Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Gimhae

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,107 a month against $1,553 in Gimhae, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. The total is higher in Gimhae despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Gimhae
Learn more

Gimhae Living Index

Jump to prices

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,107

/mo nomad

Gimhae

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,553

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jeju and in Gimhae

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,107 in Jeju versus $1,553 in Gimhae.

Jeju $1,107
Gimhae $1,553

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,875 in Jeju versus $2,462 in Gimhae.

Jeju $1,875
Gimhae $2,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,643 in Jeju versus $3,371 in Gimhae.

Jeju $2,643
Gimhae $3,371

Living in Jeju costs roughly 29% less than in Gimhae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jeju is 18% below, Gimhae is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 ₩10.0K

$7.61 ₩10.2K

-1.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 ₩68.9K

$49.21 ₩66.0K

4.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 ₩7,565

$6.69 ₩8,970

-15.70%

Cappuccino

$6.14 ₩8,226

$3.76 ₩5,037

63.30%

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

$2.28 ₩3,059

$1.87 ₩2,510

21.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₩2,622

$1.39 ₩1,865

41.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 ₩5,369

$3.76 ₩5,041

6.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₩4,057

$4.39 ₩5,882

-30.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩2,973

$2.31 ₩3,102

-3.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 ₩2,910

$3.24 ₩4,344

-33.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ₩2,914

$3.05 ₩4,093

-28.85%

Eggs

$2.68 ₩3,597

$2.61 ₩3,504

2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 ₩14.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.45 ₩32.8K

Apples (1kg)

$10.94 ₩14.7K

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ₩2,930

$3.55 ₩4,758

-38.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.18 ₩11.0K

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,826

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 ₩4,072

$6.03 ₩8,079

-49.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,531

$3.29 ₩4,415

-42.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₩2,919

$2.75 ₩3,686

-20.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₩589

$1.33 ₩1,785

-66.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 ₩4,373

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 ₩14.9K

$18.65 ₩25.0K

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₩2,458

$2.37 ₩3,174

-22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₩2,263

$3.53 ₩4,732

-52.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₩1,359

$1.21 ₩1,621

-16.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ₩4,653

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩895

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.75 ₩19.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,771

$1.27 ₩1,707

3.94%

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

$39.7K ₩53.2M

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

$33.4K ₩44.8M

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

$209 ₩280.4K

$195 ₩261.8K

7.11%

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

$53.5 ₩71.7K

$36.82 ₩49.4K

45.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.48 ₩26.1K

$27.09 ₩36.3K

-28.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.27 ₩62.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 ₩20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 ₩16.0K

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

$630 ₩844.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K ₩33.5M

$21.8K ₩29.2M

15.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 ₩69.3K

$102 ₩137.1K

-49.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.62 ₩39.7K

$65.1 ₩87.2K

-54.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 ₩88.7K

$93.9 ₩125.9K

-29.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.9 ₩117.9K

$127 ₩169.9K

-30.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 ₩613.1K

$505 ₩676.3K

-9.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 ₩513.4K

$388 ₩519.8K

-1.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 ₩1.8M

$1,203 ₩1.6M

10.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 ₩1.5M

$801 ₩1.1M

40.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K ₩13.9M

$7,801 ₩10.5M

32.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,701 ₩9.0M

$5,673 ₩7.6M

18.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,825 ₩2.4M

$2,533 ₩3.4M

-27.97%

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 31, 2026

Last update for Gimhae: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

–

Gimhae

$483 31.1%

Accommodation & Living

Jeju

–

Gimhae

$388 25%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

–

Gimhae

$259 16.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

–

Gimhae

$175 11.2%

Eating Out

Jeju

–

Gimhae

$167 10.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

–

Gimhae

$70 4.5%

Getting Around

Jeju

–

Gimhae

$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 $457 in Jeju and $505 in Gimhae. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $51 in Jeju vs $49 in Gimhae. Groceries flip the comparison at $138 vs $483, with Jeju cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇰🇷 Gimhae

🕒 Local time

13:58 1:58 PM

Same time as Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

532,132

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jeju Gimhae 290 km

From you

Jeju
Gimhae

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 Gimhae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeju wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Gimhae. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jeju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Jeju. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $457 in Jeju versus $505 in Gimhae. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,107 per month in Jeju versus $1,553 in Gimhae – Jeju is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 250% higher in Gimhae. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,107 in Jeju versus $1,553 in Gimhae, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeju but tight or insufficient in Gimhae. The gap between the two cities makes Jeju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

It comes down to priorities – Jeju wins on affordability, Gimhae on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.