩1,846
$1.11 ₩1,492
23.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$29.3K ₩39.4M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$35.5K ₩47.7M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeju
Gimcheon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$214 ₩287.4K
$209 ₩281.1K
2.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.0 ₩72.5K
$42.72 ₩57.4K
26.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.65 ₩26.4K
$20.99 ₩28.2K
-6.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jeju
Gimcheon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$52.9 ₩71.0K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$13.50 ₩18.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$11.21 ₩15.1K
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jeju
Gimcheon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$304 ₩407.8K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.3K ₩34.0M
$18.1K ₩24.4M
39.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jeju
Gimcheon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.7 ₩70.7K
$66.4 ₩89.2K
-20.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.78 ₩40.0K
$63.2 ₩84.9K
-52.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.6 ₩89.4K
$74.4 ₩99.9K
-10.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.8 ₩121.9K
$100 ₩134.9K
-9.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jeju
Gimcheon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$461 ₩618.8K
$499 ₩670.5K
-7.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$388 ₩521.2K
$379 ₩509.3K
2.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,372 ₩1.8M
$1,349 ₩1.8M
1.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,192 ₩1.6M
$1,020 ₩1.4M
16.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.8K ₩14.5M
$8,129 ₩10.9M
32.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,659 ₩8.9M
$5,412 ₩7.3M
23.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jeju
Gimcheon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,883 ₩2.5M
$1,915 ₩2.6M
-1.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
4.1
-

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

Last update for Jeju: October 27, 2026

Last update for Gimcheon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Jeju
–
Gimcheon
$416
Accommodation & Living
Jeju
–
Gimcheon
$379
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeju
–
Gimcheon
$273
Eating Out
Jeju
–
Gimcheon
$145
Clothing & Footwear
Jeju
–
Gimcheon
$137
Sport & Entertainment
Jeju
–
Gimcheon
$75
Getting Around
Jeju
–
Gimcheon
$11 *

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $461 in Jeju versus $499 in Gimcheon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Jeju versus $34 in Gimcheon. Groceries tell a different story – $142 in Jeju vs $416 in Gimcheon – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Jeju
🇰🇷 Gimcheon
🕒 Local time
03:41 3:41 AM
03:41 3:41 AM
Same time as Jeju
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
469,279
143,056
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jeju Gimcheon 330 km
From you
  • Jeju
  • Gimcheon

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 Gimcheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jeju cheaper than Gimcheon?
Yes – Gimcheon is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,677 per month in Jeju and $2,155 in Gimcheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Jeju and Gimcheon?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $461 in Jeju and $499 in Gimcheon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do food prices compare in Jeju and in Gimcheon?
Groceries cost about 194% more in Gimcheon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Jeju or in Gimcheon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Jeju and $34 in Gimcheon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Jeju or in Gimcheon?
It depends on your priorities. Gimcheon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,118 in Jeju to $1,437 in Gimcheon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Jeju or Gimcheon?
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.

Jeju vs other spots: cost of living compared

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